Over the first two nights here so far at the Dreamstyle Arena, history has begun to repeat itself once again while bringing some of the best bull riding action that the world has to offer to the fans of Albuquerque, New Mexico! Just as like years past, the Professional Bull Riders 25th Anniversary Monster Energy Unleash The Beast Tour top at “The Pit” is one of the most unique venues that we get to visit throughout the year, featuring 63 stairs that the cowboys must climb each night and an arena set up that is like no others across the country. On top of that, the fans here in Albuquerque are some of the most enthusiastic and compassionate fans that we get to be around throughout the 26-stop tour and that gives all those in the locker room just a little bit more energy to put their best feet forward as the three-day event works its way towards the championship round each and every year.
It has been made well aware that this could be a major weekend that we will begin to see some huge shakeups within the 2018 world standings leaderboard after numerous top athletes are out with injuries or illnesses which leaves the door wide open for any one of the alternates to make a big move. That being said, over the last two days of action that is exactly what we have seen, those needing to make big moves and have a solid weekend step up to the plate and make big moves up the world standings leaderboard! As we look forward to this afternoon’s final rounds, we all will have to cross our fingers and wait with anticipation to find out who will have what it takes to advance to the championship round and ultimately take home the 2018 Ty Murray Invitational event title here in Albuquerque!
Cody Nance Splits The Round Three Win Here In Albuquerque
Photo Credit: Andy Watson / Bull Stock Media
As the Director of PBR Livestock Cody Lambert looked over the statistics from the first two rounds, he painstakingly went through his notes and knew he had to put together another round of bovine buckers that would give each of the bull riders here a great chance to earn another qualified ride. Over the first two rounds, we were able to watch some bulls that are becoming household names but they also gave us a chance to watch some virtual unknowns that came into “The Pit” trying to impress and earn their own spot on the premier tour moving forward. Once the round three draw came out we were able to see exactly who impressed and who did not live up their hype as those that did would make the drawback to the round three performance here this afternoon!
Throughout the first two rounds, we sat in amazement of the turn around that the top bull riders in the world had made when comparing this weekend to the previous two where the cowboys looked like complete amateurs bucking off a majority of the bulls placed underneath of them. Heading into today’s round three, that opportunity would again be placed in front of them as the best performers from the first two rounds would be welcomed back again which gave us another opportunity to see twelve more bull riders make the eight-second buzzer. After everything was said and done it would be both Cody Nance and Jose Vitor Leme who would reign supreme as the round three winners after posting astounding 89 point rides aboard two of the toughest bovine athletes in the draw, More Big Bucks and Shelly’s Gangster respectively!
Complete Breakdown Of Qualified Rides In Round Three Earlier This Afternoon:
Cody Nance (89.00) Jose Vitor Leme (89.00)
Lucas Divino (87.75) Luciano De Castro (87.00)
Brennon Eldred (86.75) Cody Teel (85.25)
Rubens Barbosa (85.25) Silvano Alves (85.25)
Chase Robbins (84.75) Paulo Lima (84.75)
Eduardo Aparecido (84.25) Valdiron de Oliveira (80.75)
Jose Vitor Leme Proves Superior In The Championship Round
Photo Credit: Rokin’ K Photos / Jeana Wilson-Kilcrease
After all the rough and tumble action of the first three rounds were concluded it was time to watch the signature walk across the shark cage to see exactly what the match-ups would be as the championship round draft took place. This would not be an easy task this Sunday afternoon as a majority of the bull of the year contenders would go head to head and give each and every one of the fifteen cowboys a run for their money. As each of them looked down the list, the hesitation of some could be felt while the confidence of a few would spark the energy inside of the Dreamstyle Arena as everyone knew they were about ready to watch two of the very best go at it to see who would come out better than the other, for this weekend here anyway, and leave the Ty Murray Invitational event champion!
Earlier this afternoon, the time that everyone had been waiting for had finally arrived as we were set to watch the best fifteen bull riders from this weekend’s event face off against fifteen of the rankest and fiercest bucking bulls known to man. We all knew going in that the weekend of double-digit ride counts had quickly gone by the wayside with the caliber of bovine athletes that we would see in the championship round. Although the ride counts were not matched, the guts and try in each contestant was left on the arena floor as five of the fifteen competing would be able to make the needed eight-seconds for a score while others went down in a blaze of glory while giving 110%. When things were all said and done it would be Jose Vitor Leme who would be able to tame Phenom Genetics / Rothe’s Bad Beagle for a huge 91.50 point ride to win the championship round and take home the 100 world title race points that went along with it!
Cody Nance Celebrates His 2018 Ty Murray Invitational Event Win
Photo Credit: Andy Watson / Bull Stock Media
As we made our way to Albuquerque three days ago for the 2018 edition of the Ty Murray Invitational, we all knew that this event would feel much more different than the others that we have seen and been a part of so far this year. Everytime we come to this town the cowboys strive to earn the event title that has just a little bit more meaning than the other 25 they have a chance at throughout the year as this is a marquee event on the Unleash The Beast Tour with the layout of the arena and the significance of taking the 63-flight stair walk to the locker room each and every night. Fighting through the injuries and hard landings it was time to finally take that last walk across the arena and be officially crowned the 2018 Ty Murray Invitational for one lucky bull rider who outlasted all others over the three-day run!
After that last bull was bucked and the arena was transformed into a championship style stage, the feeling was set to officially introduce to the sold-out crowd and the fans watching on CBS Sports Network to the 2018 Ty Murray Invitational event champion. This weekend Cody Nance would bring home that title after tough battle through four rounds of action taking home 346.75 points combined while earning 637.50 world title race points that would carry him all the way up to the number three spot in the 2018 PBR world standings as we inch closer to the halfway point of the season. There are moves to be made with a majority of the top ten in the world out due to injury or illness and he along with the other guys in the locker room know what they have to do to carry on that momentum next week in Glendale!
In a weekend where numbers continued to grow with injuries sustained in competition, each and every one of the guys hurt here in Albuquerque cowboyed up and gritted through the pain to finish out an amazing weekend here at the Ty Murray Invitational. That being said, it is still unknown if any of them will decide to take some time off beginning next weekend in Glendale or if they will forge ahead and continue competing. Along with that, we also will have to wait and see which riders that were out of action will decide to make the trek west and begin competing again in Arizona but all that is a virtual unknown as we all wait with anticipation to see exactly how the roster will look after all is said and done. Be sure to join the Rodeo Round Up team again next weekend in Glendale to stay on top of all the news and notes from the PBR’s Unleash The Beast Tour!
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