LAS VEGAS (October 23, 2010) - Chad Pennington began 2010 unsure of two things: where he would be playing quarterback this season and if Cat Man Do, the foundation bull of his line-bred program, would end his career at the Built Ford Tough World Finals.
Pennington signed a one-year contract to back up Chad Henne in Miami, and Cat Man, as he likes to call him, will buck in his sixth straight World Finals for the final time tonight at the Thomas & Mack Center.
“I think it is really special to have the opportunity to retire him at the World Finals,” Pennington said in an e-mail. “Cat Man gives it everything he has every time the gate is pulled.”
Despite his fondness and respect for Pennington, PBR Livestock Director Cody Lambert had to be convinced that Cat Man was worthy of another invitation to buck in Las Vegas. He doesn’t let his personal feelings for a stock contractor cloud his judgment when selecting bulls for PBR’s premier showcase.
Lambert tends to make his final decisions on bulls after seeing them buck late in the regular season. Cat Man was supposed to compete at the Built Ford Tough Series event in Springfield, Mo., in mid-September, but because of a hauling problem, did not make it. Lambert agreed to judge Cat Man via video from a Touring Pro Division event in Bay City, Texas, on Oct. 2.
He never got the video.
“The judges scored him 44 and a half [out of 50,] and he bucked off an up-and-coming young bull rider, Reed Barker, who was a Texas high school champion a couple years ago and is a very good bull rider,” Lambert said. “I never did see the video; they didn’t send it to me. I got the judges’ scores, I talked to one of the judges, and I talked to Lane Foltyn, who is actually one of the judges here [in Las Vegas] and was the chute boss at that event. He said he would have scored him 22 and a half, which if both judges would have done that, it would have been 45.”
Cat Man’s swan song has the potential to be one for the PBR history books. Two-time World Champion Chris Shivers, who has already covered two bulls this week, drafted the Pennington bull and will look to keep his momentum going toward Sunday’s 15-man Built Ford Tough Championship Round. Shivers is 2-0 against Cat Man, with a 90.5 and a 90.75.
“It’s great that a legendary bull gets to go out with a legendary bull rider riding him,” Lambert said.
Pennington bought Cat Man from J.W. Hart soon after attending his first bull riding, in Uniondale, N.Y., in 2005. The bull made his first World Finals appearance that season. He lives on Red Edmond’s El Campo, Texas, ranch most of the year. When he’s bucking regularly, he stays on Hart’s ranch in Overbrook, Okla. J.W.’s father, Randy, hauls the bull.
“Chad’s done real well with him and the bull’s done well for him,” J.W. Hart said. “I’m glad to see him retire here.”
Cat Man is one of two competitors Pennington’s #10 Bucking Bulls has at the Finals. Ranger Red made his second Las Vegas appearance this week and bucked off Harve Stewart during Round 2 in 7.5 seconds.
Cat Man has bucked off three of the four riders who attempted to make eight on him in 2010. His career buckoff percentage is 57.3 percent (43 of 75). He has drilled four PBR World Champions: Guilherme Marchi, Ednei Caminhas, Mike Lee and Justin McBride. He has also contributed to 15 90-point rides, including McBride’s 90.25, J.B. Mauney’s 90.5 and 2009 World Champion Kody Lostroh’s 91.75.
Cat Man was PBR High Money Bull in 2008, meaning riders won more money on him in the regular season than any other bull.
“I am so proud to own Cat Man Do,” Pennington said. “Cody sent me a text message after the Bay City event to let me know that he had been selected to go to the Finals. When I received the message, I was really fired up.
“He has been an outstanding bull his whole career
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