NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Dance, Ben! Dance!
PBR bull rider Ben Jones breaks out his crazy, crowd-loving dance every time he makes a qualified ride.
In Nashville this weekend, at the PBR’s “Jack Daniels Invitational,” Ben Jones danced himself into a giant payday. The Australian turned in three powerful rides to clinch the win, the $24,500 payday, round money, and the $15,000 Built Ford Tough Moment of Truth bonus, winning the event after leading going into the championship round. His total take for the weekend was more than $45,000.
But it was easy to see the win – Jones’ first PBR win in his career – meant the most to him. After a victory dance all the way down the arena, to the delight of fans, Jones claimed his paycheck on top of the “shark cage” in center arena, and was too overwhelmed to dance another step.
It was a win the Aussie earned, finishing second in Saturday’s round one (88.75 points), put up 87.25 points in round two aboard “Maverick” (Lufkin Ranch & Rodeo), and headed into the draft for the short-go in the number one spot. He took “Buffalo Hump,” (Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls), needing 86.5 points to clinch the event win.
He far exceeded it, riding “Buffalo Hump” for all it was worth, and sending the confetti cannons firing for 90.25 big points.
The win was his, and the dancing was on. Even more impressive, he did it all with a reportedly broken bone in his shoulder.
With his ride, Jones knocked Austin Meier off the top of the event heap.
But Meier was happy with his three-for-three performance this weekend, gaining ground on points leader Renato Nunes – who went uncharacteristically scoreless – and showing that Meier’s recent riding slump is done.
Meier thrilled the crowd in round two with a ride on “Heavy Hitter” (Hebert Bucking Bulls/Clay Taylor) that included a lot of air time, but that was about it. The boo-birds in the crowd came out at Meier’s score, an 82-pointer, but Meier told the in-arena announcers he agreed with the score, based on the bull’s lack of buck.
Picking fifth in the draft, Meier took “Super Duty” (D&H Cattle/Linda Hance), and put up the highest score in the short go, a 90.75 pointer. His round wins in round one and the short-go, and overall 2nd place finish, should definitely help Meier gain ground on the PBR World Champion race. He earned a total of 732.25 points on the weekend.
Third in the event was Douglas Duncan, who made it to the short-go on his 86 pointer in round one. A 90.5 point ride on “Pinball Wizard” (Jeff Robinson) helped move Duncan up in the event standings.
Mike Lee, who rode in the short-go with some stitches he earned in a messy hang-up in round two, finished fourth this weekend, with 174 points. He rode for 89.5 points on “Rusty Zipper” (Robinson/Cappello/Teague) in the championship round. The stitches in round two were courtesy of “Despicable Me” (Jeff Robinson).
Rounding out the weekend’s top five finishers was J.B. Mauney, who had one of the loudest cheering sections this weekend. Mauney scored 86.5 in round two on “Sky Hawk” (Lufkin Ranch & Rodeo), added to his 87.25 pointer in round one, but failed to capitalize in the short go, flipping off the back of “Moon” (Jackson/Holmes& Baker) at 5.9 seconds.
Round two
Round two went to Robson Palermo, who rode “Bad Moon” (Circle T Ranch & Rodeo) for 87.75 points, after his ability to ride this weekend was in question due to a riding hand injury. That lone score got him into the short-go, but “Voodoo Child” (Robinson/Beutler/McNeely) won that match up at 3.3 seconds. He finished the weekend splitting 12th and 13th place.
He was followed in the round by Jones in second.
Splitting 3rd and 4th in round two at 87 points were Shane Proctor and Jordan Hupp. Proctor covered “Misunderstood” (Teague Bucking Bulls) and Hupp rode “Space Chimp” (Circle T Ranch & Rodeo).
Neither capitalized in the short-go, though, as Hupp lost his battle with “Bones” (Tom Teague) at 2-seconds, and Proctor went out the back door on “Who Dat” (K-C Bucking Bulls/Spark-lin Acres) in 3.1 seconds. Proctor finished the weekend in 6th place overall, a positive sign after he was blanked in both San Antonio and Tulsa, and Hupp finished tied in 14th/15th place.
Mauney placed fifth in round two – to match his 5th place overall – riding “SkyHawk” (Lufkin Ranch & Rodeo) for 86.5 points.
Mike Lee’s wasn’t the only hang-up in Sunday’s rounds, as Cord McCoy got hung and tossed around on “Deja Blu” (Robinson/Cappello/Teague); and Brendon Clark was battered and bruised when “Green Cheese” (Jeff Robinson) first stumbled coming out of the gate and then at 3.4 seconds jumped into the air and came down on Clark.
Clark tried to scramble out of the way but dropped back to his knees, and had to be assisted out of the arena. He was unable to take his re-ride option, and turned out of the championship round as well. He finished the event in 16th place, on the strength of his 86.75 score in round one.
In the area of re-rides, Valdiron de Oliveira received one after bucking off “Updraft” at 1.9 seconds. He got his re-ride because a rider on the back of the chutes who was helping to push the bull off the rails got his spur caught in Oliveira’s shirt when the gate opened, pulling Oliveira off balance.
Many in the crowd voiced their disbelief and displeasure when Dustin Elliott was not awarded a re-ride after his bull, “Prosecutor” (Lufkin) side stepped and half-shuffled out of the chute. Elliott stared at the arena screen in disbelief when he realized the judges were not giving him a re-ride option that appeared due him.
The Nashville event also saw the return to competition of Code Blue in the championship round. The bull faced off with Sevi Toturo, and the bull won at 5.7 seconds in its first trip back. Toturo rode the last second of the ride with only the tail of his rope in his hand, and he finished in 11th for the weekend.
Travis Briscoe, who was hurt in round one, did not compete in Sunday’s round two. He was listed as “questionable” after Saturday’s round, with a sprained elbow.
The PBR moves a few hundred miles west on Interstate 40, to Memphis, Tenn., next weekend. The event, at the Fed-Ex Forum, takes place Friday and Saturday, Aug. 20 and 21.
Round two qualified rides, by score:
87.75 Robson Palermo, “Bad Moon” (Circle T Ranch & Rodeo)
87.25 Ben Jones, “Maverick” (Lufkin Ranch & Rodeo)
87.0 Shane Proctor, “Misunderstood” (Teague Bucking Bulls)
87.0 Jordan Hupp, “Space Chimp” (Circle T Ranch & Rodeo)
86.5 JB Mauney, “Sky Hawk” (Lufkin Ranch & Rodeo)
86.0 Douglas Duncan, “Springtime” (BRH Ranch/Gene Baker)
86.0 Valdiron de Oliveira, “Blue Cheese” (Jeff Robinson)
85.0 Silvano Alves, Cowboy Coffee (Box K Cattle)
84.5 Kasey Hayes, “Rio Grande” (Box K Cattle)
83.0 Harve Stewart, “Gringo” (Jeff Robinson)
82.0 Beau Hill, “Red Ears” (Hebert Bucking Bulls)
82.0, Austin Meier, “Heavy Hitter” (Hebert Bucking Bulls/Clay Taylor)
81.25 McKennon Wimberly, “Real Moody” (Jeff Robinson/Cappello)
79.75, Sevi Toturo, “Mr. Sam” (Hebert Bucking Bulls/Georgia Akers)
Championship round rides, by score/time:
90.75 Austin Meier, “Super Duty”
90.5 Douglas Duncan, “Pinball Wizard” (Jeff Robinson)
90.25 Ben Jones, “Buffalo Hump”
89.5 Mike Lee “Rusty Zipper” (Robinson/Cappello/Teague)
86.25 Silvano Alvez, “King Lopez” (K-C Bucking Bulls)
5.9 seconds, JB Mauney, “Moon” (Jackson, Holmes & Baker)
5.7 seconds, Sevi Toturo, “Code Blue” (Walton & Wagoner/Berger & Struve)
5.6 seconds, McKennon Wimberly, “Chicken on a Chain” (Robinson/Tedesco/Larry the Cable Guy)
4.1 seconds, Ned Cross, “Highway 12” (Mesa Bucking Bulls); “Highway 12” is now 12-0.
3.3 seconds, Robson Palermo, “Voodoo Child” (Robinson/Beutler/McNeely)
3.1 seconds, Shane Proctor, “Who Dat” (K-C Bucking Bullls/Spark-lin Acres); “Who Dat” is now 4-0.
2.8 seconds, Chris Shivers on “Major Payne” (Robinson/Katich/Pinnacle Bull Group) Shivers finished tied for 14th/15th this weekend.
2.0 seconds, Jordan Hupp, Bones (Tom Teague)
1.9 seconds, Valdiron de Oliveira, “Uncle Buck” (Robinson/Cappello/Teague). The only two qualified rides on Uncle Buck have been Oliveira and Guilherme Marchi.
1.8 seconds, Caleb Sanderson, “Flip Side” (Robinson/Cappello/Teague). The bull is now 14-0.
Story and all photos copyright Mary Rudloff
