SPOKANE, Wash. – After the opening night of PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Spokane, Conner Halverson (Gordon, Nebraska) sits alone atop the leaderboard. 

The cornhusker cowboy stormed out of the chutes aboard Faded Dreams (Wentz Bucking Bulls) for a round-winning 85.5 points in the penultimate out of the evening. 

The opening round victory netted Halverson 28 Velocity Global points. 

Max Castro (Chiquimula, Guatemala), Trace Redd (Malad, Idaho) and Gavin Knutson (Polson, Montana) all covered their Round 1 opponents for 83.5 points to sit in a tie for second. 

Castro topped Tooth Fairy (Corey & Lange Rodeo), Redd covered Lone Ranger (Wentz Bucking Bulls) and Knutson made the 8 aboard Montana Moon (Wentz Bucking Bulls) in their respective outs. 

All three riders left the arena with 17 Velocity Global points. 

In addition to riding Lone Ranger, Redd also finished fifth, courtesy of a double-entry. 

The Idahoan rumbled out of the chutes during the final out of the round aboard Dirty Deeds (Wentz Bucking Bulls) for 79 points. 

The fifth-place finish in the opening round garnered Redd an additional 7 Velocity Global points. 

The final qualified ride of the evening belonged to Wyatt Covington (Omak, Washington). 

Competing less than three hours from home, Covington initially appeared to have been dislodged by Flash (P9 Rodeo Company) but somehow hung on to his rope while parallel with the dirt for a hard-earned 75.5 points. 

His sixth-place effort earned him 13 Velocity Global points. 

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. 

PBR Spokane concludes tomorrow Saturday, January 11, at 7 p.m. PT. 

While the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour bucks in Spokane and North Charleston, South Carolina, the elite Unleash The Beast takes over Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, for PBR Chicago. 

PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour
PBR Spokane
Spokane Arena – Spokane, Washington
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Conner Halverson, 85.5-0-0-85.50-28 Points.
2. Max Castro, 83.5-0-0-83.50-17 Points.
(tie). Trace Redd [2], 83.5-0-0-83.50-17 Points.
(tie). Gavin Knutson, 83.5-0-0-83.50-17 Points.
5. Trace Redd [1], 79-0-0-79.00-7 Points.
6. Wyatt Covington, 75.5-0-0-75.50-13 Points.
Aaron Williams, 0-0-0-0.00
Andy Guzman, 0-0-0-0.00
Eli Necochea, 0-0-0-0.00
Jaxton Mortensen, 0-0-0-0.00
JC Merriott, 0-0-0-0.00
William Wright, 0-0-0-0.00
Pokey Houghton, 0-0-0-0.00
Kyle Eaton, 0-0-0-0.00
Elijah Monnett [1], 0-0-0-0.00
Elijah Monnett [2], 0-0-0-0.00
Weston Davidson, 0-0-0-0.00
Dalton Davis, 0-0-0-0.00
Brady Turgeon, 0-0-0-0.00
Justice Forsythe, 0-0-0-0.00
Colton Schneiderman, 0-0-0-0.00
Jesse Borland, 0-0-0-0.00
Chase Hamlin, 0-0-0-0.00
Dalton Shepard, 0-0-0-0.00
Hazen Casperson, 0-0-0-0.00
Alex Koberstein, 0-0-0-0.00
Lukas Thompson, 0-0-0-0.00
Nik Williams, 0-0-0-0.00
Quinten Panarra, 0-0-0-0.00
Clay Padgett, 0-0-0-0.00
Dakota Johnson, 0-0-0-0.00
Cutter Woollard, 0-0-0-0.00
Blake Masden, 0-0-0-0.00
Cole Benton, 0-0-0-0.00
Garret Holden, 0-0-0-0.00

Photo courtesy of Fallon Wentz