SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Throughout the bucking world, SweetPro’s Bruiser has always been near and dear to the hearts of both fans and riders looking for an elite score. So, naturally, anytime one of the legendary bull’s kin show up to a UTB event, there’s going to be some extra excitement in the building.
Friday night was one of those nights, as Battered & Bruised was set to make his Unleash the Beast debut inside Danny Sanford Premier Center.
Paired against journeyman Dawson Branton in the opening round, Kate Harrison took some time to chat with Ty Rinaldo TZ Bucking Bulls’ Tanner Rinaldo atop the chutes, asking how similar the potential prodigy was to his often-friendly father (outside the dirt, of course).
“Yes mam, you can go up to him at the house and scratch his head and he loves horse cookies,” Rinaldo said on the RidePass on Pluto TV broadcast as he and Harrison shared a smile.
“My mom taught him to eat horse cookies, so, he loves horse cookies and …“ Rinaldo continued, but was quickly interrupted by the aforementioned cookie-lover busting out of the gates, with Branton aboard.
With the pregame interview centered around the legendary lineage, Branton quickly turned the attention toward another proven up-and-comer. Himself.
Matching the bovine jump-for-jump to the right for all eight seconds, in control the whole way, Branton found himself in second place on the event leaderboard after logging an 85.75-point ride atop his opponent. Not only a productive start to the weekend, but the score went down as the 140-lb. cowboy’s second-best on the premier series.
“Well, he’s going to get some treats today, and so is Dawson Branton,” Matt West echoed across the RidePass broadcast as a visibly excited Branton celebrated before the crowd.
While the out represented the first qualified ride that Battered & Bruised has surrendered in his short bucking career, Rinaldo was still proud of his effort after the session.
“Maybe a few more points, but he did good, I’m proud of him. He’s a good boy.”
After spending the summer competing with the Oklahoma Freedom during the 2022 PBR Team Series alongside a healthy mix of Challenger Series appearances when not drawing into the starting lineup, the youngster’s been able to build on some of the lessons learned from Cord McCoy and company.
Despite the talented rider’s potential upside, he’s yet to capture a UTB event title and has only placed in two UTB events ever, the first two he attended.
Coming onto the scene with a fiery 2-for-3 performance during his premier series debut weekend last year in Sacramento, California, Jan. 28-29 for the PBR Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic, presented by Bass Pro Shops, Branton recorded an 86.5-point score atop Buck Wild in the opening round to get things started on a good note, which continues to represent his highest score on UTB.
Officially riding 100% through night one, he went on to parlay the successful start with a second-round conversion aboard Chainsaw. Besting the bovine for 85 points, Branton had punched himself a ticket to the short round in his inaugural appearance.
Two weeks later, in the only other event he’s finished within the Top 20, the trending cowboy turned in a 13th-place effort by posting a 54.25-point ride paired with Little Bit Crazy at the PBR Express Ranches Invitational, presented by Union Home Mortgage in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. While the bull was only awarded 26.25 points for the mundane outing, Branton was able to convert and keep some momentum going with points in two straight premier series events.
Trying to make a name for himself while competing against the best bull riders in the world again, the bumps in the road seem to come only under the brightest lights in the business, as the Jefferson, Oregon, native currently ranks No. 3 overall within the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour standings.
Holding a respectable 50% ride percentage in Velocity Global events this year (including his 8-for-16 record specifically at PWVT events combined with his 2-for-4 Touring Pro Division – USA slate), he’s eyeing a run at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals, set to take place in Corpus Christi, Texas, May 5-6 inside American Bank Center Arena.
Despite trailing No. 1 Josh Frost in the PWVT standings by a mere 151 points, Branton opted out of this weekend’s PWVT competition in Casper, Wyoming, to ensure he’s taking advantage of his opportunity to compete against the industry’s top talent: both bovines and riders.
While Branton’s qualified ride initially earned him a second-place finish through the first half of Round 1, Rafael Henrique dos Santos (87 points on Show-Off), and during the last event of the night, Kaique Pacheco (88.25 points aboard Soul King), were able to log quality rides, bumping him to fourth on the leaderboard heading into Saturday’s second session of Round 1 action.
With plenty of veteran riders still set to compete in the second half of Round 1 Saturday evening, the young cowboy is far from a lock to compete in what would be just his third-ever championship round, but with the successful opening night conversion, he’ll find himself competing again Sunday afternoon in Round 2 of the three-day event regardless of where he ends in the Round 1 rankings.
Round 1 is set to continue Saturday night in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with action resuming at 6:45 p.m. CST. Following the conclusion of the opening round, fans inside Denny Sanford Premier Center will witness the PBR First Premier Bank/Premier Bankcard Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires 15/15 Bucking Battle as the best (and healthiest) riders in the world compete for additional UTB points, which will be aired on CBS Sunday, April 2 at 11 a.m. CST.
The weekend wraps up Sunday, April 2 with Round 2 set to begin at 2:45 p.m. CST and the championship round immediately following. The event’s short go will be broadcast Sunday, April 2 at 3 p.m. CST on CBS sports Network.
Fans can stay tuned to PBR.com and PBR social media channels throughout the weekend for the rankest rides, nastiest wrecks and all things UTB as the PBR First Premier Bank/Premier Bankcard Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires, rages on in Sioux Falls April 1-2.
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media