PUEBLO, Colo. – Reigning Stock Contractor of the Year Chad Berger let out a slightly nervous, but somewhat confident, sigh on Tuesday morning.
Berger’s prized bovine athlete, and defending YETI World Champion Bull, Smooth Operator will be looking to bounce back from his lowest bull score (42.75 points) in nearly three years when he cracks out of the bucking chute Friday night at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho.
Brennon Eldred rode Smooth Operator in that out two weeks ago in Lincoln, Nebraska, for 86.5 points. Smooth Operator had looked like his normal solid self for the first four to five seconds before he jumped out of his spin for the last few seconds of the qualified ride.
Berger is hopeful that it was more of a fluke than anything else, and that the No. 2-ranked bull in the YETI World Championship race will get back to normal this weekend at the PBR Cooper Tires Take The Money and Ride, presented by Union Home Mortgage.
“I don’t know what happened there,” Berger said. “We will see what happens in Nampa. Maybe he wasn’t feeling right. Whatever will be, will be. I think he is ready.”
Coincidentally, Smooth Operator has a rematch against Eldred in Nampa in the 15/15 Bucking Battle, which airs Sunday on CBS national television (check local listings).
15/15 Bucking Battle Matchups
Ramon de Lima vs. Good Night Robicheaux (24-2, UTB)
Marco Eguchi vs. Chiseled (13-8, UTB/METC)*
Brennon Eldred vs. Smooth Operator (82-9, UTB/METC)$
Alex Cerqueira vs. Jive Turkey (8-3, UTB/METC)*
Mason Taylor vs. Stretch (24-10, UTB/METC)
Cole Melancon vs. Cool Customer (29-6, UTB/METC)
Eduardo Aparecido vs. Hocus Pocus (18-3, UTB/METC)
Derek Kolbaba vs. Canadian Mist (35-4, UTB)*
Ezekiel Mitchell vs. War Fury (1-0, UTB)
Cooper Davis vs. I’m Busted (9-0, UTB/METC)
Lucas Divino vs. Spotted Demon (49-10, UTB
Daylon Swearingen vs. SweetPro’s Bruiser (59-17, UTB/METC)
Kaique Pacheco vs. I’m Legit Too (16-7, UTB/METC)
Joao Ricardo Vieira vs. The Right Stuff (17-1, UTB/METC)
Jose Vitor Leme vs. Smooth Over (27-11, UTB/METC)$
*Bull previously bucked off the rider
$Rider previously has ridden the bull for a qualified ride
Smooth Operator (82-9, UTB/METC) has only been ridden nine times in 113 attempts at all levels of competition in his seven-year career.
It had been 506 days since Smooth Operator was ridden for less than 90 points, too, until Eldred converted on the 2019 World Champion Bull in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Eldred, though, expects Smooth Operator to be a rank test on Friday night, and to not break out of his spin for a second consecutive trip.
“He’s a handful, and you’ve got to come at him riding,” Eldred said. “It surprised me too. I’ve never really seen him jump out of it like that, but I haven’t seen him rode very much. I think he’s going to be real good this weekend.”
Berger expects this weekend to be Smooth Operator’s final out of the regular season before the 2020 PBR World Finals in Arlington, Texas, (Nov. 12-15) at AT&T Stadium.
Smooth Operator – the No. 2 bull in the world with a World Champion Bull average of 46.03 – is trying to jump ahead of No. 1 Chiseled (46.06 points) for the world No. 1 ranking.
The 2020 YETI World Champion Bull will be the animal with the highest average bull score from their top eight regular-season outs and two outs at the PBR World Finals.
Smooth Operator can increase his World Champion Bull average with a 45.75-point score or higher in Nampa. A 46-point score or higher could lead to Smooth Operator passing Chiseled in the standings.
“I will rest him until Finals,” Berger said. “I still feel pretty good about our chances. He is right there. He just needs to finish now.”
CHISELED A QUESTION MARK FOR NAMPA
Chiseled is listed in the draw for the 15/15 Bucking Battle, and the 2019 ABBI Classic champion will have a matchup against Marco Eguchi if he is ready to go. Chiseled bucked Eguchi off in 4.32 seconds in May at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma, for a 45.5-point bull score.
H.D. Page said on Tuesday that D&H Cattle Company is hauling Chiseled to Nampa, but they will wait and see how the bull looks and feels once they finish the 1,600-mile trek to Idaho from their home base of Ardmore, Oklahoma.
Page is remaining cautious with Chiseled after the bull began to show signs of soreness last week.
“I got him on the truck, but will see,” Page said. “I figure I couldn’t buck him if he isn’t there. I don’t know. He is really sore, but I hope he can go.”
If he indeed bucks this weekend, Chiseled needs a score of 45.75 points or higher to increase his World Champion Bull average.
D&H Cattle Company had a vet come and perform shockwave therapy on Chiseled before leaving for Nampa. Page is hopeful Chiseled will respond well to the treatment and be ready to roll on Friday night.
“If he doesn’t get better between now and then I don’t know, the Finals may be his first trip,” Page said. “It is one of them deals where I need to drop some scores, but whatever it is, that is all irrelevant. We have to get him ready to go, and everything else will have to work itself out. I don’t want to buck him if he is not 100%.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media