HARTFORD, Conn. (October 7, 2011) – With the PBR World Finals less than three weeks away, round one of the Hartford Invitational came down to how bad did you need the score.
By the end of the round, it was obvious at least half the riders need it really bad. Opening the round with the first five bull riders putting up qualified rides, by the end of the night 19 scores went into the books.
Those trying to make it to the World Finals seemed to put out a little more effort than those already going and looking to move up in the standings, as the battle to make the top 40 riders provided that little extra bit of motivation.
At the end of the round, however, it was someone whose spot is guaranteed that took the round win, as veteran Luke Snyder posted the high score of 87.75 points on the bull, “Slim to None.”
The night opened with 2004 world champ Mike Lee starting the scoring run with 85 points on “Get Back.” He was followed by four more qualified rides: Justin Koons, 86.25 points on “Stingray”; Travis Briscoe with 84.75 points on “Uno”; Harve Stewart on “Signed Up” for 85.75 points; and Cord McCoy taking “Country Boy” for 84.75 points. All five are fighting for their slot on the World Finals roster and, in the next to last event of the season, it may have given them what they needed to hold on just a little bit tighter.
The riding streak broke with Pete Farley and Corey Navarre both bucking off in under four seconds.
Others fighting for a spot at the World Finals but unable to gain any ground in Friday’s round one included Caleb Sanderson, Paulo Lima, Brendon Clark and Tony Mendez.
Kody Lostroh followed Navarre and sent all the bright orange reride flags flying with his 61.5 pointer on “Baby Faced Bandit.”
Lostroh made the reride pay off later Friday night, putting up 87 points on “Outta Da Blue.” Lostroh was one of four riders to draw the reride flags, with BTFS newbie Dakota Beck the other to capitalize on the second chance, with an 85.25 pointer. Beck earned his reride when his first bull, “Trips,” reared up as the chute gate opened and the ride never recovered.
Pistol Robinson was unable to capitalize on his reride, and neither could Cody Nance, who the crowd was happy to see come back after his first bull, “Blank,” fell over with Cody on his back.
Taking second in the round was LJ Jenkins, with 87.25 points on “Loud Mouth.” Tying Lostroh for third through fifth place at 87 points was the hot-riding Ryan Dirteater on “Rock Star” and Douglas Duncan on “Lil Shyster.”
Jared Farley and Justin Koon filled the sixth and seventh slots at 86.25 points on “Jellybean” and “Stingray” respectively. Stormy Wing at 86 points on “Pimp Daddy” was eighth in the round. Rounding out the top ten in Friday’s round one were JB Mauney and Harve Stewart, each with 85.75 points. Mauney earned his on “Sammy” and Stewart rode “Signed Up.”
The man all but locking up the world title already, Brazil’s Silvano Alves, shared 11th and 12th in the round with Dakota Beck. Alves, with the last ride of the night, scored 85.25 points on “Riggin Slinger.”
The Hartford Invitational continues Saturday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. in the XL Center in Hartford, with round two and the round-three short-go. The weekend will wrap up Sunday with a 2 p.m. start for round for and the final championship round.
The PBR’s season concludes next week in Columbus, Ohio before the top forty money winners of the season head into Las Vegas at the end of the month for the PBR World Finals and the $1 million payday.
Friday night’s round one results from Hartford, Conn.:
Luke Snyder, 87.75 points, “Slim to None”
LJ Jenkins, 87.25 points, “Loud Mouth”
Kody Lostroh, 87 points, “Outta Da Blue”
Ryan Dirteater, 87 points, “Rock Star”
Douglas Duncan, 87 points, “Lil Shyster”
Jared Farley, 86.25 points, “Jellybean”
Justin Koon, 86.25 points, “Stingray”
Stormy Wing, 86 points, “Pimp Daddy”
JB Mauney, 85.75 points, “Sammy”
Harve Stewart, 85.75 points, “Signed Up”
Silvano Alves, 85.25 points, “Riggin Slinger”
Dakota Beck, 85.25 points, (reride bull)
Mike Lee, 85.0 points, “Get Back”
Fabiano Viera, 84.75, “Sticker Shock”
Cord McCoy, 84.75 points, “Country Boy”
Travis Briscoe, 84.75 points, “Uno”
Josh Faircloth, 83.75 points, “Necessary Evil”
Jason O’Hearn, 82.5 points, “Black Mamba”
Jordan Hupp, 80.5 points, “Flat Mat”
