HAMPTON, Va. – As the action continued for the final two rounds inside Hampton Coliseum, Dener Barbosa (Paulo de Faria, Brazil) rode supreme to win the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour’s GovX PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Hampton.
After failing to get out of the chute on Rip Tide (Davis Rodeo Ranch) in Round 1, Barbosa was rematched with The Undertaker (Cornwell/Riley/PCP Bucking Bulls) to close out Friday night’s action. The Brazilian thundered out of the chutes to a roaring Hampton Coliseum crowd and made the 8 for 86 points to win the opening round.
In Round 2, Barbosa sat tall atop Smooth Kat (Cornwell Bucking Bulls) for 85 points, securing the top spot heading into the championship round.
There, the veteran cowboy burst out of the chutes on Diamond in the Ruff (Cowtown Rodeo) but was bucked off after 3.64 seconds.
The victory netted Barbosa 125 Velocity Global points.
Kyler Oliver (Roy, Utah) finished in second, going 1-for-3.
Bested by Frosty (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls) in just one second in Round 1, Oliver bounced back and won the second round by topping CB’s Buck Naked (LH Cattle Co./Chandler Cattle Co.) for an event-high 86.5 points to briefly seize the event lead.
Matched with Dirty Deeds (Cornwell Bucking Bulls/Waggoner Bucking Bulls) in the championship round, the Utahn briefly sat tall before being thrown to the dirt after 4.03 seconds.
Oliver returned home with a crucial 78 Velocity Global points.
In third was Ederson Santos (Ilha Soteria, Brazil), who went 1-for-3.
The veteran cowboy proved his resilience after bucking off Sandman (Cornwell Bucking Bulls/Waggoner Bucking Bulls) in 6.04 seconds in the opening round, roaring out of the chutes aboard Bomb Diggity (Davis Rodeo Ranch) for 86 points in Round 2.
Looking for his first victory of the year, Santos catapulted out of the gate on Kingdom (Cowtown Rodeo) in his final out but was bested in 3.04 seconds.
The bronze finish earned the Brazilian 54 Velocity Global points.
Australian Qynn Andersen (Koumala, Queensland, Australia) went 1-for-3 and finished in a four-way tie for fourth.
Sharing a chute with Scotty Potty (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls) in Round 1, Andersen lost the rope after a thrilling 4 seconds.
Undeterred, the young cowboy bounced back on Saturday, riding Day Time Demond (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls) for 84 points to shoot into the Top 5 entering the championship round.
Matched with Cutthroat (Cornwell Bucking Bulls), the Aussie roared out of the chutes and briefly sat tall atop his animal athlete opponent before being unseated in 3.22 seconds.
The next rider to match Andersen was Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas).
In Round 1, the Nashville Stampede’s Taylor rocketed out of the chutes on Send It (Davis Rodeo Ranch/Adult Decisions) but was unseated after just 1.71 seconds.
Knowing he needed to make the 8 to earn a spot in the championship round, Taylor converted aboard Hoobastank (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls) for 84 points to punch his ticket to the final round.
There, he had his title hopes dashed by Trinity (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls) in a quick 2.01 seconds.
The fourth-place finish garnered Taylor 28.5 Velocity Global points.
Caleb Cantrell (Honea Patch, South Carolina) and Tyler Crank (Saint Hedwig, Texas) were the final two riders to tie for fourth.
Both riders were bucked off in Round 1, as Cantrell was unseated by Sippin Sauce (Cowtown Rodeo) in 2.33 seconds and Crank was bested by Cutthroat in 1.36 seconds.
The pair then matched each other in Round 2, as the South Carolinian rode LHC 33 (LH Cattle Co.) and the Texan rode Tru Whip (Cornwell Bucking Bulls/PCP Bucking Bulls) for 84 points.
Cantrell and Crank couldn’t make the 8 in the final round, as The Agenda (Cornwell Bucking Bulls) bucked off Cantrell in 2.05 seconds and Sippin Sauce got the better of Crank, unseating the cowboy in 1.54 seconds.
Velocity Global points contribute to the Velocity Global Standings and determine which new riders are added to the elite Unleash The Beast throughout the season. The Top 3 Velocity Global riders who have not already qualified are also invited to the PBR World Finals in May.
Leading the dominant bull pen was Dirty Deeds, who won the Bull of the Event Title for his championship round buck off of Oliver, marked 44 points.
While the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour bucked in Hampton and Worcester, Massachusetts, the elite Unleash The Beast takes over VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.