ONTARIO, Calif. (August 27, 2010) - For the second time in two weeks, a Top 10 contender for this year’s world title is considering switching his riding hands.
First it was Travis Briscoe, who backed off the idea almost as quickly as he suggested it. This week, Guilherme Marchi confirmed he’s been using his left hand in the practice pen. Both riders have dealt with ongoing injury issues since early in the season, and both have been falling further behind world leader Renato Nunes in recent weeks.
Reigning World Champion Kody Lostroh referred to the move as “a last resort.”
Lostroh, who abandoned the same idea last year after injuring the elbow of his riding arm, said he was surprised to learn of Marchi’s experiment.
Lostroh pointed out how well Marchi has been riding despite his injury – his 62.1 percent average is the third highest – and added, “I don’t know if he can accomplish anything more than he is already.”
Lostroh went on to explain that the “hardest part of switching hands is teaching your upper body” to do everything “the opposite of what you’re used to doing your whole life.” He added that a rider doesn’t use his legs any differently whether his right or left hand is in the bull rope.
Although he didn’t follow through with the idea, Lostroh said it can be done, but that he simply “needed more time than [he] had” to become confident enough to make the switch at a Built Ford Tough Series event.
Marchi, who is ranked sixth, and Briscoe, who has fallen to fifth, have even less time than Lostroh did.
The “Final Five Chase” begins next week in Greenville, S.C., and both Marchi and Briscoe realize that if they expect to have any chance of coming from behind, they’ll need to participate in the bonus round awarded to the Top 10 riders.
Marchi indicated that he may make the switch once he feels confident in his chances, and even then might only do so on an as-needed basis. Briscoe said that if his left arm isn’t ready after resting the past two weeks, he’ll definitely make the switch to his right hand next week.
If there was ever a rider who could have successfully made the transition, Lostroh would have been the perfect candidate. He rode right-handed for the first couple years of his career before switching to the left. He’s also one of the most technically sound riders competing.
But the 24-year-old from Colorado, who is expected to return to the BFTS in about a month after having his left shoulder and elbow surgically repaired, said any rider would have to practice “pretty regularly” even if it was to try and “pull it off in a pinch.”
Lostroh concluded by saying, “It’s not something that, every three or four years, you can just pull out of your box of tricks.”
Who’s who: There are nine alternates in the draw this week – Jared Farley, Kasey Hayes, Cody Nance, Luke Snyder, Tyler Thomson, Robson Aragao, Travis Sellers, Mark Lopes and Sevi Torturo – as well as five Touring Pro invitees – Pete Farley, Jason McClain, Montana Markiss, Casey Stirling, and Casey Sullivan.
Time and again: After last week, there are now four riders who have won more than one BFTS event in 2010: Austin Meier, Renato Nunes, Valdiron de Oliveira and Silvano Alves. Three are from Brazil. Alves has won two of nine events since coming to the United States.
Showtime: Brendon Clark, J.B. Mauney, McKennon Wimberly, Shorty Gorham and PBR staff members are expected to visit the Hollywood set of the CBS series “NCIS,” on Friday afternoon. Series star Mark Harmon is a fan of the PBR, and on Saturday evening 20 cast and crew members are attending the event.
Memorable outings: Last week, in Memphis, Tenn., Bushwacker scored 47 points for the second time in 2010. He had done so previously in Oklahoma City. The only other two bulls to score 47 points this season were Code Blue in Baltimore, and Braveheart in Fresno, Calif.
In the bull pen: This week's version of "In the bull pen" will be posted Saturday.
Live Event Center: Follow all the action from this week’s BFTS event in Ontario by logging on to the Event Center at www.pbr.com/live. The multimedia center provides live scoring, live blogging and event-related interviews.
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