November 6, 2006 - I must start by saying attending the Sunday night banquet was one more of the highlights of the entire weekend. I know what you’re thinking...how on earth could this top Sunday afternoon inside the Thomas & Mack. With all that unfolded on Sunday between the race for the million dollars and the crowning of a world champion, it was Sunday night at the Mandalay Bay to say thanks at the awards ceremony. You see, this happens to be the place where all the sponsors and people involved with the BFTS tour shake hands with the stars of 2006. The night was started by serving dinner to over 1500 people in the room and a cash bar. It also gives the bull riders a chance to finally tell their family what they have experienced during their time in Las Vegas. As most of the tables were all full of family and friends, I sat down at one of Cord McCoy's tables where I had the chance to meet his father. Denny (owner of Bells Blue) and a few of his friends that come from Oklahoma to watch him. I won't get into the world finals that he had but most of you know that he struggled in Las Vegas. This was Sunday night at 8 PM and he had pretty much forgot about it as well, You know bull riders don't dwell a lot about the bulls that just bucked them off, their focus is on the next one they get to ride. It'll be a couple of weeks before he gets on one, but I'll be rooting for him in 2007. After that brief visit, it was time for Randy Schmutz and Brandon Bates (the arena announcers & emcee's) to get the awards underway. I will tell you that being an emcee and PRCA & PBR Announcer, it is tough for me to watch and not be on stage. Anyway, they started with awarding the PBR Stock Contractor of the year. Page & Teague Bucking Bulls, who combined forces a couple of years ago, but most of you know that D & H Cattle Company had won this award 5 straight years. So it was no surprise that the Page's won this award with their partner Tom Teague. Tom who has been on the PBR Board of Directors for years has solidified his intentions of making the best bucking bull going down the road. He has been no stranger to the breeding programs in the PBR and has invested more of his money into bucking bulls than Peterbilt's (Tom also owns Salem Truck Leasing). After awarding the Page's and Tom Teague with a brand new 2008 Ford, compliments of.....none other than Ford Trucks. You can't have a truck to haul bulls in without a trailer, so one of the newest sponsors in the PBR, Big Tex Trailers, awarded them with a brand new stock trailer. They were completely surprised!! Staying with the bulls, they awarded the Bucking Bull of the 2006 World Finals. This is the bull that the judges scored the highest marked bull of the entire 8 rounds. There were 180 bulls at the finals and all of them were bucked 3 times. After receiving a dominating 47.50 points per out, it was Lucky Strike of Bailey Rodeo Company. The owner Mr. David Bailey of Oklahoma was there to receive this incredible buckle that his bull won for him and his emotional side took over in his speech. He mentioned that he has been in the rodeo business nearly 40 years and had never won an award quite like this, he would cherish it for life. We moved on to the Bucking Bull of the Year and all of you know that Mossy Oak Mudslinger was that winner. After a brief final tribute to the bull through a video that most of us seen either on TV or at the Thomas & Mack, it was time for H.D. Page to talk about his bull that he raised. Choked up by tears, it was hard for him to get through. However, it was time for him to go to the ranch and raise kids he said. He'll have his own pasture and promised everyone that he would be well taken care of in Ardmore, Oklahoma.
Can you say cowboys or bull riders; it was time for them to take the stage. One by one we met them starting with our Rodeo Attitude member, J.B. Mauney. or is it "MONEY". They called him "Mooney" all year but his stellar riding in the challenger series brought him straight into the BFTS. As we all watched the Daisy Rookie of the Year race.....he didn't. I'm telling you that somebody from the PBR office had to call him about what he had been doing all year. He said Denise Abbott called him one day to tell him he was in contention for the Daisy Rookie of the Year. On that same day, he made a goal to win it and win it he did. After the first week at the Mandalay Bay his contender Austin Meier seemed to take the race a little more serious. He had ridden most of his bulls and J.B. was getting drilled. He came into the World Finals some $20,000 ahead of him and even though Austin had cashed some checks, it wasn't enough to overtake him. As we moved to the final 4 rounds, 2 of those rounds sent J.B. to the arena floor. It was Bulls 5, J.B. ZERO. With 2 rounds to go, he finally put some kindling on the smoldering fire and that started his wet wood. Saturday night he broke the 8 second mark and Sunday's round he was in the 90's. Matter of fact, until Adriano's 91.25, J.B. was winning the round and trying to hold off Austin's charge. The money he'd won in the 7th round extended his lead and Austin bucking off in the short round giving him the BB Gun. You say what?? That's right, remember I said the race was for the DAISY Rookie of the Year. Daisy, the proud sponsor of the buckle awarded our J.B. with a gun that was made especially for the titleist. We all at Rodeo Attitude congratulate him on that achievement!!!
Next up was L. J. Jenkins, the 19 year old sensation from New Mexico. This kid last year duked it out for Rookie of the Year with the Colorado Kid Kody Lostroh. It was Kody's title last year but let me remind you that Kody won 3 rounds at this year's finals. He was deserving of that last year and you can only win rookie of the year once but to come back the following year and take the second most coveted buckle from this group of bull riders says something about who you are. As Ty Murray & JW Hart spoke about this award it truly is the buckle that everyone would like to win in their career. The World Finals Buckle means that you were the best bull rider all 8 rounds in Las Vegas. This title comes with a buckle that is valued at over $10,000 and $225,000 cash payday. Here's a thought, let's just do the math for him. He won $288,000 during this World Finals, $81,000 during the BFTS season prior to coming to Vegas and last years total of $141,000. OK, you ready for the 19 year olds career earnings in 2 short years..... $510,000. Can a guy get a YeeHaw!!
As we moved from his outstanding achievements, it was time to crown our world champion. If you didn't watch championship Sunday, my report will never be able to express the drama that occurred in that building. As they went through his career accomplishments and brought him up on stage. It was time to award the Ford Truck and the Big Tex trailer to him that comes with the title, the million dollars and of course the buckle. If you would allow me to take you all back to 2004 as we watched Rodeo Attitude's member, Mike Lee, win the World Finals and the Championship of the World. Remember the race that day...it all come down to Adriano and Mike. We all recall the day he raced over to the fence after being bucked off in the short round and there went his 3rd world title. He had severely torn his bicep that year and many were saying that he was done. Adriano realistically could be a 4 or 5 time world champion in the PBR and this truly is sweetness being rewarded this time around. All he needed was a window of opportunity and he wasn't going to be denied this time. He is one of the most gracious athlete's on the planet and his faith has carried him into the pinnacle of this sport. The PBR is the toughest sport on dirt and you must be a gladiator to play this game and it was Adriano's night and all the past world champ's congratulated him on his feat. As he spoke about the year and what it meant to him he also thanked all of his family and friends, his CHIROPRACTOR, and every fan in the PBR. However, it was fitting that his last words were??? I'M NOT DONE RIDING BULLS. The only thing left on his career goals was the one that L. J. Jenkins had done this year...the World Finals. He'll be back for 2007 and on that note we stood up for a standing ovation and it was time to party. The boy's were worn out and it was there night to relax and enjoy with their friends and family members. We truly have witness history in the PBR and the sport of bull riding. The season will start before you know it and I encourage you all to watch as the 2007 unfolds.
It is my time to say thanks to our team as we had Tom Smith our Eastern Regional Director out the first week and Jason Hetland of Minnesota out for the second week. I happened to be lucky enough in my schedule to experience both weekends. I take this time to personally thank Cindy for her trust and also for believing in me that I could actually deliver these reports to her website audience. I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed our reports from the city of lights and continue to support such a unique website. This is the best networking rodeo website in the world and it is you who makes it that way. It has been my pleasure to bring these reports to you and if you enjoyed any of them please email Cindy with your gratitude. Thank you and say a prayer for our troops and God Bless America.
As I always leave my audience at a Pro Rodeo
Take Care and God Bless
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