PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – As a sold-out crowd inside of the newly opened Acrisure Arena made Friday night electric, Bill Henry (Manila, Utah) was in perfect form, collecting the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour’s (PWVT) Palm Springs Duel in the Desert Round 1 win.

Friday night’s Round 1 saw just eight qualified rides in a field of 35 as the talented bovines of the PBR showcased their immense athleticism. Henry had the Palm Springs’ full house of fans cheering as he launched from the chutes aboard Scarface (Evan Matthews) for 87.5 points.

For his round win, the 2022 Kansas City Outlaw athlete earned 28 Velocity Global points and heads into Saturday’s Round 2 leading the charge.

Austin Gamblers rider Griffin Smeltzer (Claresholm, Alberta, Canada) punched his ticket into Round 2 when he exploded from the chutes aboard Muscles (Leffew Bucking Bulls) to secure a second-place finish.

Not far behind Henry, the Canadian cowboy received an 86.5-point ride score, which earned him 18 Velocity Global points.

California’s own Aaron Williams (Pismo Beach, California) secured a third-place finish in Round 1 courtesy of an 85-point ride aboard Ho-Pac (Leffew Bucking Bulls). The ride netted him 17 Velocity Global points.

In fourth place was South Dakota cowboy Mason Moody (Letcher, South Dakota), who was paired with Wild Eyes (Leffew Bucking Bulls/Meza) as the evening rolled to a close. The 2022 Nashville Stampede rider delivered a resounding 85-point ride. Moody earned 16 Velocity Global points for his efforts.

Rounding out the Top 5 in Palm Springs was New Mexico cowboy Travis Wimberley (Las Lunas, New Mexico), after besting his bovine opponent Bad Man (Leffew Bucking Bulls) for 84 points. Wimberley rolls into Saturday with 15 added Velocity Global points.

PBR’s Palm Springs Duel in the Desert will continue inside Acrisure Arena as the top bull riders of the PWVT return for Round 2 and the championship round on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. PST.

PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT) - Palm Springs Duel in the Desert  Acrisure Arena – Palm Springs, California  Name, Round 1-Round 2-Event Aggregate-Event Points 1. Bill Henry, 87.5-0-0-87.50-28 Points. 2. Griffin Smeltzer, 86.5-0-0-86.50-18 Points. 3. Aaron Williams, 86-0-0-86.00-17 Points. 4. Mason Moody, 85-0-0-85.00-16 Points. 5. Travis Wimberley, 84-0-0-84.00-15 Points. 6. Chase Wimer, 82.5-0-0-82.50-14 Points. 7. Nick Tetz, 81-0-0-81.00-13 Points. 8. Weston Davidson, 71-0-0-71.00-4 Points. Conner Halverson, 0-0-0-0.00 Dawson Branton, 0-0-0-0.00 Ray Mayo, 0-0-0-0.00 Elijah Mora, 0-0-0-0.00 Dalton Rudman, 0-0-0-0.00 Anthony Lyons, 0-0-0-0.00 Carlos Gomes Junior, 0-0-0-0.00 Kyle Eaton, 0-0-0-0.00 Stefan Tonita, 0-0-0-0.00 Levi Gray, 0-0-0-0.00 Santiago Castellanos, 0-0-0-0.00 Vinell Mariano, 0-0-0-0.00 Dustin Martinez, 0-0-0-0.00 Garrett Jones, 0-0-0-0.00 Bryan Titman, 0-0-0-0.00 Trace Brown, 0-0-0-0.00 Colt Robinson, 0-0-0-0.00 River Stephenson, 0-0-0-0.00 Wyatt Covington, 0-0-0-0.00 Edgardo Figueroa, 0-0-0-0.00 Wyatt Austin, 0-0-0-0.00 Isaiah Ortiz, 0-0-0-0.00 Chad Hartman, 0-0-0-0.00 Collin Williams, 0-0-0-0.00 Justin Granger, 0-0-0-0.00 Merrell Cly, 0-0-0-0.00 Daniel Rogan, 0-0-0-0.00

Photo courtesy of Andre Silva/Bull Stock Media