After a horrific weekend in Springfield, MO on many fronts the top bull riders from the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series looked to nurse their wounds along with their egos as things kicked off in Charlotte, North Carolina. This weekend the cowboys would get a little break, if there is any such thing in this sport, from the heavy grind of huge weekends since the second half of the season started. Tonight would begin a scaled back two-day event that would include two rounds of competition and the championship round.
These elite bull riders came into tonight with the hopes of turning their success around and reach for the stars as they head into the 2016 PBR World Finals this coming November. As the doors opened and the in-arena music began it was a much different feel that one short week ago. The world championship race is wide open for all to take advantage of as many of the top 10 bull riders in the world are either riding hurt or missing action due to injuries and/or surgeries that will sideline them for quite some time.
Stormy Wing Rides Hard Times For 87 Points In Round One
Photo Credit: Andy Watson / Bull Stock Media
Once the action began inside of the Time Warner Cable Arena it was still rather noticeable how much damage was done to the cowboys in Springfield one week ago. These top 35 bull riders in the world were riding through the pain and gritting through each ride in order to garner some much needed championship points on their way to the top of the leader board for the Charlotte Invitational Presented By Cooper Tires event. To say that the true cowboy way of living by the phrase “cowboy up” was on display is an understatement.
Tonight the fans in attendance and those watching around the world on PBR Live all had the same question as the chute gate flew open for the first time. Everyone was wondering what exactly happened last weekend and if that dismal weekend was just a mere nightmare or if that is what we would be seeing as the season gets longer and the bulls get smarter. From an early point that question would be answered and there would be no doubt in anyone’s mind why this is the most elite association in the sport of professional bull riding!
J.B. Mauney Takes Home The Round One Victory
Photo Credit: Andy Watson / Bull Stock Media
Although the action was incredible tonight as round one began the sold out crowd would once again witness why the bucking bulls have become just as famous as the bull riders themselves over the last few years. These bovine athletes once again put on a fantastic display of power and gave the cowboys all that they could handle on this beautiful Friday night here in Charlotte. That being said there would be a total of 14 the top 35 bull riders in the world that would fair better than their animal competitors.
All the excitement of the many qualified rides here tonight set the tone from a very early start in round one. Even though there would be 13 other qualified rides no one could fair better than one of those athletes that would stand atop the shark cage and claim the round one victory and the early lead heading into tomorrow night’s Championship Saturday rounds of competition. Tonight that man would be your reigning and defending World Champion J.B. Mauney who would cover K-C/Josey McElroy Bucking Bulls/Spark-lin Acres ‘ Ram It for a stellar 88 point ride.
Complete Breakdown Of Round One Qualified Rides:
J.B. Mauney (88.00) Stormy Wing (87.00)
Guilherme Marchi (87.00) Fraser Babbington (86.50)
Mike Lee (85.50) Kaique Pacheco (85.00)
Brant Atwood (85.00) Wallace Vieira de Oliveira (84.75)
Nathan Schaper (83.75) Lachlan Richardson (83.00)
Jorge Valdiviezo (81.75) Joao Ricardo Vieira (81.50)
Marco Antonio Eguchi (75.50) Silvano Alves (70.25)
After what we all witnessed tonight the anticipation and excitement for what is surely to happen 24-hours from now is at an all time high. Throughout the 2016 Built Ford Tough Series season we do not get a chance very often to see an event title given out underneath the Saturday night lights as we will be able to see here tomorrow. That being said round two will absolutely begin the party that will continue throughout the night after the Charlotte Invitational concludes tomorrow night!
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