Duluth, GA (November 21, 2009) - Ross Coleman (Molalla, Ore.) charged into Georgia and took home the Round 1 win of the Challenger Tour Finals presented by Dickies, a part of the Built Ford Tough Series. Coleman rode Ding-a-ling, Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls, for 86.75 points, giving him the win on the first night of competition in the three-day event. Coleman also took home a check for $20,000 for winning the first round.
Guillherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) came in a close second, with 86.5 points on BRH Ranch/Gene Baker’s bull, Ray, and collected $10,000. Dustin Elliot (North Platte, Nebr.) stayed on Iron Broke, owned by Walton & Wagoner Bucking Bulls, to tie for third and fourth with Mike Lee (Decatur, Texas), who managed to ride Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls' Hasta Luego for 86.25. They each walked away with checks for $3,750. Rounding out the top five was Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil) with 85.5 points on D&H Cattle Company’s Stretch Armstrong.
Today, all 55 riders competing in this weekend’s dual event will draft their Round 2 bulls at the Bass Pro Shops in Lawrenceville, Ga., at 11:00 am. Immediately following the draft, there will be an autograph signing, open to the public, at 12:00 pm.
The Challenger Tour Finals presented by Dickies will continue tonight as the world’s best bull riders compete in Round 2. Tune-in to VERSUS at 11 p.m. EST on Saturday, November 21 for Round 2, and don’t miss the conclusion of the event on Sunday, November 22 at 7:00 p.m. EST on VERSUS.
INJURY REPORT:
Chris Shivers (Jonesville, La.) has a bruised right elbow, but is probable for Saturday.
Challenger Tour Finals presented by Dickies, a part of the Built Ford Tough Series: ROUND ONE:
1) Ross Coleman (Molalla, Ore.) 86.75 points on Ding-a-Ling (Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls), $20,000; 2) Guillherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) 86.5 points on Ray (BRH Ranch / Gene Baker), $10,000; 3/4) Dustin Elliot (North Platte, Neb.) 86.25 points on Iron Broke, $3,750 (Walton & Wagoner Bucking Bulls); 3/4) Mike Lee (Decatur, Texas) 86.25 points on Hasta Luego (Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls), $3,750; 5) Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Brazil) 85.5 points on Stretch Armstrong (D&H Cattle Company).
About the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR):PBR attracts over 1.7 million live attendees each year with its multi-tiered event structure which includes the prestigious Built Ford Tough Series, the Challenger Tour, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour, and the Discovery Tour, designed specifically for entry level contestants. With over 450 hours of prime time programming annually and a viewership of 100 million, PBR ranks among the most prolific sports on air and broadcasts on FOX, NBC, VERSUS, and on a host of foreign networks across the globe. The PBR is headquartered in Pueblo, Colo., with additional offices in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico, and 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 across the five countries. For more on the PBR, please visit www.pbrnow.com, www.teampbr.com, www.pbr.tv , www.myspace.com/teampbr, twitter.com/teampbr, www.facebook.com/TeamPBR, or www.pbrnow.com/worldfinals/.
