Third Time's a Charm for Brian Canter at National Western

By Susan Kanode
Posted Thursday, January 15, 2009

DENVER, Colo. --- After competing at the Denver Chute Out for three consecutive years, Brian Canter finally left here with the championship.

The Randleman, N.C. bull rider won the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) event at the National Western Stock Show Wednesday night after riding three bulls for a total of 264 points. Canter had his first ride Tuesday night scoring 84 points on Jeff Robinson’s bull named Bugs Bunny.

He came back for the semi-finals Wednesday night, got on Hale,Hicks and McKracken’s bull, Devil Dog for 88.5, putting him fifth in the round and qualifying him for the finals. H.D. Paige’s bull Frosty jumped out of the chute spinning around to the left as Canter spurred his way to a 91-point ride in a cool eight seconds. These three rides netted Canter checks for $20,083.

“Paige’s have great bulls and this was one of the best final rounds,” Canter said. “I just got back from the event in New York and did pretty good there. Winning Denver is really getting me rolling this year.” Canter has always ridden well at the Denver Coliseum placing second and third in previous years.

Although he is in his early twenties, Canter has staked his claim on the PBR tours and qualified for the last four PBR World Finals. He finished 24th in 2008 even after suffering a serious head injury over the summer at the Paso Robles, Calif., event and sitting out for a month.

The Denver Chute-Out is part of the PBR’s Enterprise Tour and along with top riders like Canter, draws bull riders trying to move up the ranks to the Built Ford Tough Series. Money won here counts towards contestant’s final goal of qualifying for the World Finals in Las Vegas.

Another top bull rider who finished just one point behind Canter was Nick Landreneau from Welsh, La. He had 263 points on three rides. Landreneau won $13,144, which will count in the PBR’s Qualifier Standings and give him the opportunity to compete at more events.

Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association action gets back underway at the

National Western Stock Show Thursday night at the Denver Coliseum beginning at 7 p.m.

DENVER --- The following are results Professional Bull Riders Denver Chute-Out at the National Western Stock Show, Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

First Round: 1, Josh Koschel, Greeley, Colo., 89 points on James Riley’s Cadillac Man, $4,898. 2, Kody Lostroh, Longmont, Colo., 88, $3,674. 3 (tie), J.B. Mauney, Mooresville, N.C., and Mark Lopes, Jackson, Calif., 87.5, $1,837.

Semi-Final Round: 1 (tie), Kody Lostroh, Longmont, Colo., on Jack Simmon’s Rojo Lobo and Renato Nunes, Buritama, SP, Brazil on Gene Owen’s Hysteria, 90 points, $4,286 each. 3, Austin Meier, Kinta, Okla., 89, $2,449. 4, Brian Canter, Randleman, N.C., 88.5, $1,224.60.

Final Round: (no money) 1, Brain Canter, 91 points on Paige’s Frosty. 2, Nick Landreneau, Welsh, La., 88. 3, Chad Denton, Berry Creek, Calif., 87.5. 4, Austin Meier, Kinta, Okla., 87. 5, Matt Werries, Chapin, Ill., 86.5.

Overall Winners: (total on three) 1, Canter, 264, $18,858. 2, Landreneau, 263, $13,144. 3, Meier, 262, $7429. 4, Denton, 257.5, $5143. 5, Werries, 256, $4000. (on two) 6, Lostroh, 178, $2857. 7, Mauney, 173.5, $2285. 8, Nunes, 172, $1714. 9, Marchi, 170.5, $1142. 10, Melton, 170, $571.