Professional Bull Riders Rising Star Takes First BFTS Win of Career!!

By Briana Stensrud, PBR
Posted Monday, February 23, 2009

Oregon’s Cody Ford rides away from Glendale, Arizona victorious, collecting a check for over $60,000.

GLENDALE, Az. (February 23, 2009) - When the lights dimmed on the Glendale Invitational, stop No. 11 on the Professional Bull Riders’ (PBR) elite Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS), it was Oregon young gun Cody Ford (Stanfield, Ore.) who rode away with the win, proving why he is one of the top 40 bull riders on the prestigious tour. One electrifying performance featured the world’s best riders taking on the rankest bulls in the nation as they wowed the packed crowd at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Ford rode two bulls for a total of 181.75 points, collecting a check for $60,960 as well as valuable points to the 2009 Built Ford Tough Series Worlds Standings.

Ford scored 89 points on the bull, Walk the Line, owned by Chad Berger/Clay Struve, taking first place in round one. Going into the Built Ford Tough Championship round, he had the first pick in the PBR Bull draft and chose to ride prize bull Troubadour, owned by Julio Moreno Bucking Bulls. Ford covered the 2008 Reserve World Champion Bucking Bull for 92.75 points, winning not only the short-go, but the first BFTS event of his young career.

“This is a dream come true,” Ford said from the Glendale winner’s circle. “When I go to St. Louis, I can go knowing that I belong with the top riders in the world and I can compete with them.”

Taking second place in Glendale was two-time PBR World Champion Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La.) who scored total of 178.75 points, adding $14,690 to his 2009 earnings. Finishing third was 2008 PBR World Champion Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) who totaled 177.75 points on two bulls and collected a check for $10,060 while Colorado cowboy Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) rode for a total of 177 points and took home $6,843, inching him closer to the number one spot in the world. Rounding out fifth place was Brazilian superstar Renato Nunes (Buritama, SP, Brazil) who scored 175 points in Glendale and added $5,130 to his 2009 earnings.

The race for PBR’s million dollar world title takes the top 40 bull riders in the world to St. Louis, Missouri for stop #12 on the prestigious BFTS tour. PBR will invade Scottrade Center on February 27–March 1, 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:

Brian Herman (Victoria, Texas) suffered a fractured left lower leg when he was stepped on after his ride on the bull, Roll the Dice (K&K Cattle Company). He was not able to compete in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round in Glendale and is doubtful for St. Louis, Mo.

Mike White (De Kalb, TX) received a bruised thigh during round one of the Glendale Invitational. He is questionable for next week.

Anaheim Invitational RESULTS
ROUND ONE:
1) Cody Ford (Stanfield, Ore.) 89 points on Walk the Line (Chad Berger/Clay Struve), $2,730; 2) Skeeter Kingsolver (Mclouth, Kan.) 88.5 points on The Iceman (Chad Berger/Denny Hawks), $1,950; 3/4) Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) 88.25 points on Ryan’s Express (K&K Cattle Company); 3/4) Beau Hill (West Glacier, Mont.) 88.25 points on Sad Times (Chad Berger Bucking Bulls); 5) Brian Herman (Victoria, Texas) 88 points on Roll the Dice (K&K Cattle Company).

BUILT FORD TOUGH CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND:
1) Cody Ford (Stanfield, Ore.) 92.75 points, on Troubadour (Julio Moreno Bucking Bulls), $2,730; 2/3) Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) 92.25 points on White Magic (Diamond G Rodeo), $1,560; 2/3) Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La.) 92.25 points on Say I Won’t Gunner (Chad Berger/Clay Struve), $1,560; 4) Renato Nunes (Buritama, SP, Brazil) 89.75 points on Huskers Terror (Chad Berger/Jim Quintaine); 5) Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) 88.75 points on Bad Blood (Chad Berger/Clay Struve).

OVERALL EVENT STANDINGS:
1) Cody Ford (Stanfield, Ore.) 181.75 points, $60,960; 2) Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La.) 178.75 points, $14,690; 3) Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) 177.75 points, $10,060; 4) Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) 177 points, $6,843; 5) Renato Nunes (Buritama, SP, Brazil) 175 points, $5,130.

BUILT FORD TOUGH WORLD STANDINGS:
(The PBR World Champion is based on total Built Ford Tough Series points earned through the season)

1) J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C) 4,049.25 points, $108,509; 2) Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) 4,016.75 points, $147,152; 3) Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) 3,336.5 points, $51,240; 4) Ryan Dirteater (Hulbert, Okla.) 3,170.5 points, $98,062; 5) Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) 2,856.5 points, $54,664; 6) Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La.) 2,570 points, $ 47,176; 7) Renato Nunes (Buritama, SP, Brazil) 2,499.25 points, $48,971; 8) Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil) 2,490 points, $43,582; 9) Zack Brown (Santa Fe, Texas) 2,419.75 points, $66,981; 10) Wiley Petersen (Fort Hall, Idaho) 2,373 points, $19,934.

BEHIND THE CHUTES:

Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s “Ride with the Best” Bonus:
Due to his round two win at the Anaheim Invitational, PBR veteran Mike White (De Kalb, Texas) was eligible to compete for the $5,000 Enterprise Rent-A-Car “Ride with the Best” bonus during round one of the Glendale Invitational. Because of he was successful in his ride against the bull Black Tornado, owned by Chad Berger/Clay Struve, White was awarded the $5,000 bonus.

As the winner of round one, Cody Ford (Stanfield, Ore.) will be eligible for the bonus during round one at the 12th BFTS stop in St. Louis, Mo.

Ford Truck Moment of Truth Bonus:
Cody Ford (Stanfield, Ore.) was in the lead going into the Built Ford Tough Championship Round and ultimately won the Glendale Invitational and received a $30,000 bonus. The bonus will return to $5,000 for the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Invitational in St. Louis, Mo. 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 Glendale Invitational event winner, Cody Ford (Stanfield, Ore.) has qualified for a chance to compete at the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals, against all other 2009 Built Ford Tough Series event winners. 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 a brand-new 2009 F-150 truck.

Salem NationaLease Bull of the Event:
The bull, All In, owned by Berger/Naccarato/Struve, earned Bull of the Event honors with a score of 46.25 points in California. 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.

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.