Chandler Bownds Back to Win Season CBR Horizon Series Opener in Jackson

JACKSON, Tenn. - Jan. 17, 2015 - PRLog -- Lubbock, Texas cowboy Chandler Bownds edged out Tennessee’s native son, Corey Bailey, by one point to win the Horizon Series Bud Light Bull Riding Classic presented by Alan Vines Automotive on night one of the two day Championship Bull Riding being held at the Oman Arena in Jackson, Tennessee.

Forty bull riders from nine different states made the trek to middle Tennessee for a shot at winning a $13,300 purse on night one of the CBR’s Horizon Series competition. Seventeen bull riders would hear the whistle after 8 seconds, but in the end it was Chandler Bownds who earned a 92 point score riding Winston Loe and Melton’s great bucking bull, #055 Western Hauler’s Bad Tattoo.

Forty riders competed in the first performance of the CBR’s two night stand, and the cowboys went three for three at the beginning of the night with Lane Toon, Cole Echols, and Cody Rostockyj all making the whistle to begin the first section of action.  Cody Rostockyj lead the pack posting an 88.5 score on Reserve Bucking Bull of the Year, Rajun JT owned by Barrett/Craig/Elite Bucking Bulls.

But it was native son, Corey Bailey, who would get the crowd on their feet when the Paris, Tennessee cowboy went 91 points on Mike Rawson’s Little Shyster. Although Bailey had not been on Shyster before he got a little help from his friends on the back of the chutes.

“I saw Sage (Kimzey) get on him before and he was around to the left, but Rostockyj said last time he got on him he went the other direction so I was a little hesitant about him,” said Bailey after his second place finish in front of a welcoming hometown crowd.

“I was feeling good, but it was a lot of pressure with my Granny, finance, and lots of friends and family in the audience,’ said the pint sized bull rider who has been featured in the news media for several days leading up to the event.

But on Bailey’s heels with 90 points was Aron Pass, Kaufman, Texas, who recently won two rounds at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo last December in Las Vegas, and is the current leader of the CBR World Standings for the second year in a row at the start of the five week winter run.

Bownds,riding in the fourteenth slot of the roster, would make his move for the title win when he rode Bad Tattoo who was making his debut on the CBR tour. Bownds, who is entering his fifth season with Championship Bull Riding, is the 2010 National Youth bull riding champion as well as the 2011 Resistol PRCA Rookie of the Year. Bownds, a two time NFR qualifier rode most of 2014 with injuries and finished twentieth, but a healthy 5’6, 135 pound Chandler Bownds is to be feared by the other riders as he sets his sights on winning a gold buckle.

“The bull felt good and had good timing,” continued Bownds. “I am feeling great and healthy and looking forward to riding the Mahindra Road to Cheyenne Tour in healthy condition and this win is a great start, “ said Bownds after signing autographs.

Following Bownds, the 2012 PRCA World Champion bull rider, Cody Teel from Kountze, Texas, would hear the whistle for 88.5 points ending a recent drought in his riding.  Taryl Smith, Litchville, ND and Hondo Flores of George West, Texas would hear the whistle with an 87 and 87.5 to end the third section.

The fourth section would see rookies Dalton Votaw and Wyatt Rogers post an 88.5 and a 90 respectively, but the only threat Bownds would have before the end was Brennon Eldred of Sulphur, OK who went for 91 points on Silver Creek’s Hell Pony.

In section five the number one bull rider in the World, Sage Kimzey, Strong City, Oklahoma, would rally for another 90 point score and rookie Keaton Moody would take Jeff Harris’ Bargain Bin for a 90.5 spin.

The long round would end with Bownds as the highest marked ride and by winning the event he earned the opportunity to win $10,000 if he could ride Brad Vogele’s NFR bull Dougie, who has only been ridden the required 8 seconds once in his career and that was back in the fall of 2013 when Corey Maier rode him for 90 points to win the CBR Los Fresnos Bulls On the Border Championship. Bownds would buck off at 5.04 seconds as Dougie extended his unridden streak to sixteenth straight months with no rider able to post a score on the five year bull who makes his home with Vogele in Ark City, Kansas.

“That bull felt good at first then he took a step backwards while bucking hard and got me off my timing,” said Bownds following the $10,000 attempt. Bownds, who is entered in Saturday night’s performance at the Oman, hopes to draw the bull again.

Meanwhile up on the bucking chutes a separate competition was underway being held simultaneously with the bull riding. The Jackson Cheyenne Challenge was a competition between the stock contractors and bulls that ended with the champion qualifying for the CBR World Finals to be held in conjunction with Cheyenne Frontier Days in July. The winner of the world finals bull team competition pockets a $100,000 bonus check and the title of World Champion bull Team.

Bownds, who by riding Bad Tattoo for 92 points, provided the assist to Melton’s bull team who was competing for the $20,000 first place prize monies and the automatic advancement to the Cheyenne World Finals.

“These two new bulls fit what I was looking for,” said Melton. “Bad Tattoo earned over $30,000 in the UBBI and ABBI competitions as a young bull and he is a good fit for my team bull. He is consistent and has lots of timing,” said Melton, a former professional bull rider.  The second bull Melton bucked for the win was Jungle Fear, a bull Cody Teel rode for 88.5. “He made it look easier than he really is,” continued Melton. “The bull is harder to ride and Cody did an outstanding job.”

Melton’s third entry was a CBR regular, All Shook Up. Although Cody Wood bucked off in 4.71 seconds, his marks as a rank bull were high enough to help the team and earn him the event championship collecting a total of 289.71 points, three points higher than the second place team of Barrett, Craig, Elite Bucking Bulls.


Horizon Bud Light Bull Riding Classic Results (Jackson, Tennessee)

1. Chandler Bownds, 92 pts,Western Hauler’s Bad Tattoo, 2. Corey Bailey (tie)  91 pts,Little Shyster, 3. Brennon Eldred (tie)  91 pts on Hell Pony4. Keaton Moody,90.5 pts on Bargain Bin,

Jackson Cheyenne Challenge Bull Team Competition

1. Winston Loe/Corey Melton   289.71, 2. Barrett/Craig/Elite,  286.00, 3. Silver Creek, -D Cattle, Vogele, 284.00, 4. JQH Bucking Bulls 282.34

Complete scoring is available by round at cbrbull.com/events