CHIHUAHUA, Mexico (August 16, 2008) - The first night of the 2008 PBR World Cup, held in the Cowboy Capitol of Mexico, Chihuahua, provided plenty of action for the packed crowd in the Manuel Bernardo Aguirre Gymnasium. Finishing in first place was Team Canada with a total score of 426.5 points; Team USA ended in second for the evening with 353.5 points; 2007 World Cup Champions, Team Brazil, in third with 340.25 points; home country bull riders, Team Mexico, finished in fourth with 244.25 points; and rounding out fifth was Team Australia with 88.25 points.
In its second year, the 2008 PBR World Cup showcased five of each country’s best riders competing under the tutelage of team captains who not only selected which riders would ride for their country, but also which rider would take on which bull during the competition. Team captains were then responsible to choose which three scores from each round would contribute to their team’s total points. The decision would be on the spot after a ride was completed on whether they wanted to keep the score or throw it out with the confidence that their teams’ upcoming riders would be rewarded a higher score.
When the first round was complete, Canada’s Vince Northrop (Davidson, SK) had the highest score as he took on the bull, Chicken Fry (Mayo/Hooker) for 88.5 points. The second highest score in round one went to USA’s Sean Willingham (Summerville, Ga.) as he was given 86.25 points after he rode Undertow, owned by McBride Bucking Bulls. Rounding out third place was Jesse Torkelson (Winfield, AB) as he tamed the bull, Little Black Scorpion (McBride Bucking Bulls) for 85.25 points.
Round one ended with Team Canada in the lead as four of their five riders--Northrop, Torkelson, Aaron Roy (Asquith, SK), and Scott Schiffner (Strathmore, AB)--were able to tame their bulls for a total of 337.75 points. Brazil was sitting second as Renato Nunes (Buritama, SP, Brazil) and Valdiron de Oliveira (Aparecida de Goiania, GO) completed two rides for a total of 165.75 points and Team USA finished the first round in third with 86.25 points.
The second round had the Mexico crowd on their feet as Rocky McDonald (Col. Juarez, Mexico) topped his bull Mutt (Newman Bucking Bulls) for 83.75 points. Francisco Morales (Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico) followed that ride up with one of his own on Duncan & Evans Bucking Bulls’ Rock Star for 75.5 points and Francisco Torres (Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico) was awarded a score of 85 points when he took on the bull, Hellfire (#10 Bucking Bulls).
Round two also showcased several thrilling rides including the highest scored ride of the evening as Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo) was awarded a 90.5 ride as he took on #10 Bucking Bulls’ prize animal, Cat Man Do. Three-time PBR World Champion Adriano Moraes (Cachoeira Paulista, SP, Brazil) tamed the bull, Big Red (Duncan & Evans Bucking Bulls) for 89.75 points and J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.) rounded out the top three in round two with an 88.75 point ride on Lost in Paradise, owned by Boyd/Floyd Bull Company.
Professional Bull Riding’s premier international event, the 2008 PBR World Cup, will conclude tomorrow afternoon at the Manuel Bernardo Aguirre Gymnasium with rounds three and four. Sunday’s final rounds will determine which country will take home the $100,000 USD in prize money and bragging rights for the year. Watch the final two round of competition on VERSUS on Sunday, August 17, at 9:00 p.m. EST. Check your local listings for more details.
About the PBR: www.pbrnow.com
More than 100 million viewers tune in each year to the PBR on FOX, NBC, VERSUS and on a host of foreign networks across the globe. With approximately 400 hours of prime time programming annually PBR ranks among the most prolific sports on air, in addition to attracting over one and one half million live event attendees each year with its multi-tiered event structure which includes the marquee Built Ford Tough Series presented by Wrangler, the Copenhagen Bull Riding Challenger Tour, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour, and the Discovery Tour, designed specifically for entry level contestants. The PBR is headquartered in Pueblo, Colo., and has over 1,200 PBR bull riders compete in more than 300 PBR sanctioned competitions in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico.
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