Lostroh takes lead in Greensboro

By Mary Rudloff
Posted Saturday, September 15, 2007

GREENSBORO, N.C. – It was all about capitalizing on do-overs in round one of the U.S. Army Invitational Professional Bull Riders (PBR) BFTS event in Greensboro on Friday night. Several of the cowboys went from bad rides and buck-offs to paychecks, capitalizing on their re-ride efforts.

Leading the way was Longmont Colorado’s Kody Lostroh. Lostroh was the only rider to set off the confetti cannons, posting a 90 point ride on his re-ride aboard Windtwister.

West Glacier, Montana’s Beau Hill also made the most of his re-ride opportunity, turning an earlier buck-off on Dire Straits into an 87.5 point third place finish aboard Sunshine. Cole Camp Missouri’s Matt Bohon continued the trend, splitting a 6th/7th place finish with Cole Taylor. Bohon landed his score on a re-ride aboard Burch, after Bohon’s earlier ride, Angel Eyes, fell down in the arena.

New Mexico’s L.J. Jenkins was another rider who got a re-ride, but it did not work to his benefit. Jenkins put up a score of 78.0 points on Mellow Yellow, and got a re-ride option after the bull came to a complete stop in the arena at about the 7 second mark. Jenkins’ re-ride, on Cosmo, dropped his score to 77.25 points. Jenkins received another re-ride option, due to Cosmo’s less than stellar trip, but turned it down and held onto his score.

A hurting Austin Meier came out of round one with an 83 point trip on Slammer, also a re-ride bull, after giving back his original 72 pointer on Ham Bone. Cory Melton failed to put up a score on his re-ride, Redneck, after throwing out his original 80 point ride on Game On. Game On also fell down during the ride.

Gaining ground in the points race was Paulo Crimber, who finished the round in second place, with an 88.0 on Big Scary. JB Mauney also made progress in the points race, finishing fourth in the round with an 87.25 pointer on Buckshot.

Mauney definitely had the most crowd support, competing in his home state. Fellow Carolina resident Brian Canter was listed on the daysheet, but had to turn out his bull due to an injury to the wrist of his riding hand. Canter broke a bone in his left (riding) hand in Reno last week and is expected to undergo surgery for the injury. It is anticipated that Canter would be out for as long as three months, missing the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas next month.

While Mauney gained a little ground on points leader Justin McBride, McBride thrilled the crowd by coming back to competition at least one week earlier than expected. McBride, who dislocated the shoulder of his free (left) arm in Chihuahua in late August, made his return in Friday night’s round and put up 83.75 points on Baby Betta in the last ride of the night.

Title-chasing Brazilian Guilherme Marchi kept his riding streak alive at ten consecutive rides. Marchi scored 82.75 points aboard Preacher Joe, also pocketing the $5,000 Enterprise Ride With the Best bonus. In the past two weeks, Marchi, who won the last two BFTS events, has pocketed $20,000 courtesy of Enterprise. Marchi won back to back events in Chihuahua, Mexico and Reno, Nevada.

Rounding out the top scores in round one were:

87.0, Clayton Williams of Carthage, Texas, on Smokin’ Joe;

86.0, Cole Taylor of Sayre, Okla., on Dog Dip;

85.5 points for Brian Herman of Victoria, Texas, on Patsy’s Pet. Herman, one of the most senior riders on the BFTS tour, celebrated his 37th birthday just a few days ago, but showed that it hasn’t slowed him down any.

85.0 points for Australia’s Greg Potter, another of the tour’s most senior riders, aboard Stray Cat;

84.75 points for Tupelo, Okla.’s Cord McCoy aboard Rocky.

While several of the riders showed signs of hurting, round one ended with every rider leaving the arena under their own power. Chad Denton of Oroville, Calif. returned to action Friday night, riding with a broken jaw and with his mouth wired shut. Denton’s jaw was broken when he went mouth-to-bull’s horn on Sept. 1 in Texas.

Steven Shelley of Natural Dam, Ark. was listed to ride on Friday night, but also turned out. Chris Shivers, who suffered a concussion and a shoulder injury in the Reno event last week, did not compete.

Competition continues with Round Two and the short go in the Greensboro Coliseum on Saturday, Sept. 15. Friday’s round will air on Versus on Saturday night, while the PBR makes its season debut on Fox on Sunday afternoon, when round two and the short-go are slated to air.