The Equalizers of the Las Vegas CBR Bull Team Challenge Competition

LAS VEGAS - March 8, 2016 - PRLog -- Championship Bull Riding’s (CBR) Bull Team Challenge (BTC) competition continued with the Las Vegas Tuff Hedeman Vegas Shootout held at the South Point Arena on March 5. With 12 teams competing, the contest was evenly balanced between the bulls and the riders with a total of 21 qualified rides resulting from 42 outs.


With a bonanza of world class sporting events happening in Vegas on the same night, Championship Pro Rodeo’s bulls came out swinging like the heavy weight prize fighters on the other end of the strip.

Three of the seven bucking bulls that made the trip to Vegas with Brett Barrett posted 2 of the top 5 rank scores.  1137 Cowbanger was the BTC Bull of the Event, with a 91.5 total bull score bucking off Chris Roundy in 2.32 seconds. His traveling partner 050 Gold Buckle took a sharp intense turn out of the chutes and left Cody Rostockyj, the No. 2 CBR rider, without a ride. Rostockyj and 050 had faced off 4 times previously and the bull now goes up 3 to 2 in the lifetime grudge match. 050 received a 91-point score to tie with Corpus Red as the No. 2 rankest BTC marked out. CPR’s newly acquired bull from Mike Rawson, 158 Sleepin Deacon, in his fourth tour appearance remains unridden after bucking off Neil Holmes in the Shoot Out Round. Sleepin Deacon posting two 46 plus bull scores on this year’s Road to Cheyenne with 5 outs.

JC Knapp and Flip Connolly made the journey to Vegas adding another event title win to Flip’em Off Buck’en Bulls. With a check for  $20,000, this team scored 285.62 points, 3.12 points ahead of the second place JQH team. Knapp and Connolly are feeling good about their chances with 24 points on the leader board and one more event to gain those valuable qualifying points.

With two veteran bulls and one rookie, the winning trio included the Champion Bull of Vegas, CR Corpus Red, who Brennon Eldred rode for 91.5 in the 12 man semifinal round to earn the bull his sixth title. 128 Uptown Funk, a 4 year old bull that is a son of the great Elmo, bucked off Cody Teel in 3.62 seconds in round one.

“That bull is going to be a superstar and Cody Teel will ride him the next time,” claimed Knapp.

93 Pepper, a Mack Altizer bred bull, was ridden by Joseph McConnell in round one for 89.5 points. 93 has produced 90 point plus rides 5 of the 7 times he has been ridden on the Road to Cheyenne with an average bull score in CBR of 45.

JQH Team No. 1 was the only team to have 3 qualified rides on the draw sheet. Their luck began with Sage Kimzey whose 87 points on Wicked Ways led the team in the right direction followed by Chris Roundy’s 84.5 on Evil Knieval. Kimzey would be pitted against their anchor bull, C735 Jack Tar in the semifinals and that resulted in 87.5 points. JQH finished with 282.50 points and the second place $12,000 check for the second time this year and a hold on the No.4 slot in the BTC Standings with this team’s outs completed for this season.

William Barnett’s Barn2Buck No. 2  was third with 282.31 points for the $8,000 check. Cowtown Cartel, a son of Carrillo Cartel, anchored this team with an 89.5 bull score and a 90-point ride effort by Brasfield. This was the first time 2079 has been ridden on the tour, but he has taken home two Bull of the Event, high marked (rank) bull, buckles after posting a 46 in Rio Rancho, a 45.5 in El Paso and a 45 in Las Vegas. Eldred rode Barn2Buck’s Final Judgement for 90 in round one. ZY Hez Twisted bucked of Dixon Hestetune. This team is at 21 points with one event left on their schedule.

In the No .4 slot was Jaynes, Whisnant, 2J, Tesch, and Mogg with 279.71 points. Turning in two scored rides, TNT15 Foreplay gathered an 88.5 bull score while bucking off Taryl Smith.  Neil Holmes rode to 88.5 points on Painkiller, who has a 50-50 record with the bull riders on the Road to Cheyenne. The Jaynes Gang’s team won a $5,000 and they are now at 22 points with three events.

BTC WORLD STANDINGS

With 33 teams finishing their 3 event requirement, there is a three way tie for the No. 1 ranking in the BTC World Qualification standings. Jared Allen’s Pro Bull Team, Rawson No. 1, and Winston Loe and Corey Melton all have completed three events and have 28 points. JQH is in at no. 4 with 27 points. Championship Pro Rodeo’s K&G team is sitting at No. 5 earning 26 points. Championship Pro Rodeo’s Cude team is tied with Elite’s No. 2, led by Mike White, in the No. 5 slot with 25 points.

But you have to look close at the race to know that it is anything but over. Flip’em Off Buck’en Bulls is now in the top ten with two events completed. If they place 4^th or above in their last event they will tie or take over the lead of the standings, but they are not the only ones who can threaten the top ranking.

Mike White’s Elite team No. 2 is lurking with only 2 events completed and the team you should not count out, two time stock contractor of the year and last year’s bull team champion, Rawson and Probst, who are No.13 with one event left.

A total of 22 teams travel to Cheyenne Frontier Days to compete in the CBR BTC World Finals. 20 of those teams qualifying from the 60-team field and two wild card teams are added from two Cheyenne Challenge events, which are automatic qualifications for the winning team. Championship Pro Rodeo & Willis team won the first challenge receiving the automatic entry into the CBR BTC World Finals in Cheyenne, which is worth over $372,000 in cash and prizes.