UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Oct. 16, 2009) – It’s crunch time at the PBR, as Event number 31, the last stop before Las Vegas and the PBR World Finals, gets underway at the Mohegan Sun Casino.
A total of 18 riders, led by rookie Cody Nance and veteran Travis Briscoe, put qualified rides on the board in the first night of the three-day event. Some were fighting for a spot at the World Finals, which start on Oct. 31. Others were trying to gain ground on points leader Kody Lostroh.
By the end of the night, it looked like mission accomplished, at least for some.
Nance – the points leader in the rookie race – split first with Briscoe. Nance did it with 87.25 points aboard “Black Chrome” (5G Farms). Nance, of Paris, Tenn., is on a hot streak after winning the event last week in Columbus, Ohio. If ever a time to hit a hot streak, it is definitely heading in to the World Finals.
The ride didn’t come easy though, as the bull spent plenty of time in the air, and Nance hit the bull with just about every part of his body. A judge called for a review, but luckily for Nance, the contact came after the 8 second mark.
Briscoe’s ride was solid, but much less eventful. He was in total control as he rode “Walk The Line” (Dakota Rodeo/Clay Struve), one of four qualified riders in the first section alone.
Vegas is calling and most of the riders definitely brought their A-Game.
Just a quarter-point behind Briscoe and Nance, the PBR’s number five rider Zack Brown took third in the round. Brown rode “Team Equine’s Evil Forces” (Dakota/Struve) for 87 points. Evil Forces then showed its evil side, slamming Brown into the chute at the end of the ride.
Following Brown was JB Mauney, who gained a little ground on points leader Kody Lostroh. Mauney definitely had to work for his 86.75 points, though. First he rode “River City Dreams” (McNeill/Weeks), which was more of a nightmare, getting Mauney just 76.25 points and sending the re-ride flags flying.
With just one ride in between to pull his rope, Mauney took his reride on Clam Digger. The bull hipped itself coming out the chute gates, sending Mauney to the dirt at the 2.6 second mark and again the re-ride flags flew. Clam Digger was run back into the chutes, and Mauney gave it another shot. Third time out was the charm, as this time he capitalized on the trip, putting 86.75 points up.
Rounding out the top five was Rocky McDonald. McDonald, who wants to make sure there is a spot for him in Vegas, came into the event in 37th place, and his fifth place finish in the round, with 86.25 points on “Butt Ugly” (Danny Reagan Bucking Bulls) may have bought him a little breathing room.
Also giving himself a little insurance with the World Finals so close was Bryan Richardson. Richardson, who came into the event in 38th place in qualifier dollars, finished 6th in the round, with 86 points, riding “Chloe’s Pet” (Berger Bucking Bulls).
Fan favorite Brendon Clark wants to go to Vegas and ride. He made that quite clear with his conquering of “Ring of Fire” (Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls). That put him in a three-way tie for 7th through 9th place in the round with 85.75 points. It may not have helped his Vegas campaign, however, because he came into Mohegan in 48th place in qualifier standings, more than $10,000 outside the top 40, after missing much of the season with a serious injury. If he can keep his momentum going all weekend, however, he may find a way to slide into that last spot and ride at Thomas & Mack in two weeks.
Sharing the 7th to 9th slots with Clark were Sean Willingham, who is assured of his spot in Vegas, aboard “Relentless Warrior” (Jeff Robinson); and Robson Palermo on “Shake & Bake” a bull new to the BFTS, out of Shawn Graham’s Painted Pony in Lake Luzerne, N.Y. (The Painted Pony is one of two weekly anchor rodeos of the PRCA’s First Frontier Circuit)
The top 10 was completed by Wiley Petersen with 85.5 points on “Lacey Balls”(Dakota Rodeo/Lacey Berger/Clay Struve). Petersen’s original draw was “Another Husker” (Berger) but the bull wasn’t in a cooperative mood and Petersen never made it out of the chutes on that one.
Of the top ten riders in the BFTS standings, only one didn’t make a qualified ride in Friday’s round one, and that was the number one man, Kody Lostroh.
Lostroh, who was also going for the $5,000 bonus in the “Enterprise Ride With the Best,” as a result of his round win last weekend in Columbus, popped off “Hillbilly” (Jeff Robinson) at the 5.4 second mark. Robinson benefits from it, collecting the $5,000 bonus, and numbers 2 through 10 in the BFTS championship race benefit by making Lostroh’s points lead just a little bit smaller.
Reigning world champion Guilherme Marchi finished 13th in the round, with an 84-pointer on “Blue Boy,” after getting a re-ride and a measly 58.25 points on “Wrong Face” (McNeill/Weeks), a bull that spun but had no kick in Friday night’s trip.
After showing great form in his return to competition last weekend, Mike White couldn’t keep the momentum going in round one, coming off “Sod Buster” (McNeill/Weeks) at the 3.9 second mark. When coming off the bull, White’s hand rolled over, essentially keeping him locked to the bull, and Sod Buster dragged him around like a rag doll, including banging White into the chutes a few times, before White finally came free. White headed straight for the sports medicine room, but there was no update on any injuries sustained by the end of the round.
One rider out for the rest of this weekend’s competition is Luke Snyder. Snyder’s shoulder, already sore from last weekend’s event, bucked off “Gator Bend” (Jeff Robinson) at 2.4 seconds and won’t return to competition for the rest of the weekend. At 30th in qualifier dollars, Snyder’s spot in the World Finals is secure.
“Lucky” (Jeff Robinson) was anything but lucky for Josh Koschel, as the bull turned Koschel into a helicopter propeller after Koschel lost his seat on the bull at the 6.7 second mark.
Another rider that appears to have escaped injury is L.J. Jenkins. After bucking off “Mayday” (5G Farms), Jenkins needed to send out a mayday signal of his own, when his spur caught in the bull rope and the bull took him for a drag around the arena. Bull fighter Joe Baumgartner cut Jenkins loose, literally, and the rider left the arena apparently unscathed.
Brazilian back-flipper Renato Nunes barely made the 8-second mark as “Bum” (Jeff Robinson) flung Nunes around and off the side. A judge called for a review, but the ride was determined to have made the 8-second mark. No back-flip off the chutes for Nunes, however, as the bull appeared to have caught Nunes’ leg with its hoof in the aftermath of the messy ride. No score was ever announced.
As with all three day events, the cowboys will get to pick their bulls for Saturday night’s round two. The bull draft, which will take place Saturday morning, will be done in order of finish based on scores. The 21 riders (less Luke Snyder, who is out with injuries) who went scoreless will then choose based on buck-off times. With Snyder, who had the shortest ride of the night at 2.4 seconds, out of the mix, that will leave Matt Werries, who bucked off “Creation” (5G Farms) at 2.5 seconds, getting the last bull left standing.
The draft is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday in the Cabaret Theater at Mohegan Sun Casino.
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