5/18/2012
Pueblo, CO will host the Pueblo Invitational PBR Built Ford Tough Series event this weekend. This is stop number 18 on the Built Ford Tough Series Tour and the last event before a 3 month break. There’s been a lot of excitement along the way to the World Finals in October. With a world title on the line, the riders are pushing themselves to the limit. JB Mauney was in the lead until he broke his riding hand, but has since moved down to 5th despite trying to riding with his other hand. Valdiron de Oliveira is in the number one spot right now and is riding with a broken eye socket sustained in Uncasville, CT a few weeks ago. Silvano Alves is quietly creeping up on the lead as he consistently rides his bulls and places in the rounds, and LJ Jenkins is in third and looks like he is getting comfortable being at the top of the standings.
With all this going on, it’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement. The standings could change drastically with each event. The Pueblo Invitational offers a total of 1,200 points plus an additional 300 points for the 15/15 Bucking Battle after the first round. Ariat sponsored rider Luke Snyder is coming off a big win in Boise, Id to face superstar bull Asteroid in the 15/15 Bucking Battle. He hopes to add to the excitement and ride a bull that seems virtually impossible to ride. You don’t want to miss the action from the Pueblo Invitational Saturday at 10pm ET on CBS Sports Network and the 15/15 Bucking Battle Sunday at 2pm ET on CBS.
5/4/2012
Billings, Mt is the next stop for the PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series this weekend. The Stanley Tools and Security Invitational presented by The Nile on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday is sure to be a crowd pleaser. This event will feature another 15/15 Bucking Battle on Saturday at 1pm ET on CBS. There are some great match ups in the 15/15 Bucking Battle. Luke Snyder has a favorable draw with Carillo Cartel. I expect Luke to ride this high speed spinner for a near 90 score. I am really excited to watch Austin Meier on Smackdown Tire Rama, because I think that bull fits Austin’s riding style and Austin has what every bull rider needs…lots of heart. JB Mauney, who switched riding hands last week, will be on RMEF Gunpowder & Lead. I will be interested to see what happens with that match up. As I mentioned before, switching hands is difficult, and JB didn’t get any bulls rode for 8 seconds last weekend, but he looked better than most would.
In the points race, Valdiron de Oliviera is still in the lead, but sustained a concussion last weekend and will be out of competition this weekend. Silvano Alves has moved to second, LJ Jenkins is third, and JB is already been moved down to 4th. It doesn’t take long for the points race to change, and things will probably change this weekend, so you don’t want to miss any of the action. The Stanley Tools and Security presented by The Nile will be on Youtube Friday at 10pm ET, CBS Saturday at 1pm ET, and CBS Sports Sunday at 10pm ET.
4/20/2012
The PBR Built Ford Tough Series is making it’s way into the plains of Des Moines for the Des Moines Invitational this Saturday and Sunday. Last weekend in Indianapolis, Fabiano Vieira won the event and Valdiron de Oliveira moved to the lead ahead of JB Mauney who is out due to an injury. In the PBR, every second counts and that includes the seconds you are not competing. In an effort to not lose any more ground, JB has decided to take things into the other hand. JB injured the hand that he uses to hold onto the bull rope (riding hand), so he has decided to try riding some practice bulls with his other hand while the injured hand heals. So we may be seeing JB return to competition earlier than first expected.
As the PBR always does, the Des Moines Invitational will showcase the best bulls and the best cowboys in the world. Asteroid will be there. He’s quickly gaining a lot of attention as a favorite to watch and Bushwacker’s main competition for bull of the year. High kicks and instant direction changes make him a bull that riders see as a daunting challenge, but worth the effort. With Asteroid being in the championship round, riders are going to have to earn their chance for big points on him. Watch the Des Moines Invitational on CBS Sports Network Sunday at 6pm ET to see if Asteroid gets rode and if Valdiron can increase his lead in the world standings.
4/13/2012
The PBR is back in action this weekend for the Built Ford Tough Invitational in Indianapolis, IN. This event will prove to be action packed as the top 15 riders face the top 15 bulls after round 1 for the 15/15 Bucking Battle. With bulls like Asteroid taking on world number 2 Valdiron de Oliveira and Ariat rider Luke Snyder taking on RMEF Gunpowder & Lead, this round of competition will have some huge scores and huge buck offs. The PBR 15/15 Bucking Battle will air on CBS at 2pm ET Sunday.
With the current world standings leader JB Mauney out of competition due to a broken hand, this is someone’s opportunity to take over the standings. Valdiron de Oliveira has the ability to do that, but Silvano Alves has already proven himself as the most consistent rider in the world. If a guy can stay healthy and stay hungry for the entire season, that’s the secret combination that’s needed to be the world champion. You don’t want to miss the Built Ford Tough Invitational this weekend in Indianapolis!
3/30/2012
Kansas City is being invaded by the PBR this weekend for the Kansas City Invitational. This is the 12th stop on the PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series tour, and the world title race is starting to heat up. JB Mauney was in the lead until last weekend when Valdiron de Oliviera passed him up by 64.75 points. With a rider having the opportunity of earning over 1000 points per event, the lead may change several more times before the World Finals in October.
JB and Valdiron will be looking over their shoulders as last year’s World Champion Silvano Alves consistently gets scores to move his way up the standings. Silvano has a riding percentage of 69%, the highest in the PBR. I don’t really expect any bulls to throw him off. Kansas City will be a great event to watch and see who will post big scores in the race for the World Title. The bulls in Kansas City will have much to say about that though. As always, the PBR will match the best riders in the world with the best bulls. Check it out live this Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm at the Sprint Center, or watch on CBS Sports Network Sunday at 6pm ET.
3/23/2012
For the next three days, the PBR will invade The Pit, Albuquerque’s unique event center is the perfect place to put a PBR arena and showcase the top bulls and riders in the world. As Ty Murray’s signature event, you can be sure that you will see non-stop action and excitement. This event also has a special 15/15 Bucking Battle after round 2 where the top 15 riders in the standings take on the top 15 bulls for extra points and money which will be aired in its entirety Sunday at 12pm ET on CBS. Click here to see the match-ups.
The Ty Murray Invitational has always been an event that riders dream of winning. JB Mauney is the current number one, but only by 38 points. He is having trouble putting points on the board, but if he wants to stay in the number one spot, he will have to find a way to stay on. There will be plenty of fan power to inspire some great rides. Albuquerque is a hot zone for PBR fans, and The Pit will be packed all three days to see bulls like Bushwacker, Buckey, and Smackdown take on riders like JB, Silvano Alves, and New Mexico native LJ Jenkins. You don’t want to miss the Ty Murray Invitational from Albuquerque, NM.
3/16/2012
Things are going to get hot in Arizona. The PBR Built Ford Tough Series tour is making a stop in Glendale, AZ for the Glendale Invitational March 17 &18. JB Mauney is currently ahead of the pack by nearly 400 points. Valdiron de Oliveira is the number two man and has a realistic chance of taking over the number one spot if he excels and JB doesn’t do well. These two superstars are slowly pulling away from the pack in what could shape up to be a great world title race at the PBR World Finals in October.
With the kind of talented riders that are keeping pace and gaining momentum at each event, things are never certain . It is very important that these guys to stay focused and not stub their toe if they want a chance to overtake the leader by the time the World Finals comes around. Unfortunately, making mistakes is easy to do when you are faced with the top bucking bulls in world.
The bull power is as strong as ever in Glendale with bulls like Highway 12, Shephard Hills Trapper, Buckey, and Back Bender making their way from the Last Cowboy Standing in Detroit. These four bulls in particular are very tough to ride and will prove to be a huge obstacle on the road to victory. Tough bulls are just a part of the life of a PBR bull rider, and the top bull riders in the world have to take on these challenges with tenacity and confidence. Watch the Glendale Invitational March 18th at 6pm ET on the CBS Sports Network. It’s going to be an awesome event.
3/9/2012
Get ready, Detroit, the PBR is going to rock your city! It’s the Last Cowboy Standing event at the Ford Field on Saturday night. The Last Cowboy Standing is a progressive format where the rider that makes the eight second whistle advances to the next round until there are no more riders left. With a maximum of five rounds, the man to ride every bull will take home $150,000. That’s enough to make any person want to enter up and hang on tight.
Last year’s Last Cowboy Standing was Missouri’s Luke Snyder who bested Sean Willingham in the fourth round to earn $216,000. With so much on the line,
the top 35 bull riders in the world will leave nothing to spare when they give the nod for the gate to open. It’s almost impossible to say who will be this year’s Last Cowboy Standing, but JB Mauney is a definite possibility. JB thrives on high pressure situations and has the confidence in himself that shows with each bull he masters. Another good possibility is the 2011 World Champ Silvano Alves, who is as consistent as they come, but not as daring as JB when it comes to picking tougher bulls in the drafts. It will be interesting to see who finds the strength to stay on more bulls than anyone else to be this year’s Last Cowboy Standing. Tune in to NBC Sports Network Saturday at 9pm ET to see this suspenseful and exciting event.
3/2/12
Tomorrow night the much anticipated Dickie’s Iron Cowboy III at the Cowboy’s Stadium in Arlington, Tx will get underway with a concert by Dierks Bentley followed by a bracket style PBR competition. This is a very unique event for the PBR with the top 8 riders from last year’s standing getting a first round bye and the top 16 riders in the 2012 standings as of Jan. 31 riding in the first round. In order to advance to the next round of bulls and riders, the round one riders will need to stay on longer than the man they are matched with. At the Dickie’s Iron Cowboy, scores aren’t as important, but they will almost guarantee advancement. The winner of the bracket will receive $50,000 and a chance to ride Buckey for an additional $50,000. That will be no easy task as they are faced with the toughest bulls in the world long before they reach Asteroid and Bushwaker for their chance to win the money.
Some key round one match-ups are Renato Nunes vs. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, Kody Lostroh vs. Palm Springs, and Justin Koon vs. RMEF’s Gunpowder and Lead. In round two there are more rank bulls and great riders waiting for their chance to win all the money. Some round two match-ups to watch are JB Mauney vs. White Velvet, Ryan McConnel vs. HeeBee GeeBee, and Austin Meier vs. Train Wreck. Emotions will running high as the top 24 riders in the world hope to advance to the end of the bracket to possibly win $100,000. The hardest part (besides riding the bulls) will be focusing on the current ride and not thinking about the tough bulls that await. The Dickie’s Iron Cowboy III will air live at 9pm CT on the NBC Sports Network. Don’t miss it!
2/24/12
Last weekend I finally got to go to a PBR Built Ford Tough Series event. Even though I wasn’t riding, it was great being there and feeling the excitement and energy that the PBR always brings. I’ve been out with a knee injury, so I’ve been watching the PBRs from home wishing that I could be there live. If you’ve never been to a live PBR event, you really should go. It is an amazing show with more energy than anything you’ve ever seen. I remember going to one as a kid and it gave me the chills and inspired me to work hard to make it there one day.
With that said, the event was awesome. It was a different format than most of the BFTS events as everyone that received a score advanced to the final round. Imagine being in this huge coliseum called the Georgia Dome. Big enough to fit two PBR arenas side by side with room to spare. Eighteen riders qualified for the final round and seven of them rode their second bull. The story of the night was Ariat rider Chris Shivers winning the event days after announcing that this would be his final season. Obviously the rest of the riders can’t count him out yet.
The next PBR BFTS event this coming weekend is sure to be another crowd pleaser as it is in Houston, Texas. In conjunction with RodeoHouston, the PBR will offer the same opportunity as in Atlanta with every rider to get a score moving on to the championship round. All eyes will be on Chris Shivers to see if he can continue his winning streak and possibly ride his final season to a world title. He’s going to have to really step on the gas though, because he’s got a lot of young guns doing everything they can to take their place among the greats of the PBR like Chris himself.
2/17/12
This Saturday the PBR is invading the Georgia Dome for the Atlanta Invitational. This will be the 7th stop on the Built Ford Tough Series Tour and is formatted so that every rider that gets a score in the first round will ride in the final round.
The world title race is stating to take shape. North Carolina’s JB Mauney is leading the standings with Brazil’s Valdiron de Oliveira in a close second. Oklahoma’s RyanDirteater and Austin Meier are 3rd and 4th, respectively.
Every rider in the top 10 sees a realistic shot of taking over the standings. This means that they have to stay aggressive and ride like it matters.
The bulls will be rough, tough, and ready to buck, so the riders had better be on their game. Cody Lambert has a very important job as he is the man responsible for picking the bulls that compete against the best bull riders in the world. Just like any great competition, it takes two equally matched opponents battling it out to get our attention. We will see plenty of heart match ups in Atlanta.
2/3/12
Look out, Baltimore, the PBR is coming to town! This Friday and Saturday the PBR makes its fifth stop on the Built Ford Tough Series Tour. Baltimore has been an ongoing event for some time now, but this event significant to the riders positioned at the bottom of the standings because it is the dreaded “cut” event. After every five events the PBR cuts the bottom ten riders off of the tour and brings in the top 5 riders from the Touring Pro Division and 5 other riders who are returning from injuries or some other exemption. In previous years there has been 40 riders on the BFTS tour and a rider had to stay above number 30. This year, however, the PBR is dropping the number of riders on tour to 35, which means riders need to stay above 25th to remain on tour. It’s important for the riders to perform well from the start of the season, but now it’s especially important for the bottom 15 to step it up and get some points on the board.
Fan favorites Ben Jones and Colby Yates are among the 15 that are in danger of getting cut. Every rider gives it his all when the gate opens, but when you are backed into a corner, you find a little extra fight in your heart and hope that the chips fall in your favor. We are going to see that kind of effort this weekend in Baltimore as riders do everything in their power to stay on tour. The bulls have the advantage because they don’t care either way. They are there to buck guys off. With that said, there seems to be alot of unknown bulls at this event, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t earned this opportunity. The bull power is high and the riders’ energy is elevated. The Baltimore Invitational is going to be an exciting event to watch. Make sure you cheer on your favorite bull and rider.
1/30/2012
It’s time for the Ariat Invitational in Sacramento, California. It’s time for the Ariat Invitational in Sacramento, California this Saturday and Sunday. This will be an awesome event with the best bulls and the best riders going for 8 seconds. In round one, Austin Meier has a bull that I bucked off of last year at a Touring Pro PBR. I don’t think Austin will have a problem riding that bull. He is riding great and gaining momentum. I expect him to be a strong contender this year.
As if round one isn’t enough, following round 1, the first ever 15/15 Bucking Battle will take place with the top 15 riders in the standings matched up against the top 15 bulls in the world to be shown in its entirety Sunday on NBC at 1:30pm ET. You will want to see this in person, but if you can’t make it, be sure to watch it on NBC.
One of the key match ups in the 15/15 Bucking Battle is 2011 World Champion Silvano Alves against the top bull contender Astroid. Alves and Astroid met last year in Thackerville, OK with that meeting only lasting 3 seconds. This time it’s guaranteed that Alves will be better prepared to counter act Astroids quick and powerful moves. Honestly, I don’t know how a person will be able to stay on this bull, but if anyone can do it, it’s Alves.
There are a number of rematches, which may help the riders have a better game plan for staying on. They are going to have to dig deep and find the fire within inorder to hear that 8 second buzzer. If anyone does stay on for the required 8 seconds, they are going to get a bunch of points. The 15/15 Bucking Battle at the Ariat Invitational is sure to show us spectacular rides and buck-offs. This is going to be an awesome event.
1/20/2012
It’s stop number 3 for the PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series. The PBR is heading north from California to Portland, Oregon. By now, the riders are back in the groove of traveling every weekend (if they took a break). The life of a PBR rider is a lot of traveling, but not as much as those who go to rodeos. A cowboy on the rodeo trail has to stay on the road going from one rodeo to the next while a PBR contestant can go home in between events, if he so chooses. Some like to be on the road all the time and others do not.
Currently in the standings, Valdiron de Oliveira is in first place and Cody Nance is in second. Everyone is still really close in the points and someone usually starts to gain momentum and pull away from the pack. It’s hard to say who’s going to stay hot, but I think Austin Meier is coming on strong and will start to take some ground in the standings. Valdiron, Guilherme, and 2011 World Champ Silvano Alves are going to be hard to beat, but it’s all about riding your bulls. With the pen of bulls that are in Portland, it’s not going to be easy to stay on, but these guys are ready for the challenge.
1/13/2012
The PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series tour is coming from New York City last weekend to go to the other, much warmer side of the U.S in Anaheim, CA. It’s the ”Anaheim Invitational” this Saturday and Sunday. If you watched the telecast from New York City, you could tell that most of the riders were feeling good and ready for the new year to start.
There were a lot of great rides, but the man that rose to the occasion was Cody Nance. Cody, from Tennessee, had a great event and managed to ride every bull that was ran under him to take 
the first event title of the year. He is the man to beat, and if he rides in California like he did in New York, he will stay in the lead. Cody has a bull called Julio Moreno Bucking Bull’s ”Remington” in the first round. Remington is a good bull for Cody to have in the first round and if everything goes right, should result in about 86 points.
2011 Bull of the Year Runner-Up Asteroid will be making his 2012 debut on Sunday in the championship round. If you never seen Asteroid buck, do yourself a favor and watch. He kicks so high that it looks like he might do a front flip. I haven’t seen any rider really warm this bull up yet, so it will interesting to see if he gets tested. If he bucks like he did last year, he will be a sure contender for the bull title. Everyone competes in this sport, the bulls and the riders. The name of the game is staying healthy and staying hungry for the wins.
1/05/2012
It’s PBR time again! The Professional Bull Riders are taking over New York City this weekend and every one of the top 40 riders are coming to win. The start of the PBR season is an exciting time for these guys because just like the New Year means fresh starts, everyone is starting at zero. It is crucial to start the season on a positive note. If a guy is physically and mentally healthy early on in the season, he stands a better chance of staying at the top and finishing the year in the top.
Ariat cowboy, Cord McCoy will be one to watch as he is coming off of a strong World Finals finish. Cord tries his hardest every time he nods his head, so if he’s confident and hungry, he will be smiling all the way to the top of the standings. Cord will be up against a bull called “Shaky Waters” in round one who looks to be a 85 to 90 point bull if Cord can do his job. In round two, Cord is matched up with “Bar Code” who should give Cord another 85 points or more.
Because of the science behind the breeding programs theses days, you won’t see very many rides that score below 85 points in the PBR. The bulls in the PBR are just getting better and better and the cowboys are stepping up their game by training harder and trying harder.
I hope you tune in to watch the best riders in the world take on the best bulls in the world this weekend from New York City.
