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Cody Nance wins the Cooper Tires Invitational and extends his lead on the 2009 Daisy Rookie of the Year standings.
 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (October 11, 2009) - The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) bucked into The Buckeye State of Ohio for the 2009 Cooper Tires Invitational, stop no. 30 of 31 on the elite Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) tour.  Fans were treated to the 40 best bull riders in the world as they competed against top bulls from across the country at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena.  In the end, leading contender for the 2009 Daisy Rookie of the Year standings Cody Nance (Paris, Tenn.) emerged victorious after scoring 264.75 points on three bulls, taking home the coveted event title.  Nance added $32,980 to his bank account as well as valuable points to his 2009 Built Ford Tough Series World Standings and extended his lead on the Rookie of the Year race.  This win was not only his second in the 2009 season, but his second BFTS career victory.  
 

“It’s really a blessing,” said Nance from the winner’s circle.  “I think a lot of it.  I’ve been a ton of bulls in my life and thank God I’ve been really healthy and that I’m healthy now and that I’ve got this win under my belt and the one before.”
In round one, Nance rode the bull, White Trash of Teague Bucking Bulls, LLC, for 85.5 points in round one.  He followed that up with a third place finish in round two after taking on Danny Regan Bucking Bulls’ Big Rig for 88.25 points.  Nance entered the Built Ford Tough Championship Round in first place on two bulls with a total of 173.75 points, giving him the first pick in the PBR Bull Draft.  He chose to get on the bull, The Game, of Brandon Gasper Bucking Bulls, and tamed him for 91 points, finishing third place in the round, but taking the event win.
 

“He (The Game) is from my hometown and I’ve seen him a ton of times, but haven’t been able to get on him until now,” Nance continued.  “Brandon Gasper (the owner) told me that I’d have to wait until the big show to try him out and thank God I got the opportunity to pick him.”
Taking second place in Columbus was Dustin Elliott (North Platte, Neb.) who scored a total of 263 points.  This was Elliott’s highest finish of the 2009 season and he collected a check for $15,714.  2008 PBR World Champion and the no. 2 rider in the world Guilherme Marchi (Leme, SP, Brazil) rode for a third place finish after totaling 261.25 points, adding $9,888 to his bank account.  Fourth place went to Oklahoma’s Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) who rode three bulls for 258.5 points and a check for $12,958 while “Mighty” Mike White (De Kalb, Texas) rounded out fifth place with 180.25 points and a check for $9,950.  This moved White to 44th in the Qualifier Standings, leaving him a little over $6,000 short of qualifying for the 2009 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals.  He has one regular season event left to do so.
The race for PBR’s million dollar title will take the top 40 bull riders in the world to Uncasville, Conn., for the 31st and final regular season stop on the prestigious BFTS tour.  PBR will buck into Mohegan Sun Casino on October 16-18 for the Mohegan Sun Invitational presented by Cooper Tires where the best bull riders and the toughest bulls in the country will be showcased.  Be sure to check www.pbrnow.com for upcoming cities, ticket information, and complete broadcast times.