PBR Round Two from Worcester

By Mary Rudloff
Posted Saturday, January 12, 2008

WORCESTER, Mass. – In Saturday morning’s draw, Colby Yates was fourth in line to pick his ride.

Going for the win, Yates picked Cat Man Do, the bull with the highest average riding score, 89.81 points.

After Yates’ second round ride Saturday night, Cat Man Do’s average score is going up.

Yates posted a round winning 90.5 point ride, the only one to break 90 points so far this weekend. That also puts the Fort Worth, Texas rider tied for first place in the average, heading into Sunday’s round three, with 178.25 points.

He was one of 15 riders who ended round two with a pair of qualified rides, meaning no one will make it into Sunday’s short go on one, no matter how good their ride is. With the run of a high number of qualified rides each around continuing, with 24 more on Saturday night, odds are much of the championship round will be made up of riders covering three.

Heading into Saturday night’s round, Mighty Mike White was the number one rider in the Worcester Classic this weekend. White took the lead Friday night with 88.5 points. He got to pick first in Saturday morning’s draw, and chose Cowboy Cut, a bull with middle of the road average scores (83.5) and appeared relatively ride-able based on the bull’s buck off percentages (80% lefties, 60% right handers).

Evidently the bull didn’t read his own stats, however, because Cowboy Cut gave White a wild ride, putting up a second-place tying 89.75 point score. That ties him for first place in the average with Yates.

Matching White’s score was Travis Briscoe, riding Bad Medicine. The New Mexico youngster tied for second place in round one as well, and chose his bull second in the draft Saturday morning.

Senior bull rider Greg Potter was in second place Friday night, and put up a fourth place finish Saturday on Texas, a bull that he said, by picking it, would be “playing it safe” and “a good solid draw.” Texas gave Potter his second score of the weekend, at 89.5 points.

Following Potter was three-time number two rider, Guilherme Marchi, who closed out the round with 89.25 on Scaredy Cat.

So evidently at least some of the riders have figured out how to use the new rider-chosen draw system to their advantage.

Rounding out the top 10 in round two were:

6th, Paulo Crimber with 88.5 points on Red Light;

7th/ 8th , Renato Nunes with 88 points on his re-ride bull, after only 77.75 points on his first trip on Windtwister;

7th/ 8th, Scott Schiffner, who needed a qualified ride to increase his odds of staying on the top tour, with 88 points on his re-ride bull, Spitting Image. His original ride, Outcast, fouled.

9th Cord McCoy with 87.75 points on Carlito’s Way;

10th, Matt Bohon, scoring 87.5 points on Devil’s Deal.

Three time World Champion Adriano Moraes turned in a wild ride, putting up 82.5 points on Buffalo Bob. The score brought boo’s from fans who wanted more points for Moraes, who is in the midst of his year-long farewell tour. Moraes was fired up at his hard-spurring and flashy qualified ride, but he’ll have to maintain that momentum Sunday afternoon in round three to have any shot at the short-go.

On Saturday morning, Moraes said he was picking Buffalo Bob because “he bucked me off twice. I can’t retire knowing I can’t ride him. I will pick that sucker every time I can, until I ride him… hopefully tonight.”

Having gotten that monkey off his back Saturday night, he can pick his next challenge at the next PBR three-day event. (Riders do not pick any of the rounds in two-day events)

The 2004 World Champ Mike Lee continues to be the only PBR rider with a 100% riding percentage on the season. Lee covered two bulls – a low scoring (77.75) trip on usually tough Scentloc and a re-ride on Brutus, but the score was not announced.

The top ten in the average heading into Sunday’s round three at the DCU Center are:

1st Colby Yates & Mike White, 178.25 points;

3rd, Travis Briscoe, 178 points;

4th, Greg Potter, 177.75 points;

5th, Guilherme Marchi, 176.25 points;

6th, Renato Nunes, 174.25 points;

7th, Dustin Elliott, 171.75 points;

8th, Luke Snyder, 171 points;

9th, Harve Stewart, 170.25 points;

10th, Ednei Caminhas & Tyler Pankewitz, 168.5 points.

(Standings based on scores announced in the arena)

Following the third round on Sunday, the top 15 riders (based on event average) will pick their championship round bulls in the center arena. The short-go bulls will already be determined, but the riders, starting with the highest event average, will pick which one of the short-go bulls they will get on.

(photographer’s note: Photographs of Colby Yates’ round winning ride are not available, as bull fighters are not see-through.)