Final score in round 1- Bulls 39 Cowboys 11.
Yup, happy!
So the PBR's last event before the l-o-n-g summer break, was in Las Vegas, The Last Cowboy
Standing. Craig Hummer started off the TV broadcast by saying, "if you don't ride, you go
home." Except they change the rules, so the winner may not actually have to ride all his bulls.
That's the twist I'm still arguing over in my head......how can you be the LAST cowboy standing
if you buck off a bull, and are only allowed to advance because of your standings in the world
rankings at the time? Yes, I like Guilherme Marchi, and yes, he made a great ride on Rango in
round 4 BUT he bucked off Kujo in round 1. I just don't like that rule change. Iron Cowboy is
the event, where a cowboy does not need to actually ride to win, he can advance on time. This
event should be different. Since only 11 cowboys rode in round 1, only 11 should have
advanced. The rule changes got the BS flag flying!
The other rule change that bothered me was the "rerides are mandatory". Case in point: Jory
Markiss rode his round 1 bull for 8 seconds. Now mind you, the bull didn't have a good out, and
just bucked straight down the length of the arena. Jory gets a reride. He MUST take the reride.
He bucks off his reride bull and is not allowed to advance. He had a qualified ride taken away
from him.
These are the rules that ruin this event for me, as a fan. It took me a while to actually finish
watching the event and then sit down to write this blog. Cranky, I guess. Mad that I'm not
going to see these bulls for a l-o-n-g time. Annoyed by rule changes that prolong an event so it
can be held over two nights, just to make more money? Really tired of low bull scores....I wish
the number 21 would be illegal. And, totally mad at the lack of TV time bulls get after bucking off
cowboys. I don't need to see the boys taking out their mouth guards or helmets or vests or
anything else. I don't want to see them walking down a tunnel, when you can hear the crowd in
the background, cheering because the bull is still running loose, putting on a show!
So, now that I have had my venting session (sorry!), let's talk about the bulls...those big,
beautiful bovines who continue to amaze, and leave this bull loving fan saying WOW!
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| JET AIRLINER showing some snotitude in the arena after bucking off his cowboy. I'm excited to see what this bull has in store for us in the second half of the season! |
points and blew the judges away with two huge jumps out of the chute, then a corner that sent
Mason Lowe to the tarmac! Jet Airliner was soaring! First noticed this bull in Albuquerque
earlier in the season, when he got himself turned around in the narrow pens leading up to the
back pens. Not only did he try to fight with the bulls behind him, he completely tore up the pens
in the tunnel. I thought he might even jump out. It produced a few tense moments but put this
bull clearly on my radar screen.
Another of Moad Cattle's bulls, SMOKIN OKIE, produced the winning ride of round 1 with
Joseph McConnel for 88 points. Friday night in Vegas was good for Moad Cattle! Smokin Okie
played in the arena for quite a while after Joseph dismounted, though we couldn't actually see
what was happening, but we could hear it in the background of the broadcast!!!
Five other bulls in round 1 caught my attention:
BUCK NASTY used a big belly roll to highlight his buck off and 42.75 pts.
HIT LIST looked like he was shot out of a cannon with two huge jumps forward than a wicked
corner. The judges could only score him a 38.25 pts. One judge must have been napping!
COOPER TIRE'S BROWN SUGAR reminded me of a younger Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey
in both bucking style and body shape. Good bull 43.25 pts.
BOOTDADDY.COM had a big belly roll and side kick for 44.75 points. Ty Murray even
commented how this bull can do things athletically that other bulls can't. Outstanding!
MAVERICK just because Alves took forever in the chutes and Maverick blew him off in 2
seconds with a big belly roll.
One bull I must mention is Chad Berger's LIL BROTHER. He is a full brother to BIG TEX. If you
study this bulls movement and head position, he looks ALOT like his older brother! He
combined big kicks and head movement to buck off his cowboy in four seconds and earned
43.5 points. Big Tex was my first "bull crush" when I started following the PBR, so I am very
excited to see his little brother bucking now.
Out of the 25 cowboys that did advance to round 2, only five of them covered a bull for a
qualified score. The high marked bull of round 2 was Jared Allen's H4WW AIR TIME who was
awarded a 47 point bull score!
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| BUSHWACKER with his signature "crash & dash" kept the 2014 buck-off streak alive in Las Vegas. |
BUSHWACKER, the $25,000 Bounty Bull, continued his buck off streak in 2014 with a 3.88
second buck off of Marchi and a round high score of 46 points. Behind Bushwacker,
SHEPHERD HILLS TESTED received a 45.75 point score; FIRE & SMOKE 45.5 points; LONG
JOHN and I'M A GANGSTER TOO both received low 44.25 point scores.
Because of no rides in round 3, all five cowboys advanced to round 4. Guilherme Marchi was
the only one to ride for 8 seconds. He and RANGO combined for 89.5 points and the event win.
HONEY HUSH, MAGIC TRAIN, ROCK RIVER RED and WICKED all easily bucked off the
cowboys and displayed total domination. Geez, I love these bulls!
This brings the first half of the PBR season to a close. There are lots of Touring Pro events and
rodeos going on all summer. In fact, some of the big name bulls will be making appearances at
Touring Pro events soon. But for me, in the northeast, nothing! Guess I'll be wandering out and
spending lots of time with my bulls at Let R Buck Bull Riding School in Canaan, CT. Hope
Spook, Snot Zombie and the boys know what they're in for....lots of lovin' from Momma!
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| Thought I'd share this photo of my husband, who last weekend, decided to give bull riding a shot. I was so proud of him! He didn't make 8 seconds, but he made a valiant attempt. Thanks to the Let R Buck crew for helping him out! |
blog, as I will work on some different pieces, as well as share personal stories from Let R Buck.
Unless noted, photographs by Susan Hanrahan
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