SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – As action got underway Friday evening at MassMutual Center for the first-ever PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event in Springfield, Massachusetts, the league’s world-class bovine athletes dominated, surrendering just three rides. However, in a display of cowboy grit and athleticism, Eli Vastbinder (Statesville, North Carolina) and Amadeu Campos Silva (Atair, Brazil) both reached the requisite 8 to tie for the Round 1 victory at the PBR Springfield Invitational.
Each marked an evening-best 83.5 points, Vastbinder covered Trump (J Bar W) while Silva outlasted Livin’ Life (CG Bucking Bulls/Big Rafter Rodeo, LLC).
Vastbinder and Silva both concluded the evening having earned 5.5 world points.
The golden effort allowed Vastbinder to gain crucial ground in the race for the 2021 PBR World Championship.
After beginning the evening ranked No. 35 in the world, Vastbinder is now No. 33. He trails the Top 30 and a seeded position on the elite Unleash The Beast by 26 points.
Dispatching 92.5% of the competing riders, the rank bull pen of bulls that bucked in Round 1 was led by Custom Made (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls) and Twist of Faith (Cornwell Bucking Bulls), both marked 43.5 points.
Custom Made made quick work of Elijah Lankford (Polkville, North Carolina), sending him to the ground in 2.12 seconds, while Twist of Faith needed just 1.58 seconds to get the better of Paulo Souza Rodriguez (Mato Grosso, Brazil).
As the only other contender to deliver a qualified ride, Josh Steele (Sparta, Missouri) was third.
Steele, the first rider to ever reach the 8 inside MassMutual Center, rode Black Hawk (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) for 65 points to earn 3 world points.
PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour action from Springfield, Massachusetts, and MassMutual Center continues on Saturday, August 14 with Round 2 and the championship round. Action gets underway at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour – Springfield Invitational
MassMutual Center – Springfield, Massachusetts
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Eli Vastbinder [1], 83.5-0-0-83.50-5.5 Points.
(tie). Amadeu Campos Silva, 83.5-0-0-83.50-5.5 Points.
3. Josh Steele, 65-0-0-65.00-3 Points.
Eli Vastbinder [2], 0-0-0-0.00
Michael Lane [1], 0-0-0-0.00
Michael Lane [2], 0-0-0-0.00
Conner Halverson [1], 0-0-0-0.00
Conner Halverson [2], 0-0-0-0.00
Grayson Cole, 0-0-0-0.00
Kyle Jones, 0-0-0-0.00
Cole Skender [1], 0-0-0-0.00
Cole Skender [2], 0-0-0-0.00
Lucas Fideles Souza, 0-0-0-0.00
Ramon de Lima, 0-0-0-0.00
Bob Mitchell [1], 0-0-0-0.00
Bob Mitchell [2], 0-0-0-0.00
Eli Byler, 0-0-0-0.00
Marcos Gloria, 0-0-0-0.00
Jake Morinec, 0-0-0-0.00
Mason Ward, 0-0-0-0.00
Tyler Congleton, 0-0-0-0.00
Carlos Garcia, 0-0-0-0.00
Ross Freeman, 0-0-0-0.00
Eduardo de Oliveira, 0-0-0-0.00
Matt Oliver, 0-0-0-0.00
Devon Weaver, 0-0-0-0.00
Alex Jenks, 0-0-0-0.00
Allen Burkholder [1], 0-0-0-0.00
Allen Burkholder [2], 0-0-0-0.00
Elijah Lankford, 0-0-0-0.00
Paulo Souza Rodriguez, 0-0-0-0.00
Vinicius Rainer, 0-0-0-0.00
Warlen Aquino, 0-0-0-0.00
Felipe Correia de Souza, 0-0-0-0.00
Joseph Petersheim, 0-0-0-0.00
Walter Oliveira, 0-0-0-0.00
Jason Landing, 0-0-0-0.00
Daniel dos Santos, 0-0-0-0.00
Tristen Marshall, 0-0-0-0.00
Richard Faulkner, 0-0-0-0.00