PUEBLO, Colo. – As Brady Turgeon prepared for his championship round out against Domino at the PBR Gem State Bucking Battle, presented by Cooper Tires, in Nampa, Idaho, bullfighter Cody Webster made a bold prediction.

“When it comes to bulls that are just going for a world title, don’t look any further than Domino, for the simple fact that this bull will be World Champion at one point,” Webster said from the dirt on CBS Sports Network. “I’m marking my words right here in Nampa: Domino will be a World Champion in the very next few years.”

It took only 1.75 seconds for Domino to answer.

The D&H Cattle Co./Buck Cattle Co. bovine dumped his opponent in spectacular fashion, launching him into the air, and received a 47.75-point bull score – the highest bull score of the 2023 season.

In fact, it’s the highest bull score since 2021 YETI World Champion Bull Woopaa posted 48.75 points against two-time World Champion Jose Vitor Leme – resulting in a 98.75-point ride, the highest in PBR history – at the 2021 PBR World Finals.

“That was for real right there,” said a stunned Justin McBride on CBS Sports Network. “Good pick, Web!”

This is Domino’s first season on the Unleash The Beast. In three outs, he’s yet to post a bull score lower than 45 points. In his first out, just a few weeks ago in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he scored 46.5 points for a 2.7-second buckoff of Boudreaux Campbell. Last week in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a 1.51-second buckoff of Tate Pollmeier notched him 45 points.

Domino spent 2022 bucking primarily on the Challenger Series, posting a 47-point bull score in a 2.08-second buckoff of Leandro Machado at the 2022 Utah Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo in July.

Domino was a formidable opponent for Turgeon, who, at 19, was making just his second Unleash The Beast appearance. He went 1-for-3 to finish ninth overall.

Pollmeier, Domino’s previous victim, finished second overall in Nampa, winning Round 1 and going 2-for-3 for the best premier-series finish of his career.

While a few bad outs have Domino too far behind in the YETI World Champion Bull race to be a true contender in 2023, he showed himself favorably against the rankest bulls of the season in Nampa. No. 1 Cool Whip scored 44.75 points; No. 2 Ridin’ Solo scored 44.25 points; No. 3 Flapjack scored 45.25 points; and No. 5 Ricky Vaughn scored 44.25 points.

With just four events remaining before the 2023 PBR World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, on May 12-21, Domino is making quite a case for himself – for 2023 and beyond.

“This was Webster’s pick, and he said future World Champion, and I do believe he is right, with that kind of an out,” McBride said. “Best bull score we’ve seen all year.

“That’s a bucker, man. Welcome to the big show.”

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media