PUEBLO, Colo. – The only thing that was dicey this weekend for 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis when it came to his first event in almost five months because of a broken neck was the timing of his arrival.
Davis and fellow Texan Boudreaux Campbell landed at Rapid City Regional Airport in Rapid City, South Dakota, at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday and had to make the roughly 250-mile drive to Sheridan, Wyoming, for the non-public Forever West PBR Touring Pro Division event being held at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds.
The two bull riders were moved to the last section of the event, and the duo hustled their way down I-90 West to make it to the bull riding about 30 minutes after the event got underway.
Inside the arena though, Davis’s return to competition for the first time since breaking his neck on Jan. 5 at the season-opening Monster Energy Buck Off at The Garden was flawless.
Davis rode The Joker in Round 1 for 85.5 points before erupting in the championship round for 90 points on Little Heat and the event victory.
“I can’t express how excited and happy I am to be back!” Davis posted on his Instagram account following the victory.”
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A post shared by Cooper Davis (@coopertdav) on May 30, 2020 at 5:53pm PDT
The third annual Forever West PBR was closed to the public. Event organizers worked closely with the Sheridan County Health Officer and Wyoming Department of Health to develop a detailed plan to hold the event. There was no vendors or fans at the Forever West PBR, and the event was run by a minimal number of staff.
The Forever West PBR was the first Touring Pro Division event since the WCRA Royal City Roundup in Kansas City, Missouri, on Feb. 28. Fifteen TPD events have been canceled or postponed as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, and there is the possibility that other summer events may also be affected by the pandemic.
Davis earned 15 world points with the victory to move up to No. 33 in the world standings. The Jasper, Texas, bull rider expressed the importance of getting points in Sheridan earlier this week because of the lack of summer PBR events where world points will be up for grabs.
“That definitely comes into play right now because this could be my only chance all summer to go anywhere and get any points, especially going to Vegas with there not being any points there,” Davis said on Tuesday. “It is in the back of my mind that there is not a lot of opportunities this summer to go and get points.”
RELATED: Davis returning to competition in Wyoming
Campbell rode Cold Dog Cat for 87 points in Round 1, but Rip Lip bucked him off in 2.68 seconds in the championship round, resulting in a fifth-place finish.
Kyle Jones (2-for-2, 173.5, 8 world points), Andre de Souza (2-for-2, 168, 7 world points) and Matt Triplett (1-for-2, 88 points, 4 world points) rounded out the Top 4.
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A post shared by Matt triplett (@triplett90) on May 30, 2020 at 6:08pm PDT
Davis’s win is his first at the TPD level in three-plus years. He last won a TPD event on August 4, 2016, in Santa Barbara, California.
Davis next turns his focus to the Monster Energy Team Challenge, presented by U.S. Border Patrol, and Division B play beginning on June 19.
The PBR has yet to announce rosters for Division B, but Division A competition begins this coming Friday at the Pendleton Whisky Let ‘Er Buck Saloon at South Point Arena in Las Vegas.
RELATED: Division A teams announced for METC
The METC is going to feature 12 teams and 48 bull riders. Each team will consist of four riders, and there will be two divisions of six teams. The Top 3 teams in each division will then qualify for Championship Weekend and a single-elimination tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on July 10-12 in front of fans.
Every game will be comprised of 12 collective outs, with each team attempting six bulls. Three riders per team, as selected by the General Manager, will attempt two bulls per game. The winner of each game will be the team with the top combined aggregate score from their six outs.
All games will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and RidePass, and a Game of the Week will air on CBS national television.
Davis is likely to be a heavy hitter when Division B play gets underway.
He has lost 10 pounds since January and is back down to 137 pounds.
Davis also has the hunger caused by sitting on the sidelines for the longest amount of time in his career.
“I feel like I am in better shape than I have been in a long time, honestly,” Davis said. “I am down to the weight I want to be at. I am strong in the places I want to be at. Not necessarily everywhere. There have been times I guess where I felt too bulky. Right now, I am 137 pounds, and I have been working my butt off in the gym, eating right. Really just taking care of myself getting ready to come back. As far as being in good shape, I feel like I am where I need to be.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko