Earlier this afternoon the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series Built Ford Tough Series Chicago Invitational drew to a close inside of the Allstate Arena in Rosemount, Illinois. For three straight days, the top 35 bull riders in the world gave the sold out crowds all the bull riding action they round handle. Coming into today’s final two rounds of competition the first two rounds gave the fans in attendance 15 qualified rides respectively in each for a total of 30 total.
Today we were all expecting the same outcome as the Director of Livestock, Cody Lambert, hand picked the best performing bovine athletes from the first two rounds to come back in today’s third round. The cowboy buzz in the locker room area was that of excitement as their performances have been spectacular and the pen of bucking bulls for round three would be able to carry them to the same outcomes heading into the championship round later today!
Cooper Davis Wins The Third Round Here In Chicago
Photo Credit: Andy Watson / Bull Stock Media
Coming into Championship Sunday the Chicago Invitational event has been one of the best events we have seen in a long time on the Built Ford Tough Series. The amount of rides over the first two rounds have been amazing, but expected, as this is only the second tour stop of the young 2017 season. That being said today’s third round was much of the same as the pen of bucking bulls were very rider friendly but still rank enough to make for some fantastic and exciting rides.
As the energy level began to rise inside of the Allstate Arena everyone sitting in the seats and waiting backstage began to feel the intensity and pressures of a Championship Sunday. Over the first two rounds, many rides were made so the fact that these 35 cowboys had to perform to make it to the Championship Round was well known. Round three did not disappoint as 16 of the 35 bull riders here managed to make the eight-second whistle but none would be better than Cooper Davis. He managed to ride Dakota Rodeo/Herald Pro Bulls/Clay Struve/Chad Berger’s Red Sails In The Sunset to the tune of 88.50 points and earn a round three win here in Chicago!
Complete List Of Round Three Qualified Rides Listed Below:
Cooper Davis (88.50) Derek Kolbaba (87.75)
Ryan Dirteater (86.75) Rubens Barbosa (86.75)
Eduardo Aparecido (86.25) Kaique Pacheco (85.75)
Brady Sims (85.75) Eduardo Aparecido (86.25)
Robson Aragao (85.50) Gage Gay (85.25)
Jess Lockwood (85.00) Matt Triplett (84.75)
Joao Ricardo Vieira (84.25) Stetson Lawrence (84.00)
Guilherme Marchi (84.00) Silvano Alves (83.75)
Rubens Barbosa Outlasts All Others In The Championship Round
Photo Credit: Andy Watson / Bull Stock Media
Once all of the qualifying rounds were concluded it was time to turn our attention to the task at hand and find out who would be crowned the 2017 Chicago Invitational Champion. The Championship Round gave the sold out crowds and those watching at home a chance to see the top 15 bull riders from the event match up with 15 of the rankest bucking bulls that we have on tour for 2017. Even though we were not expecting many rides the ones that we did see were some that we will remember the rest of the year.
In the Championship Round, we were able to see some past World Champion Bucking Bull contenders as well as some up and coming bovine athletes that continue to impress early on in the season. Today when things were all said and done, there would be one man that would rise above the rest and win the Championship Round here in Chicago. This afternoon that man would be Rubens Barbosa who managed to outlast the other five that were able to make qualified rides with a 90.25 point ride aboard Dakota Rodeo/Julie Rosen/Clay Struve/Chad Berger ‘s Cooper Tires Brown Sugar for the round win on Sunday afternoon!
Rubens Barbosa Claims His First Event Win Of The 2017 Season
Photo Credit: Andy Watson / Bull Stock Media
The intense weekend that is known as the Chicago Invitational came down to who would have the most qualified rides and the highest combined scores throughout the weekend. Whoever that man would be, the crown and title of event champion would be placed beside his name in the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series record books. One the scores were tallied and the final pencil lines were drawn it was time to announce the Chicago Invitational event champion to the sold out crowd inside of the Allstate Arena earlier this afternoon.
As the action subsided down on the arena floor the walk to the top of the shark cage and the event champion celebration was about to take place. After an exciting weekend of bull riding action it all came down to who would be the man making that celebratory walk to the center of the arena. Earlier today that man would be none other than Brazilian Rubens Barbosa who would manage to post up a combined 348 points on the board after going a solid 4- for-4 over the weekend!
After a fantastic start to the 2017 Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series season we look ahead to the third stop of the season as we head south to the great state of Oklahoma. Oklahoma City will play host to the Express Employment Professionals Invitational next weekend. If this stop is anything like the first two have been it will be another possible record breaking and exciting event as we look to invade OKC for two nights of extreme bull riding action!
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