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From PBRNow.com

Palermo wins Round 3, guns for a second consecutive PBR World Finals event title

LAS VEGAS - Move over Wayne Newton. Robson Palermo just might be staking a claim to the name “Mr. Las Vegas.”

Palermo, a 26-year-old cowboy from Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil, won the third round of the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough World Finals on Sunday with a 92.25-point ride on Black Pearl of Ravenscroft/Boyd & Floyd Bull Co.

It not only earned him $25,000 for the round win, but also kept him in position to make history – the first man to ever win the average at the PBR World Finals in consecutive years.

Last year, he covered 7 of his 8 bulls to win the event title and $320,000. This year, he has covered all three of his bulls so far.

“I love coming over here,” said Palermo, who grew up in the jungle region of Brazil and became interested in bull riding by watching it on television. “I told my wife, this is my town. Every time I come over here, I feel more strong. Last year I bucked off one bull and this year, I try to stay on all my bulls.”

Sunday’s round featured the top 3- and 4-year-old bulls from the ABBI. Because the young bulls have only a handful of trips on the Built Ford Tough Series this season, most of the riders had never had a chance to get on them before. Palermo, for example, had never been on Black Pearl and had wanted to select a different bull in the draft for Sunday’s round. He said stock contractor Chad Berger talked him into Black Pearl.

“I wanted to pick the bull that J.B. (Mauney) rode, Crossfire, but Chad Berger told me, pick this bull (Black Pearl) and you will get more score, so I picked him and I won the round,” Palermo said.

Palermo’s three-round total of 266.75 points puts him into second place in the event standings, behind Mauney, who scored 88 points on the bull Black Smoke to bring his three-round total to 269 points. Mauney’s original bull, Crossfire, bucked him off, but also stumbled during their ride and the Mooresville, N.C., cowboy was awarded a reride by the judges.

World standings leader Kody Lostroh of Longmont, Colo., finished second in the round, riding Copp Hou of Lightning C Cattle Company for 91 points. The ride not only earned Lostroh $18,000, but also stretched his lead over Mauney to 429.25 points in the race for the PBR world title.

Lostroh, who has ridden all three of his bulls and is fourth in the average behind Mauney, Palermo and Brazilian Valdiron de Oliveira, said he isn’t thinking about the title race.

“The race is for the judges to figure out,” he said. “My job is to ride my bulls.”

Lostroh, who has maintained his lead atop the world standings virtually all season despite battling elbow and shoulder problems, said he is feeling good.

“I feel pretty darned good,” Lostroh said. “God has really given me strength to get through the elbow deal and everything. Other than just stuff that has just hurt all year, nothing is new, so I’m just going along with it and having fun.”

Brazilian riders captured four of the top five spots in Sunday’s round.

Thiago Paguioto, who qualified for the World Finals by winning five PBR International events in Brazil, finished third with an 89.75-point ride on Bushwacker of Julio Moreno/Richard Oliveria Bucking Bulls, good for $12,000. Edimundo Gomes of Brazil was fourth with an 89.25-point ride on the bull Moon of Homestead Genetics, winning $10,000.

De Oliviera, of Aparecida de Goiania, Brazil, finished fifth in the round and took home $5,000 after marking 89.25 points on the bull Deja Blue of Teague Bucking Bulls.

In all, 17 riders made qualified rides on Sunday. The riders now have a three-day break before the World Finals resume on Thursday.

-By Guy Clifton
ESPN.com