World Champion Bucking Bull

2020 WORLD CHAMPION BUCKING BULL CONTENDERS

By Kelly B. Robbins

2020 has certainly been a different and difficult year. The Covid-19 virus has caused a major shift in what we have always called “normal”. People and businesses have been affected all over the world. During this time, we have all had to change how we do things. New ways to do things differently and safely have been researched and successfully implemented. This was true for the PBR as well.

Basically, the country and the world have been in lockdown, waiting for government restrictions to be gradually lifted, so planning could begin on how to move forward into the immediate future. Even when plans and schedules were set, adjustments had to be made based on ever-changing Covid-19 restrictions.

The PBR’s impressive history of innovation was highlighted again when they became the first professional sport to hold a live sporting event. The PBR Unleash the Beast Las Vegas Invitational presented by Union Home Mortgage was held at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma on April 25 and 26. This gave the top bull riders from around the world, the top stock contractors, and the top bovine athletes the opportunity to get back to work and compete in a live sporting event, even though it was without fans present and in front of a television there WILL be a 2020 PBR World Finals Championship this November 12-15, where they will crown the 2020 PBR Champion Bull Rider, the 2020 PBR Yeti Champion Bull of the Year, and the 2020 PBR Stock Contractor of the Year. But as we explained, adjustments have had to be made due to the Covid-19 restrictions. The PBR World Finals has moved from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL Dallas Cowboys!

The chaos and uncertainty of this year doesn’t seem to have affected the bovine athletes of the PBR. These amazing bucking bulls did not miss a beat as they returned to action, bucking and snorting their way towards the PBR Finals.

As of this writing, D&H Cattle Company’s 43C Chiseled is currently in first place, with a world average bull score of 46.06. There are then eight bulls with average scores within one point of Chiseled’s average. Second place is held by 2019 and reigning PBR World Champion bull, 001 Smooth Operator, owned by Chad Berger, with a world average score of 46.03. 501 Air Support, the son of the legendary Air Time, holds an honorary position in third place. This amazing bull, owned by Braun Bucking Bulls, was in first place back in April with a world bull score average of 45.75, when he suddenly passed away from a brain embolism.

Currently residing in fourth place is 561C Hocus Pocus, another D&H Cattle Company championship contending bull. His world average bull score is 45.41. Fifth place is held by Hart Cattle Company’s I’m Legit Too, with an average world score of 45.34. Sixth place was just given to Halpain Bucking Bulls ABBI Classic Bull Dodge 6117 after he bucked off the current PBR number one World Champion contender, Jose Vitor Leme, in 2.16 seconds last Saturday in Tulsa at the PBR Express Ranches Classic at the BOK Center, for a bull score of 45.25. His world average bull score is 45.25. He will not be eligible to compete for the championship, as he only has one recorded out, but he won the ABBI Tulsa Classic Championship with a score of 91.2 points.

Hart Cattle Company’s 44A Smooth Over sits in seventh place, with an average world score of 45.19. D&H Cattle Company’s three-time PBR World Champion Bull 32Y SweetPro’s Bruiser is in eighth, with an average world score of 44.88. Cord McCoy’s 442 Blue Crush moved into ninth place after he dispatched Cody Nance in 2.51 seconds during the championship round at the Smooth Operator BOK Center in Tulsa last Sunday, for a bull score of 46 points! Hart Cattle Company’s 08B Hostage is in tenth, with an average world score of 44.78

Slade Long of Probullstats.com commented, “Whichever bull is best in the Finals, and doesn’t make any mistakes, will win the championship. The top seven or so bulls all have a chance to win it. Many folks look at it like the bulls have two outs to score well in the Finals. I think they have two opportunities to screw up! If they have a foul or a re-ride, or score under 45 points, they are out of it! The Finals is the biggest part. Bad outs mean everything at the Finals.”

Slade went on to share, “I think Chiseled has the best chance to win it this year. He has consistently scored 45 or above all year. The edge he has is that he scores 45 or above even when he has been ridden to the buzzer. Smooth Operator is still in contention, but he had a bad out last weekend in Lincoln, where Brennan Eldred rode him for 86.50 points and his bull score was only 42.75. That won’t hurt his average now, but that kind of an out in the Finals would put him out of it. He’s an older bull and I am concerned that he may be losing steam at the wrong time.”

Let’s take a look at the top five bulls contending for this year’s championship:

Chiseled

Photo by Andy Watson / BullStock Media

#1- CHISELED- D&H Cattle Company/ Flinn 46.06 World bull score average. 71.43% Buck Off Percentage. Average Ride score of 91.72. 2019 ABBI Classic Champion. “Chiseled is in a good position right now,” explained owner HD Page of D&H Cattle Company. “But his timing has been a little off, and he’s been kicking the back of the chute with his hind legs when he jumps out. He’s a little sore there. We’re going to keep him out of the Tulsa event this weekend. There are so many variables going into the Finals. It’s anybody’s ball game.” Jose Vitor Leme rode Chiseled in Salt Lake City in August for a ride score of 94, and Chiseled’s bull score was 46.50! At last year’s Finals, Rubens Barbosa rode Chiseled for an amazing 95.75 ride score and his bull score was 47! It was the highest ranked ride score at the PBR World Finals, and the 4th highest bull score ever at the Finals.

Smooth Operator

Photo by Andy Watson / BullStock Media

#2- SMOOTH OPERATOR- Dakota Rodeo/ Chad Berger/ Julie Rosen/ Clay Struve 46.03 World bull score average. 92.04% Buck Off Percentage. Average Ride score of 90.22. Smooth Operator is the 2019 PBR Yeti World Champion Bull and current reigning champion. Jose Vitor Leme rode Smooth Operator in Billings in September for a whopping 94.25 score. His bull score was 46.50! After Smooth Operator won the championship last year, owner, current reigning and nine-time PBR Stock Contractor of the Year Chad Berger told me that he planned to have Smooth Operator buck again this year. “My plan is to buck him next year,” Chad revealed last November. “He loves what he does, and I’m going to let him buck. But if he ever gets to where he’s not at 100%, I’ll pull him out.” I was unable to reach Chad for this article, but even though Smooth Operator had a sub-par out last week in Lincoln, he has had more rest than usual this year because of the pandemic. Justin Felisko, premier writer for the PBR, tweeted that Smooth Operator would not compete at Tulsa this past weekend.

Hocus Pocus

Photo by Andy Watson / BullStock Media

#3- HOCUS POCUS- D&H Cattle Company/ Barthold/ Kuhn/ Almand. 45.41 World bull score average. 87.1% Buck Off Percentage. Average Ride score of 90.31. 2018 ABBI Classic Champion. “Hocus Pocus has a big, blowing jump kick out of the chute,” owner HD Page shared. “But in Lincoln, he seemed to weaken at the end of the ride. I’m glad that happened after the buzzer! Almost every bull will come on strong right out of the chute. It’s not the first four seconds, but the last four seconds that make the difference. They have to finish strong. I think Hocus Pocus has a shot at the championship.” 2016 PBR World Champion Cooper Davis rode Hocus Pocus in Lincoln for 92.25 points and the event win! Hocus Pocus had a bull score of 44.75. Leading the event at the PBR Express Ranches Classic at the BOK Center last Sunday, Cooper again chose Hocus Pocus for the championship round. Hocus Pocus ended his chance for a win by dumping Cooper in 2.33 seconds, and a bull score of 45.25 points.

I'm Legit Too

Photo by Andy Watson / BullStock Media

#4- I’M LEGIT TOO- Hart Cattle Company/ David Hale 45.34 World bull score average. 75.86% Buck Off Percentage. Average Ride score of 88.11. “I think it’s a coin toss between Chiseled and Smooth Operator for the championship this year,” JW Hart of Hart Cattle Company speculated. “Something out of the norm will have to happen for I’m Legit Too to win it this year. I really think that he will have a good shot at the championship next year.” Boudreaux Campbell rode I’m Legit Too for 91.75 points in Lincoln. The bull score was 44.75. I’m Legit Too bucked off two-time PBR World Champion JB Mauney in 4.34 seconds at the PBR Express Ranches Classic at the BOK Center in Tulsa last Sunday, for a bull score of 45 points.

Smooth Over

Photo by Andy Watson / BullStock Media

#5- SMOOTH OVER- Hart Cattle Company/ GT Bucking Bulls 45.19 World bull score average. 80% Buck Off Percentage. Average Ride score of 85.98. “Smooth Over is as good as any of the top contenders,” JW Hart said. “He will have to draw just right at the Finals to have any kind of a chance. We will probably have four bulls in the top ten this year, and they should all have a good shot next year. The bulls that have the best shot will depend on the best riders drawn at the Finals.” Smooth Over dumped Taylor Toves in Lincoln in 1.46 seconds, for a bull score of 45.25. Smooth Over bested Andrew Alvidrez in Guthrie, Oklahoma last May in 4.34 seconds for a huge bull score of 47.50!

So the fun continues as we cheer on our favorite bovine contenders and look towards the PBR World Finals in Arlington, Texas, November 12-15. JW Hart summed it up: “I hope all the bulls stay healthy and have a great Finals. May the best bull win!”