READING, Pa. – Riding in front of a sold-out home state crowd, Grayson Cole (New Ringgold, Pennsylvania) remained red-hot Saturday evening, going 2-for-3 to win the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour’s Boot Barn Reading Invitational inside Santander Arena.
For Cole, the victory was his second in as many weeks, fresh off his golden finish last weekend in North Charleston, South Carolina.
The surging young gun first put points on the board in Round 1 when he covered Old School (J Bar W) for 85.5 points.
Positioned second on the event leaderboard as Championship Saturday got underway, Cole overtook the lead when he topped Pneu-Dart’s Southern Twist (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) for 86.5 points in Round 2.
While Cole was unable to conclude the tour stop with a score, upended by Pocket Change (J Bar W) in a quick 1.6 seconds in the championship round, his initial two rides were enough to cement the win.
Cole’s second Velocity Tour event win of the season earned him 116 Velocity Global points as he chases his first Velocity Tour Championship this May.
Brandon Davis (Cabot, Arkansas) was second, netting 83 Velocity Global points.
Davis delivered a 2-for-3 effort, riding Pneu-Dart’s Southern Twist for 84.5 points in Round 1, and Smooth Kat (Cornwell Bucking Bulls) for 85 points in Round 2.
Third was Dylan Smith (Ararat, Virginia).
As the event got underway, Smith tied for third in the opening round via his 84.5-point ride atop Crazed Addiction (Cornwell Bucking Bulls).
Smith remained inside the Top 3 when he topped Chicken Water (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) for 83 points in Round 2.
The Virginia rider’s hopes of victory, however, ended abruptly in the championship round when he was routed by Pneu Dart’s Black Label (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) in 3.08 seconds in the championship round.
Smith left Santander Arena having earned 66.5 Velocity Global points.
Compliments of an 82.5-point ride on Bad Anchor (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) in Round 1, and an 82-point score aboard Red Baron (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) in Round 2, Claudio Montanha Jr. (Pacaembu, Brazil) was fourth.
The charismatic Brazilian garnered 40 Velocity Global Points.
Rounding out the Top 5 in fifth was Beau Caplinger (Hillsboro, Ohio).
Caplinger rode Eye Balls (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) for 79.5 points in Round 1 and One Short One Lone (J Bar W) for 76.5 points in Round 2, to collect 31 Velocity Global points.
In the bull pen, Pocket Change (J Bar W) bucked a cut above the rest, crowned the Bull of the Event. The powerful animal athlete posted a 44-point score in Round 1 when he tossed Devin Hager (Farmington, Pennsylvania) in 1.75 seconds.
The PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour next travels to Cedar Park, Texas, on Feb. 17-18, and Memphis, Tennessee, on Feb. 18.
The PBR Cedar Park Chute Out at H-E-B Center gets underway on Friday, Feb. 17, at 8 p.m. CST and concludes on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. CST.
The PBR Bluff City Classic at FedEx Forum begins on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. CST.
PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour
PBR Boot Barn Reading Invitational
Santander Arena – Reading, Pennsylvania
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3- Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Grayson Cole, 85.5-86.5-0-172.00-116 Points.
2. Brandon Davis, 84.5-85-0-169.50-83 Points.
3. Dylan Smith, 84.5-83-0-167.50-66.5 Points.
4. Claudio Montanha Jr., 82.5-82-0-164.50-40 Points.
5. Beau Caplinger, 79.5-76.5-0-156.00-31 Points.
6. Michael Lane, 0-87-0-87.00-40 Points.
7. Quentin Vaught, 86-0-0-86.00-34 Points.
8. Jake Morinec, 0-85-0-85.00-21.5 Points.
9. Carlos Garcia, 0-84-0-84.00-19 Points.
10. Hunter Ball, 83.5-0-0-83.50-17 Points.
11. Cody McCandless, 0-81-0-81.00-13 Points.
12. Dakota Warnken, 80-0-0-80.00-13 Points.
13. Zane Cook, 76.5-0-0-76.50-3 Points.
Kyle Jones, 0-0-0-0.00
Leonardo Lima, 0-0-0-0.00
Justin Ethridge, 0-0-0-0.00
Matt Allgood, 0-0-0-0.00
Keith Hall, 0-0-0-0.00
Dakota Eagleburger, 0-0-0-0.00
Dustin Herman, 0-0-0-0.00
Brandon Chambers, 0-0-0-0.00
Alex Jenks, 0-0-0-0.00
Bennie Shetler, 0-0-0-0.00
Joao Paulo Fernandes, 0-0-0-0.00
Storm Howard, 0-0-0-0.00
Eduardo de Oliveira, 0-0-0-0.00
Austin Beaty, 0-0-0-0.00
Ueberson Duarte, 0-0-0-0.00
Eli Byler, 0-0-0-0.00
Eder Barbosa, 0-0-0-0.00
Perry Schrock, 0-0-0-0.00
Lane Nelson, 0-0-0-0.00
Devin Hager, 0-0-0-0.00
Eli Miller, 0-0-0-0.00
Jared Avina, 0-0-0-0.00
Photo courtesy of Casey Martin
