New Mexico Rider Dominates The Genuity Invitational!

By Briana Stensrud, PBR
Posted Sunday, May 10, 2009

PBR superstar Travis Briscoe takes his first event win of the 2009 BFTS season.

DES MOINES, Ia. (May 9, 2009) - The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) took the top 40 bull riders in the world to Des Moines, Iowa to rock the Wells Fargo Arena with two performances of non-stop action on May 8-9. At stop #21 on the elite Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS), PBR fan favorite Travis Briscoe (Edgewood, N.M.) took top honors with his first event win of the season.

“I’ve been waiting for this all year long and I just put this in God’s hands and he showed me what was possible….putting God first has shown a difference in my everyday attitude–it’s amazing,” Briscoe commented from the winner’s circle.

In round one, Briscoe scored 87.5 points on the bull, Matt Dillon, owned by Curtis Mendell/Mancreel Cattle Co., splitting fourth and fifth place. He followed that up with a second place finish in round two after riding Dakota Rodeo/Clay Struve’s bull, God’s Gift, for 87.25 points. Briscoe ultimately entered the Built Ford Tough Championship Round with a total of 174.75 points, where he met up with Mendell/Jaeger’s, Chester, for the first time where the pleasure was all his after walking away with the event championship and $35,317 in earnings.
“People have been telling me Chester was a great bull to get on and he fit my style,” Briscoe stated.

Taking second place in Des Moines was Valdiron de Oliveira (Aparecida de Goianla, GO, Brazil) who scored 258.5 points, adding $17,193 to his wallet and pushing him that much closer to the possibility of being the next World Champion. Finishing third was Brazilian Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil) who weighed in with 176.75 points, earning himself $12,498-just ahead of two-time PBR World Champion, Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La.), with 172.75 points and $6,648. Rounding out fifth place was Aaron Roy (Asqulth, SK, Canada) who scored 171.75 points in Des Moines and added $4,423 to his 2009 earnings.

The race for PBR’s million dollar world title takes the top 40 bull riders in the world to the home of PBR headquarters in Pueblo, Colo. for the F-150 Invitational presented by Copenhagen Bull Riding to make stop #22 on the prestigious BFTS tour. PBR will invade the Colorado State Fair Events Center on May 16-17, showcasing the best bull riders and the toughest bulls in the country. The VERSUS network airs PBR events every Saturday and Sunday evening. Be sure to check www.pbrnow.com for upcoming cities, ticket information, and complete broadcast times.

INJURY REPORT:

McKennon Wimberly (Cool, Texas) suffered a strained lower left leg. He is questionable for next week.

Ben Jones (QLD, Australia) received a concussion and is questionable for next week.

Dustin Elliott (North Platte, N.E.) opted to take it easy during tonight’s round after suffering from a concussion the previous evening. He is still questionable for next week.

Genuity Invitational RESULTS
ROUND ONE: 1) Douglas Duncan (Alvin, Texas) 88.5 points on Exotic Justin (Stace Smith Pro Rodeos), $2,730; 2) Nick Landreneau (Sulpher, La.) 88 points on Fully Loaded (Dakota Rodeo/Clay Struve), $1,950; 3) Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La) 87.75 points on Buffalo Hump (Hebert Bucking Bulls/Barry&Aliceson), $1,170; 4/5) Travis Brisco (Edgewood, NM) 87.5 on Matt Dillon (Curtis Mendell/Mancreek Cattle Co.); 4/5) Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) 87.5 on Coyote Ugly (Danny Lemmon).
U.S. Air Force Invitational RESULTS

1) Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) 8,075.75 points, $251,368.34; 2) Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) 7,537.25 points, $159,079.68; 3) J B Mauney Mooresville, N.C.) 7,228.25 points, $163,365.51; 4) Valdiron de Oliveira (Aparecida de Goianla, GO, Brazil) 5,879.25 points, $87,439.26; 5) Zack Brown (Edgewood, N.M.) 5,742.00 points, $133,823.97; 6) Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil) 5,425.50 points, $85,882.69; 7) Wiley Petersen (Fort Hall, Idaho) 5,343.75 points, $81,325.47; 8) Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La.) 5,243.00 points, $99,315.79; 9) Ryan McConnel (Colgate, Okla.) 5,179.75 points, $80,212.62; 10) Renato Nunes (Buritama, SP, Brazil) 4,965.25 points, $84,800.47.

BEHIND THE CHUTES:
Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s “Ride with the Best” Bonus:
Due to his round one win at the Genuity Invitational, Douglas Duncan (Alvin, Texas) was eligible to compete for the $5,000 Enterprise Rent-A-Car “Ride with the Best” bonus during round two. Because he did not make the eight-second whistle on the bull, Lunatic, the stock contractor, Stace Smith Pro Rodeos was awarded the $5,000 bonus.

As thewinner of round two, Valdiron de Oliveira (Aparecida de Goianla, GO, Brazil) will be eligible for the bonus during round one at the 22nd BFTS stop in Pueblo, Colo.

Ford Truck Moment of Truth Bonus:
Travis Briscoe (Edgewood, N.M.) was in the lead going into the Built Ford Tough Championship Round and ultimately won the Genuity Invitational. He collected the $5,000 bonus. The bonus will return to $5,000 at next weekend’s event, the F-150 Invitational presented by Copenhagen Bull Riding in Pueblo, Colo. The bonus grows by $5,000 each week if it is not claimed. Once claimed, it returns to $5,000.

Ford F-150 Challenge:
As the Genuity Invitational event winner, Travis Briscoe (Edgewood, N.M.) has qualified for a chance to participate as a Ford F-150 Challenge contestant at the 2009 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals, against all other 2009 Built Ford Tough Series event winners who qualify for the Finals. The Ford F-150 Challenge contestant who finishes the highest in the event aggregate during the 2009 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals will win $50,000 towards the purchase of a brand-new 2009 F-150 truck.

Salem NationaLease Bull of the Event:
The bulls, Big Tex, owned by Dakota Rodeo / Clay Struve and Jeff Robinson / Bar None / Broken N-N / Kenny Jack’s bull, SkyHawk Cut-a-Rug, earned Bull of the Event honors with a scores of 45.50 points in Des Moines. This honor is acknowledged by an award of $1,250 going to the top bull of each event as determined by the PBR judges’ bull score.

High-Marked Ride of the Event:
Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil) recorded the high-marked ride of the Genuity Invitational in Des Moines, Iowa, after riding the bull, Grey Dog, owned by D&H Cattle Company, during the Built Ford Tough Championship Round. Palermo received a score of 90 points.

Daisy Rookie of the Year Standings:
The 2009 Daisy Rookie of the Year race is heating up and as of the Genuity Invitational, Kansas young gun Skeeter Kingsolver (Mclouth, Kan.) still holds a slight lead over young Aussie Pete Farley (Kempsey, AUS). A rider is considered a rookie in the year he debuts on the elite Built Ford Tough Series tour. The Daisy Rookie is determined by the rider who has won the most money during the year at all PBR events including Challenger events, International events, BFTS events, and the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals.

Don’t miss out on any of the action at the 2009 Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas, Nev. The world-class event will take place on Oct. 30-Nov 1 and Nov. 5-8 at the Thomas & Mack Center---get your tickets NOW at 866.PBR.SHOW or unlvtickets.com!

About the PBR:
More than 100 million viewers tune in each year to the PBR on FOX, NBC, ESPN, VERSUS, and on a host of foreign networks across the globe. With approximately 500 hours of prime time programming annually, PBR ranks among the most prolific sports on air, in addition to attracting over 1.7 million live event attendees each year with it multi-tiered event structure which includes the prestigious Built Ford Tough Series, 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., with additional offices in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. The PBR prides itself in its 1,000 plus stock contractor relationships and over 1,200 PBR bull riders competing in more than 300 PBR sanctioned competitions in five countries.

CLICK HERE TO COMMENT ON STORY