LAS VEGAS (October 19, 2010) - [Editor’s note: In a three-part series, PBR Senior Writer Keith Ryan Cartwright will recap the events of the 2010 Built Ford Tough Series.]
TULSA, OK, July 16-18 – Event winner: Renato Nunes
Renato Nunes left Oklahoma with his third Built Ford Tough Series win of the year, and the No. 1 rider in the world looked relieved.
“I feel better than two months ago,” he said.
Nunes referred to his 17th-place finish in Wichita, Kan., when Austin Meier won his fourth event and reclaimed the top spot in the standings. Since then, Nunes won back-to-back BFTS events for the first time in his career.
When asked why it took a second win in a row to make him feel so good, he responded, “Because I was behind somebody, and now somebody is behind me, and I feel much better.”
Every other card-carrying PBR member across the world was behind him.
“I know, I know,” he said, laughing. “I feel much better.”
SAN ANTONIO, July 31-Aug. 1 – Event winner: Cody Nance
When he woke up Saturday morning, Cody Nance went for a bike ride to clear his head and think about the opportunity he was given to compete in San Antonio.
Nance, last year’s Rookie of the Year, was invited to the U.S. Air Force Invitational as a top regional performer in the Touring Pro Division.
“I had it set in my mind that this is an awesome opportunity,” said Nance, who split fourth, fifth and sixth place earlier in the week in Cheyenne, Wyo.
The 22-year-old from Paris, Tenn., made the most of his weekend with an 89.5-point ride on Perfect Poison in the short round to beat out Paulo Lima for the event win. It was Nance’s first Built Ford Tough Series win of 2010 and the third of his career.
Nance finished the weekend with a two-bull total of 176.25 points, and was the lone rider to cover his final bull on a frustrating weekend for most of the top riders in the world.
NASHVILLE, TN, Aug. 14-15 – Event winner: Ben Jones
It took Ben Jones 12 years to win his first Built Ford Tough Series event, so it’s not surprising that the emotional Australian nearly broke down afterward.
“Honestly, it was the first time I was ever going to cry, I think,” said Jones, who won the Jack Daniel’s Invitational with a 90.25-point effort on Buffalo Hump in the short round.
Jones, 31, has overcome much in his professional bull riding career. But the challenge and danger of riding bulls paled in comparison to the personal “dark places” Jones has been.
“It’s not winning the world,” said Jones, “but it was my life dream achieved today.”
Jones, whose best finish previously was third place in Kansas City, Mo., was one of only two riders to go 3-for-3. Austin Meier was the other.
MEMPHIS, TN, Aug. 20-21 – Event winner: Silvano Alves
Even among Brazilian riders, Silvano Alves is not known for saying much.
When Robson Palermo asked the 22-year-old if he was happy to win his second Built Ford Tough Series event since coming to the United States in April, Alves simply replied, “Well, yeah.”
He may be quiet outside of the arena, but he’s proven to be a dominant force in it.
Alves was the only rider to cover all three bulls at the Memphis Invitational, totaling 253.5 points and winning his second event in the past nine.
J.B. Mauney finished second with 177.25 on two, and moved back to third in the world standings. Rounding out the Top 5 finishers on the weekend were Cody Campbell, Jordan Hupp and Austin Meier.
Meier gained only a slight advantage on Renato Nunes in the standings. He finished 4.75 points ahead of Nunes in the average and ended the weekend trailing the No. 1 bull rider in the world by 905 points.
Alves was one of only two riders ranked in the Top 30 despite having attended less than 10 BFTS events this year – reigning World Champion Kody Lostroh was the other. Both had ridden in nine events, with Alves ranked 18th in the standings and Lostroh 28th.
ONTARIO, CA, Aug. 28-29 – Event winner: Austin Meier
Prior to the weekend, Austin Meier told his dad he felt like he was 13 years old again.
After struggling for the first few events following the summer break, Meier was finally “dominating everything” the way he had when he first starting riding bulls as a teenager, and couldn’t “wait for the next day to come.”
Ontario proved to be worth the wait for the 23-year-old from Oklahoma.
Meier was the only rider to cover all three bulls, and won his fifth Built Ford Tough Series event of 2010. The win put him within 218 points of Renato Nunes.
“The right things happened,” he said, “because generally with an 81 in the long round and the great riders that were here and the great matchups that were here tonight, you’re not going to win, but when you do your job and you get all your bulls rode anything can happen.”
GREENVILLE, SC, Sept. 10-11 – Event winner: Sean Willingham and Paulo Lima
“Shake and bake is back,” proclaimed an elated J.B. Mauney.
The North Carolina native didn’t win the Greenville Invitational, but he did ride Voodoo Child for 93.5 points, while his good friend Sean Willingham went 3-for-3 for a share of the event win with Paulo Lima.
It was Willingham’s first Built Ford Tough Series win in more than two years. He last won in Orlando, Fla., back in early 2008.
“That’s my buddy J.B. Mauney,” said Willingham, who couldn’t help but laugh at Mauney’s reference to the 2006 comedy “Talladega nights: The ballad of Ricky Bobby.” “We like to do a little shakin’ and bakin’ and we finally got it back rolling.
“That’s been our whole thing since that movie came out. We used to be one and two all the time and that kind of slipped away, so we finally got that back the last few weeks. Look out for shake and bake, we’re coming.”
Willingham had been to all 26 events in 2010, but had made only 10 short rounds, and finished in the Top 5 just five times. And the Georgia native was well aware that four times this year he’d gone a month without competing in the short round.
SPRINGFIELD, MO, Sept. 17-19 – Event winner: J.B. Mauney
For the top riders in the world, it’s all about points.
That’s why J.B. Mauney wanted to accept a re-ride option in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round, until Dr. Tandy Freeman decided otherwise.
Mauney had already clinched his second Built Ford Tough Series event win of 2010 before he even nodded his head in the final round. That’s when Black Pearl reared up and slung him over his front shoulder on the way out of the chute, slamming the right side of Mauney’s face off the corner hinge of the gate as it swung open.
He immediately went to the ground. But as he made his way to the corner of the arena, he indicated that he wanted another opportunity.
Freeman, the head of PBR Sports Medicine team, signaled “no,” and said, “There’s no reason.”
Mauney won with 264 points on three of four bulls over Ryan McConnel, who finished second with 261 points. Rounding out the Top 5 finishers in Springfield were Mike Lee (260), Chris Shivers (258.5) and Colby Yates (257).
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, Sept. 24-25 – Event winner: Brendon Clark
While Brendon Clark readied himself in the chute, PBR Livestock Director Cody Lambert leaned in close and told him that he had to stay on RMEF Bugle.
“He said, ‘You have no other option, or you’re going to look like an idiot, and if you ride this one you’ll make me look like an idiot,’” recalled Clark, who rode the bull for 89.25 points and his first Built Ford Tough Series event win since 2007.
Lambert, who is a firm believer in accepting all re-ride options, was referring to Clark’s decision in Round 2 to go ahead and keep the 72.25 points he earned when he rode Ramble On.
Afterward Clark said his riding hand had been bothering him and he had no choice, but admitted that he “might have let one slip” by not accepting an option for another bull. Had it not been for his sore hand and guaranteed spot in the short round, he would have gotten on another bull.
Clark beat out Kody Lostroh (176.75), Ben Jones (176), Valdiron de Oliveira (174) and Silvano Alves (173.5) for the third event win of eight-year career on the BFTS.
UNCASVILLE, CONN, Oct. 1-3 – Event winner: Silvano Alves
When he first came to the United States, Silvano Alves didn’t understand a word of English.
Six months later, the 22-year-old Brazilian smiled when he heard references to the upcoming World Finals, which will be the first of his promising career. He also perked up when he heard about becoming a future World Champion.
In Uncasville, he won his third Built Ford Tough Series event of 2010.
The win moved him from 15th to 12th place in the world standings. His season earnings total of $179,480 all but assured that he will be this season’s rookie of the year.
He and Ednei Caminhas, the 2002 World Champion who helped translate for Alves, both laughed when it was pointed out that Alves seems to smile when hears the word “world.”
The newcomer, who rides with the confidence of a veteran, was one of only two riders to cover all four bulls at the Mohegan Sun Invitational. Wiley Petersen was the other, but Alves outscored him 348.5 points to 336.
COLUMBUS, OHIO, Oct. 9-10 – Event winner: Colby Yates
When Colby Yates selected Paycheck for the Built Ford Tough Championship Round, he knew he could score “some big numbers on him,” but by the time he readied himself in the chute, he needed just 5 points.
If he made the whistle, he would win his first Built Ford Tough Series event since 2006 in Albuquerque, N.M.
“He was heading out there straight, and I was like, ‘Don’t turn. Don’t turn. I gotcha,’” recalled Yates, who won the Cooper Tires Invitational with an 82-point ride, and in the process, earned his biggest payday on the aptly named bull.
Yates did all he could on Paycheck, who was marked just 39.75 points. Not for a moment did he consider accepting a re-ride option.
“Tonight I couldn’t do anything but ask for that bull to go straight,” Yates joked. “That was the best thing that could have happened.
“That’s right, no re-ride. Don’t even ask me. I’m not going to do it.”
TIMES SQUARE, Oct 15 – Event winner: Travis Briscoe
Prior to riding Skyhawk Cut-a-Rug in the middle of Times Square, Travis Briscoe had mixed emotions about the matchup.
There was part of him that wanted an opportunity to exact revenge on a bull he singled out as having derailed his season, and another part of him that didn’t want any part of the same bull that nearly ended his season in late February.
“He’s not one that a guy likes to get on,” said Briscoe, who won the last Final Five Showdown with an 87-point ride. “That bull, I kind of owed him one, because he started my whole chain of injuries this year when I dislocated all (those) ribs.
“That was the first injury that I had this season. He’s the one who started it, and it made me have a lack of preparation during that week and then come back the next weekend and get hurt again.”
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