LAS VEGAS, Nevada (Nov. 1, 2009) – Most of the talk heading into the PBR World Finals this week at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas has been about if Guilherme Marchi could repeat as back-to-back world champion.
Maybe the number-crunchers were looking at the wrong Brazilian.
After the third round of the 2009 World Finals, it looks like the rider most likely to repeat his win is Robson Palermo, who won the World Finals average last year.
Palermo won round three on Sunday afternoon, and is one of only four riders to have covered all three of his bulls so far. Sixth in the world champion title race, and realistically out of range to catch the points leaders there, Palermo is on a clear path to winning his second World Finals average.
On Sunday, he took the round with 92.25 points on “Black Pearl” (Ravenscroft/Boyd Floyd), a ride that brought a $25,000 prize with it. He will head into rounds four through eight, starting next Thursday, second in the World Finals average, with 266.75 points.
The rider ahead of Palermo in the average race? The number two man in the race to a world title – having leap-frogged Guilherme Marchi this weekend in the standings: JB Mauney.
Mauney has his eye on the gold buckle that comes with a world champion title, but in the battle for that buckle, he also is leading the World Finals average, with 269 points. On Sunday, 88 of those points came aboard “Black Smoke” (Page & Teague), which had him finishing 8th in the round. “Black Smoke” was the only re-ride of the round, after Mauney’s trip on “Crosswired” (D&H Cattle Co/C Wiggins) drew judges’ red re-ride flags sailing into the arena.
Those 88 points helped strengthen Mauney’s hold on second place in the World Champion race, but the number one man, Kody Lostroh, managed to widen the gap just a little by taking second in Sunday’s round. Lostroh’s 91-pointer on “Copp Hou” brought cheers from the crowd, and put $18,000 in Lostroh’s pocket. It also increased his points lead to 429.25 points ahead of Mauney for the title, and put Lostroh fourth in the World Finals average, with 263.25 on three head.
The fourth man to have covered all three of his bulls through Sunday is Valdiron de Oliveira. He rode “Deja Blu” (Teague Bucking Bulls) for 88.75 points Sunday afternoon, for a 5th place in the round, and $5,000. It also helped him jump ahead of Zack Brown – who has been surprisingly scoreless in the World Finals so far – and Oliveira now sits 4th in the World Champion race.
In fact, Brown’s scoreless streak – coming on the heels of his winning the last regular event of the season at Mohegan Sun two weeks ago – has dropped Brown to 7th in the World Champion race. Joining Oliveira in jumping ahead of him is new number 5 man Ryan McConnel and Sunday’s round winner, Palermo.
Brown has plenty of company in the zero-zone, as one of 13 riders yet to make a qualified ride. As arena announcer Brendon Bates was quick to point out several times, however, it was just a few seasons ago that two-time champ Justin McBride went scoreless in the opening weekend of the Finals, and then came back to win the title that year.
On Sunday, Lostroh’s number two spot in the round broke up a Brazilian sweep, as 3rd went to unknown Thiago Paguioto, 4th to Edimundo Gomes and fifth to Oliveira. Paguioto scored 89.5 points on “Bushwacker” (Julio Moreno), Gomes 89.25 points on “Moon” (Homestead Genetics), and Oliveira on “Deja Blu” for 88.75.
There were a total of 17 qualified rides in Sunday’s round three, that showcased 3-year old and 4-year old ABBI bulls. Some of those bulls gave the bull riders wild rides before the chute gates even opened, and most of the bulls kept the performance levels up once the gates swung open.
Arkansas’ Michael Manes took 6th in the round with his first qualified ride of the Finals, an 88.5 pointer on “Depths of Despair” (5G Farms/Orhood).
Ednei Caminhas had an ugly wreck hitting the ground after riding “Range War” (Circle T Ranch & Rodeo) for 7th place and 88 points. The replays of Caminhas’ contact with the ground had the crowd in the T&M groaning and flinching, but preliminary reports say it was only a bruise and he should be riding when competition resumes on Thursday.
Following Mauney’s 8th place in the round, 9th and 10th places were shared by Kasey Hayes, who had his own scary moments in the arena on Sunday, and Cody Nance. Hayes hit the dirt head first and hard, leaving him motionless directly in front of the out-gate after riding “Sooner Shaker” (D&H Cattle Co) for 87.5 points. Cheers erupted when less than two minutes later, Hayes was on his feet and walked out of the arena, waving to the crowd. Nance matched his score, riding “Stinger” (Hebert Bucking Bulls/McTaggert). For both riders, it was their first qualified rides of the weekend.
The other qualified rides in the round were:
11th and 12th places, David Kennedy of Australia riding “Monty the Bull” (D&H Cattle Co/Teuteberg), and Elliott Jacoby riding “Hard Rock” (Davis Rodeo Ranch & Luna), each for 87.25 points. It was Kennedy’s first score and Jacoby’s second.
13th in the round was Aaron Roy, with 86.75 points on “Larry the Cable Guy Smokey” (Jeff Robinson/Bar None), his second score of the weekend.
14th and 15th places split between Beau Hill, who had a picture perfect trip on “Hee Bee Gee Bee” (Boyd Floyd Bull Co/XS Ranch) and newly engaged Cord McCoy getting his first score on “Huckelberry” (HX2 Ranch/Junk Bulls), each for 86.5 points.
Ross Coleman took 16th on Sunday, riding “Check Out” (D&H Cattle Co/Buck) for 86.25 points, and McKennon Wimberly took 17th on “Slider” (Plummer/Larson/McKee) for 84.75 points.
The PBR World Finals – and the race to the gold buckle of World Champion – continues on Thursday, when round four kicks off at 6 p.m. in the Thomas & Mack Center, on the campus of UNLV.
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