FORT WORTH, Texas – Laramie Wilson is used to competing against H.D. Page and D&H Cattle Company at various ABBI events, but even Wilson admits it can be a tad bit “terrifying” knowing the Pages have a bull like Chiseled chasing him and Wooppa in the YETI World Championship race.
The good thing for Wilson, though, is that Woopaa will not be one bit fazed by the legendary stock contractors who are prepping their prized bull Chiseled for a second-half push.
“It’s a little bit of a terrifying feeling,” Wilson said with a laugh during the PBR Tractor Supply Co. Iron Cowboy, presented by Ariat. “I mainly go to bull competitions for 2- and 3-year-olds, so me and H.D. have battled before. You never count H.D. out. It doesn’t matter if he’s the frontrunner or in 10th. You know he’s gunning for you, and to know a bull like Chiseled is what he’s got loaded with, it’s a little extra bit of worry for me.
“I have confidence in Woopaa, but you never underestimate H.D.”
Woopaa once again established himself as the bull to beat in the World Champion Bull race as he was scored 47 points during Paulo Lima’s event-winning 95.25-point ride Sunday at Dickies Arena.
The 5-year-old bull has been marked 47 points or higher a league-leading four times, and he now leads Chiseled 46.78-46.19 in the YETI World Champion Bull race.
No other bull in the PBR has multiple 47-point bull scores this season, and the only other bulls with 47-point scores are No. 2 Chiseled and No. 3 Ridin Solo.
The 2021 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 (Nov. 3-7 in Las Vegas).
The two bulls were the last to buck at Iron Cowboy. Chiseled was marked 46.25 points for bucking off Eli Vastbinder in 7.06 seconds.
“I was pretty happy with him,” Page said. “He was long out of here and kicked the bucking chute really hard, and it kind of shot him out there. Once he got out there, he started bucking.
“He needs to have more (strong outs), but I plan on sending him next weekend.”
Page said Chiseled will buck next weekend on the USS Lexington during the PBR Air Force Reserve Cowboys for a Cause in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Wilson will rest Woopaa for a month until the PBR U.S. Border Patrol Invitational, presented by Ariat, on Oct. 2-3.
Meanwhile, Mezcal jumped up to No. 5 in the YETI World Champion Bull race with a 46.25-point score on Sunday.
Mezcal bucked off Daylon Swearingen in 1.98 seconds in Round 2 in an impressive rebound performance following his 36.75-point showing in the Nashville 15/15 Bucking Battle.
While Woopaa and Chiseled are the top two contenders, Wilson expects Mezcal and other bulls to close the gap by the time the World Finals rolls around on Nov. 3 in Las Vegas.
“No, I don’t think it is a two-bull race,” Wilson said. “Pookie Holler, he looked good last weekend. Mezcal. Yellow Feather, he’s just now getting enough outs to kind of be in the talk. He’s got one or two low scores he’s going to drop. I think the next two weeks, it’ll be a game-changer and a standings shuffle, more or less.
“Woopaa and Chiseled are going to stay the frontrunners, but I think there’s going to be a lot of them close on their heels coming on.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media