Now that the 2017 Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series season is in full swing, we have already seen many highs as well as many lows over the first two events. The main focus has been the young guns beginning the year off with a bang in New York City which is leaving the veterans scratching to stay within the top 35 in the world standings to be able to stay on the elite BFTS tour as the first cut of the season becomes closer and closer. Along with that is the injury exemptions that many of the cowboys are using that will come to an end sooner than later.
This weekend’s stop in Oklahoma City will give these cowboys that chance they need to regain their composures and get back into the thick of things but that will not be easy. For the first time this season, the top 35 bull riders in the world will see the best bucking bulls for the first time along with the ABBI Classic Bulls that each and every one of them dread every time they have to pair up against them. Many of the World Champion Bucking Bull contenders from last year will be spotlighted throughout the weekend which will make for some exciting bull riding action from Oklahoma City!
Brady Sims Rides In Oklahoma City
Photo Credit: Jeana Wilson Kilcrease
Coming into this weekend’s Express Employment Professionals Invitational many eyebrows are beginning to rise as the alternates that have been competing on the Built Ford Tough Series have made the most of their opportunities and looked to continue that here in round one. Beginning the night nearly 30 percent of the field, 11 to be exact, were alternates vying to gain enough points to stay on tour as the first cut of the season comes just two weeks from now.
Last weekend Brady Sims came in as an alternate and came out after a huge weekend sitting solidly within the top 35 spots in the world standings. Sims earned 275 world champion points putting him a mere 700 points behind world number one Jess Lockwood. Tonight he matched up with Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger’s Battle Siren as the ABBI Classic Bulls showed what they had for the first time this year. After all was said and done it would be Brady Sims who would come out the winner gaining a 70.00 point score!
Mason Lowe Takes Home The Round One Win Here In OKC
Photo Credit: Jeana Wilson Kilcrease
The excitement inside of the Chesapeake Energy Arena was electric from the dimming of the lights to signify the opening of the round to the last buck out of the first round. Everyone knew that this weekend would be the time that things would begin to shape up in both the world title races. Sweet Pro’s Bruiser will begin to defend his world title from last year in the championship round tomorrow night. That being said, these bull riders needed to get by the unruly pen of the ABBI Classic Bulls that gave them problems all season long in 2016.
Tonight, the bull power down on the arena floor was all that these 35 bull riders could handle, carrying on the tradition from the 2016 season. After all the action was concluded and the dust settled in the arena there would be a total of only 9 of the top 35 bull riders in the world that would manage to last the required 8 seconds to carry a score over to the second round tomorrow night. Even though the other 8 bull riders wowed the crowd no one could put up the effort that Mason Lowe did in round one as he claimed the round win aboard Jared Allen’s Pro Bull Team’s Get Smoked for a solid 87.50 point bull ride!
Complete List Of Round One Qualified Rides Posted Below:
Mason Lowe (87.50) Stormy Wing (86.25)
Derek Kolbaba (85.50) Silvano Alves (85.00)
Rubens Barbosa (84.50) Mike Lee (84.25)
Nathan Schaper (81.25) Denar Barbosa (80.75)
Brady Sims (70.00)
Tomorrow afternoon’s second and championship rounds will not get any easier for these top 35 bull riders that are already showing signs of being battered and bruised. Getting by the pen of bovine athletes that Cody Lambert, the Director of PBR Livestock, has selected for them in round two is the least of their worries and the 2016 World Champion Bucking Bull and his adversaries will bring with them the most bull power these cowboys have seen yet this season. That being said, the action and intensity should be one for the record books as the action kicks off once again tomorrow afternoon!
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