News

Round 2 recap

Lostroh rides, but Marchi gains

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (October 18, 2009) - Round 2 of the Mohegan Sun Invitational closed with 11 consecutive rides.

Austin Meier rode, as did Sean Willingham, Wiley Petersen, Robson Palermo, Renato Nunes, Ryan McConnel, Valdiron de Oliveira, Zack Brown, J.B. Mauney, Guilherme Marchi and Kody Lostroh.

Meier and Lostroh bookended the streak with their first rides of the weekend, while the other nine are 2-for-2 after two of four rounds in Uncasville, Conn.

Marchi and McConnel split the round with 87 points each. Travis Briscoe, who split the opening round with Cody Nance, is 2-for-2 as well, and leads the event with a combined score of 174 points.

“Usually I win two or three events every year,” Briscoe said, “and this is my last chance to win another one in the 2009 season, so I plan on doing it.”

Briscoe is looking to win his second Built Ford Tough Series event of 2009, and for the first time in four years, head into the upcoming PBR World Finals with some momentum.

He rode Walk the Line in the opening round for 87.25 points. In the Round 2 draft, he selected Clam Digger, a re-ride bull the J.B. Mauney rode for 86.75 points in Round 1.

Coincidentally, Briscoe has but a half-point lead over Mauney with two rounds complete and two left for Sunday afternoon.

Mauney came into this weekend third in the world standings, trailing Lostroh by 1,290 points. Marchi, who is also 2-for-2, came in trailing by only 754.25 points.

With bonus points and scores they’ve both shaved points off Lostroh’s lead.

Lostroh rode Total Package for 86 points and a fifth place finish. However, his lead over Mauney in the world standings is 1,111.5, and down to just 628.25 over Marchi.

“I’m trying to win back-to-back [World Championships] and I’m very close right now,” said Marchi.
 
He later added, “I try to ride my best every time and keep my adrenaline up, give my blood, give my heart and try my best.”

At the other end of the spectrum nothing has been settled when it comes the last qualifiers for the Finals.

Both Elliott Jacoby and Billy Robinson continue to hold their breaths, especially Robinson, who is now 0-for-2 on the weekend. With 12 riders having gone 2-for-2, and with another 16 riders with one score, he stands very little chance of making it back to the championship round.

Unfortunately for the Virginia cowboy, five of the seven cowboys in pursuit of him have scores on the board, and Dusty Ephrom has two, which means the Canadian newcomer is in position to finish the three-day event high enough to win some money.

Robinson has $50,959.05, so unless he wins some Round 3 money that will be the magic amount everyone is aiming for.

Reese Cates, who is 43rd, needs $2,645.39 to pass him, while Mike White is in need of $6,264.84, Travis Sellers needs $8,267.61, Ephrom is looking to add $9,028.14 to his earnings and Brendon Clark needs $11,483.44 to find himself in Las Vegas.

Any of these riders will need at least three scores to finish in the Top 40 in the qualifier standings.

But with Brian Canter unsure of whether he can compete, coupled with any other injuries that could take place once the Finals start, there is a chance one or more of the top alternate money winners could wind up competing in Vegas.

Currently the top two are Ben Jones and Edvaldo Ferreira, who is competing in Brazil. He earn could enough there to pass Robinson.

Ferreira is only $2,230.98 shy of passing Robinson and there’s been no word yet whether or not he’s won any money this weekend.

Marchi and McConnel split Round 2, and the Top 5 was rounded out by Briscoe, Mauney and Lostroh, while Briscoe, Mauney, Zack Brown, Robson Palermo and McConnel round out the Top 5 overall after two rounds.

Rounds 3 and 4 get underway in Uncasville at noon and can be seen later tonight on Versus.

NEWS and NOTES

Live from Mohegan Sun: Be sure to log onto www.pbrnow.com next weekend and select the “Event Center” tab on the left-hand side of the Uncasville event page, so you can follow along with real-time stats, live commentary and event-related Podcasts.

Tweet, tweet: Be sure to follow the PBR on Twitter at www.twitter.com/teampbr.

Road to Vegas: All roads are leading to Las Vegas! At this time of the season, the PBR is all about the World Finals, which is Oct. 30 through Nov. 8. Call 866-PBR-SHOW for ticket information or log onto www.unlvtickets.com to order your tickets for what will be one of the tightest finishes for the world title.

Winter reading program: The PBR has released a new 176-page hardcover coffee table book, “The Official Guide to the Toughest Sport on Earth,” this month through Triumph Books.

The book is available wherever books are sold. It retails for $29.95, and will available at all PBR merchandise stands throughout the upcoming World Finals.

In fact, plans are in place for an official book launch signing featuring Flint Rasmussen. Other signings are also in the works with various bull riders competing at this year’s Finals. The book, which is illustrated with 211 full-color photos, was authored by Jeff Johnstone and Keith Ryan Cartwright. Ty Murray wrote the forward.

—by Keith Ryan Cartwright