LAS VEGAS (October 23, 2010) - For the second time this year, the Brazilian contingency of bull riders are dominating in Las Vegas.
Back in April, Brazil won the World Cup here with combined score of 1,330.25 points, taking the Cup back from the Americans, who finished a distant second with 972 points.
Now, after three rounds of competition at the 2010 PBR World Finals, six of the Top 12 riders in the average represent Brazil, including the only two men to ride all three of their bulls so far: Renato Nunes and newcomerWesley Lourenco.
“When you look back at any Champion you want to think of, at this point, you didn’t bet against them – ever,” Ty Murray said. “You expected them to ride, and they would just knock another one down and another down.”
Nunes’ pursuit of the world title has been dramatic.
Twice this season, he has been atop the world standings, and at the midway point of the Finals, he’s 119 points behind Austin Meier, who is on the verge of giving way to Nunes for a third time this year.
“Last night, I thought Renato looked fantastic on a big rank bull,” Murray said. “He’s the only one at the PBR World Finals that looks and is riding like a World Champion.”
For the past 17 Built Ford Tough Series events, it’s been either Meier or Nunes leading the world.
Meier had the top spot for three weeks before Nunes took it for two, then Meier took it back for another week. That’s when Nunes appeared to run away with lead, holding the No. 1 spot in the world for the next several events, including the two-month summer break.
After winning back-to-back events in Pueblo, Colo., and Tulsa, Okla., Nunes began to slump, and Meier made a strong move that gave him the lead for the last five events of the regular season.
Nunes is atop the Finals average now, whereas neither Meier nor J.B. Mauney are yet in contention for the short round.
Meier is currently 32nd in the average, but with two long rounds left and one score on the board, he could easily make a move.
Mauney, who was injured Wednesday night when he bucked off of Train Wreck, has yet to make the whistle, and would likely need two fairly high scores in Rounds 4 and 5 to position himself for the short round.
“When you talk about these guys, you have to remember, they can come back at any time,” Murray said.
As for the Brazilians, they seem to thrive under pressure, especially inside the Thomas & Mack Center.
Along with Nunes and Lourenco, the other top four South American riders in the average are Paulo Lima, 8th; Valdiron de Oliveira, 9th; Silvano Alves, 11th, and Guilherme Marchi, 12th.
“The average plays a huge part,” when it comes to determining the World Champion on Sunday afternoon, Murray said.
“We talk about how when the season narrows down to what has to be done, it becomes more evident. Well, it’s getting really, really, really evident now.”
NEWS AND NOTES
ADRIANO MORAES SAID THE SUCCESS of Silvano Alves and now the 3-for-3 debut from newcomer Wesley Lourenco illustrates the fact that “it’s possible to escape poverty using the great sport of bull riding.” Moraes, who noted that the PBR has opened various offices around the world to “recruit riders like that,” said that many foreign riders don’t have opportunities to attend school or to play organized sports. “Their only opportunity was bull riding, and that’s why they try so hard,” he said. Moraes also added, “By having PBR events (in Brazil), Built Ford Tough Series events down there on TV, it encourages a bunch of these young riders to do something better for their lives. It’s not just a national championship, it’s a worldwide championship. It’s millions of dollars and a chance to escape poverty.”
GUILHERME MARCHI CAME TO LAS VEGAS not knowing if his injured wrist would hold up for six rounds. Halfway through the Finals, he’s ridden two of three, and said, “This is the best day for me. I feel like a young guy right now.” Marchi sat out the last four BFTS events of the season hoping that the rest would give him a shot at winning the Finals average. “That’s a bad injury that wiped me out all year, this year,” he said of the chute mishap back in Anaheim, Calif. He added that he’s “just glad to be in the Finals and riding good.”
JUSTIN MCBRIDE said the Finals has “been setting up all year for it to be the best race we’ve ever had. We’re not going to be let down by the way this race shapes out.” Especially not after Renato Nunes has cut Austin Meier’s lead from 1,300.75 points to just 119. “Looking at someone like Renato, he should have all the motivation in the world, because he finished up his season as bad as you can do,” said McBride, with reference to Nunes’ slump in the waning events of the regular season. “He looks like he’s got all the momentum.”
TRAVIS SELLERS said there was no way he was letting go of his rope Friday night, especially after the beatings he took Wednesday and Thursday. “That’s just part of it,” he said. Best Ever slammed him to the ground in the opening round, and then fell on top of him. “You’re going to have those bumps and bruises. It’s not a scripted play, so you never know what’s going to happen.” After riding Rewind for 86.5 points last night, he added, “I’m unfazed right now. This is the World Finals, where the best guys are and the toughest guys are, and that’s why we’re here, because we can take those beatings and get back on another one.”
FORD TRUCKS brought Guillermo Rodriguez to the Finals on Friday to film a special segment for Jimmy Kimmel Live. Guillermo came to Las Vegas with the intention of riding a bull, but after a rough go of it with Travis Briscoe and Super Duty, he thought better of the idea. He spent time with bullfighter Shorty Gorham before getting on stage with Flint Rasmussen during one of the commercial breaks. The segment can be seen on ABC on Monday, Nov. 1. Check local listings for show times.
FLINT RASMUSSEN has been hosting his daily talk show in the Fan Zone. Today’s show, which features Colby Yates, Chad Berger and Moe Bandy, will be at 1 p.m. PT. All the shows can be seen live by logging onto the Live Event Center at www.pbr.com.
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