BALTIMORE, MD. – Day two of the PBR’s Baltimore Invitational was a day of rematches, revenge and replays of previous match-ups.
With a short-go loaded with some of the toughest bulls to be found in a PBR arena, riders making it to the championship round were looking for a second, third or even fourth change at bulls that previously had bested them.
In some cases it worked out. In others, it was a repeat of earlier match-ups.
In the end, in a frosty and freezing 1st Mariner Arena, it was Brazilian Valdiron de Oliveira who held on to win the event, after no wins in 2009.
Oliveira claimed the $24,500 prize, even though he finished no higher than third in any round. He wrapped up the title by riding “Uncle Buck” (Teague Bucking Bulls) in the short-go for 89.25 points.
But before he could claim his check, there was a lot of bull riding to get through.
ROUND TWO
The Baltimore Invitational’s round two, on Sunday, Jan. 3, started out in a frosty arena with the first three riders putting up scores. The round opened with 2002 PBR World Champion Ednei Caminhas covering fan favorite “Scaredy Cat” (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Denny Hawks) in a high flying match up worth 85.75 points.
Wiley Petersen followed next, putting up 86.75 points on “Frank The Tank” (Dakota Rodeo/John & Lacey Berger/Clay Struve), and then 2008 PBR World Champion Guilherme Marchi scoring 86.25 points on “Live Wire” (Dakota/C Berger/C Struve).
Like Saturday’s round one, the fans would be treated to half the riders posting scores in the round. A total of 20 riders put up scores in round two.
The round went to reigning world champion Kody Lostroh, on only his second bull since elbow surgery days after winning his world title in November. Lostroh looked flawless on “White Trash” (Teague), for 88.25 points about halfway through the round, locking up the number one position and tying him for first in the average heading into the short-go.
Second in the round was Sean Willingham, with 88 points on “Clamdigger” (Dakota Rodeo/C Berger/J&L Berger). Willingham never bobbled, staying up over the bull instead of getting stretched out, a position that has found the Georgia rider in trouble so many times.
Oliveira took third in round 2, riding “Iron Broke” (Walton & Wagoner) for 87.75 points, one of 11 riders to go two-for-two at that point in the afternoon. It tied him in the average with Shane Proctor, at 173.25 points, third and fourth place heading into the draft. Proctor got his score in round two on “Ambush” (Sonny Williams) for 87.5 points, continuing Proctor’s hot riding streak that came alive at the 2009 PBR World Finals.
Fourth through sixth in round two was shared, at 87.5 points, by Proctor; Austin Meier riding “Coffee Bean” (Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls); and Cody Campbell, covering “Walk the Line” (Dakota Rodeo/C Berger/C Struve), enough for Campbell to capture the 15th spot and a trip to the championship round.
Cord McCoy wowed the crowd aboard “Booger Butt” (Robinson/Tedesco/Larry the Cable Guy) for 87 points and 7th place in the round, followed by a crowd at the 86.75 point mark. Clumped together there were Wiley Petersen, Brian Canter on “Great White” (Red Bird Bucking Bulls), McKennon Wimberly riding “Flashpoint” (Teague) and Travis Briscoe getting his first score of the weekend on “Legacy” (Jeff Robinson/Bryan Smith).
Maybe it was having his own equipment that made the difference, but Mike White, on the first stop of his 2010 farewell tour, took “Snot Rocket” (Dakota Rodeo/C Berger/C Struve) for 86.25 points, splitting 12th through 14th place in the round with Marchi.
Missouri’s Luke Snyder, who continues his unfathomable streak of straight events dating back to his rookie year ten years ago, got his only score of the weekend on “Little Booger” for a less than sterling 79.25 pointer, with no reride option.
Short Go
When it was time for the draft for the championship round, Willingham got first shot at the impressive pen of bulls because of a higher back-judge score than Lostroh.
Picking first, Willingham took another fan favorite bull, “Chicken on a Chain,” a bull that despite its long career, WIllingham had never faced before. It was a pick that J.W. Hart, assisting with the draft, was “taking the easy way out.” It didn’t prove easy for Willingham, though, as riding last in the round, Chicken sent him to the dirt at 4.7 seconds.
Second pick was Lostroh’s and he was looking for a little revenge. During the 2009 PBR World Finals, Lostroh had ridden all seven bulls heading into the championship round, where Voodoo Child cost Lostroh his shot at the record of riding 8-for-8 and winning the World Finals average. Lostroh took on the bull, out of the Robinson/Beutler/McNeeley pen, again in the short-go in Baltimore. This time Voodoo Child cost Lostroh the possible event win, bucking him off at 3.3 seconds. Voodoo Child remains only ridden once in its 67 outs.
Shane Proctor picked third, and took “Nasty Town” (Dakota/C Berger/Struve), which threw every trick it had at Proctor. The bull started with a big move right out of the chute, jerking Proctor down over it, but Proctor managed to recover without slapping “Nasty Town.” Proctor’s luck, however, ran out at the 5.7 second mark.
On his way to winning the event, Valdiron de Oliveira picked the bull “Uncle Buck” (Teague), a bull previously covered only by his fellow countryman, Guilherme Marchi. Oliveira had a move to counteract everything Uncle Buck tried, and Oliveira scored 89.25 points, for fourth in the round but taking and holding onto the number one slot in the average, clinching his win.
Picking fifth, Wiley Petersen showed confidence, announcing “I’m going to take a bull named Smack Down.” Maybe Petersen’s confidence got to Smack Down (Dakota/C Berger/Struve), as the bull went to its knees during the ride. Petersen scored 85.5 points, enough to lock up third place in the event, but wanted a shot at first place, and took the reride option on “RFD-TV” (Teague). “RFD-TV” put Petersen down in 3.7 seconds, and for his gamble, Petersen finished 10th in the event.
Sixth to choose his bull was Ednei Caminhas, who took on “Husker’s Terror” (Dakota Rodeo/C Berger/Jim Quintaine). The bull won the battle at 6.8 seconds.
The 2008 world champion Guilherme Marchi picked “Major Payne” (Robinson/Katch/Pinnacle Bull Group) in the short-go. It wasn’t the prettiest of rides, as the bull had Marchi out of position several times but Marchi was still on its back at the 8-second mark. At least one judge, however, wasn’t sure Marchi hadn’t slapped during the ride and called for a review. The score stood, as Marchi reached 8.1 seconds on the official clock before the slap happened. That put Marchi in the title position until Oliveira’s ride.
Oklahoman Austin Meier had no question which bull he wanted when it was his turn to pick, and took the 2009 Bull of the Year, “Code Blue” (Walton & Wagoner/Berger & Struve). At Meier’s pick, J.W. Hart noted that, after the PBR Finals Meier had told him he was going to be the first man to ride Code Blue, “and I believe him.” Code Blue, never ridden, was a rematch for Meier, who lost to the bull in the last round of the PBR Finals in November. Code Blue kept his streak intact, bucking Meier off at 5.0 seconds.
McKennon Wimberly took on “Lone Star” (Jeff Robinson), but the bull won the match up at the 3.0 second mark.
Brian Canter took his chances on the 2008 Bucking Bull of the Year, Bones (Teague), and found himself slammed to the dirt at 4.7 seconds.
Ryan McConnel, picking 11th, let JW Hart do the honors, and Hart matched McConnel up with “Big Tex” (Dakota/C Berger/Struve). McConnel should let Hart do all his picking, as he overpowered “Big Tex” for 91.5 points, to win the short go. McConnel was one of three, along with Marchi and Oliveira, to cover all three of their bulls this weekend.
“Tahonta’s Shadow” (Jeff Robinson/Roy Carter) was Robson Palermo’s pick, and JW Hart predicted “he rode him at the World Finals, and he’ll ride him here today.” Palermo did exactly that, scoring 89.75 points on the bull, for second in the round and fourth in the average.
Fourth time as the charm for Renato Nunes, as he chose “Yellow Jacket Jr.” (Jeff Robinson/Roy Carter) for a fourth time match-up. The first three attempts had gone in the bull’s favor, but this trip sent Nunes to the top rail for his celebratory back-flip, after he finally conquered the bull for 89.75 points.
It was slim pickins for two time world champ Chris Shivers, picking 14th in the 15-man pool. Down to “Show Stopper” (Dakota/C Berger/Struve), or “Sky Hawk Cut-a-Rug” (Jeff Robinson/Pinnacle Bull Group), Shivers asked for Hart’s guidance. Hart confessed “Show Stopper” was the one bull he knew nothing about, to which Shivers replied, “Well I want him.” About 6.2 seconds into the ride, Shivers likely changed his mind, when “Show Stopper” stopped the ride with a toss of the world champ into the dirt.
That left “SkyHawk Cut-A-Rug” for Cody Campbell, and Campbell – out of the running for the event title – made the most of the opportunity, riding “Sky Hawk” for 88 points. The bull was evidently not happy to be ridden, and took its frustration out on bull fighter Frank Newsom, throwing him to the dirt after the ride.
At the end of the second event of the 2010 season, the Brazilians have a lock on the top three spots in the Built Ford Tough Series standings overall. Leading the pack is Guilherme Marchi with 1545 points, followed by Robson Palermo with 1209.75 and Valdiron de Oliveira, on the strength of this weekend’s win, with 1078.5 points. Fourth is Ryan McConnel at 1005.75 points and then JB Mauney with 977.5 points.
The riders and bulls have a quick trip north for next weekend, when the BFTS tour heads into historic Madison Square Garden in New York City for a three day event, Jan. 8-10.
