The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) rang in the first weekend of the New Year by competing in the Built Ford Tough Series Baltimore Invitational. The CLN, Ak-Chin Indian Community and Earnhardt Auto Centers Road Team made their way to the two-day event, taking place at the Royal Farms Arena. This was the eight time that the city hosted the competition that brought together 35 of the top bull riders from around the country.
Each cowboy was given the chance to sit astride a massively muscled bovine in hopes of demonstrating their endurance and skill as the bulls furiously protested riders and gear through bucking, jumping and twisting motions. Under these circumstances, eight seconds might seem like an eternity. Each ride was judged and points awarded as each athlete vied for a share of the $140,000 purse and the opportunity to eventually gain the title of 2015 PBR World Champion.
CLN’s Danny O’Donnell with Reece Cates the winner of PBR Baltimore 2015
The format of the event involved Professional Bull Riders (PBR) competing in two rounds held on the first Friday and Saturday. Random computerized draws assigned each rider to a bull. At the end of the first two rounds, the top 15 scorers advanced to the finals. Each was then given the chance to ride another bull. The cowboy earning the most points during the three rounds was deemed the winner of the competition.
When the event was last held in Baltimore in 2012, J.B. Mauney walked away as the champion. He returned in hopes of retaining his title. Other past PBR Professional Bull Riders holding the title included Silvano Alves, Renato Nunes, Kody Lostroh, Guilherme Marchi and Mike Lee. Alves holds three championship titles from 2011, 2012 and 2014. The athletes were joined by the 2014 PBR Rookie of the Year J.W. Harris.
“In 2015, a new point system was be adopted to reward bull riders who perform at the highest level both within individual events and throughout the season. The scoring system will be applied consistently throughout the world with all points earned by PBR bull riders counting toward the PBR world standings. PBR’s premier Built Ford Tough Series offers the most points available to bull riders, followed by the BlueDEF Velocity Tour and major international events, the Touring Pro Division and second-level international events.” -PBR.com
A number of riders entered the event after recuperating from various injuries. Shane Proctor previously suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery. Reese Cates is another veteran who hoped to at least maintain his top 35 ranking following previous injuries. In the end, Reese Cates walked away the winner with 540 points and $35,705. Kasey Hayes won second place with 400 points and was awarded $20,350. Silvano Alves came in third with a score of 270 and winnings of $12,850.
Baltimore was the first of 27 different cities set to host the 2015 PBR Built Ford Tough Series. The next event is scheduled to take place in Chicago at the All-State Arena on January 10. The finals will occur in Las Vegas during the third week of October when one of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) becomes the champion and walks away with the $10,000 belt buckle and a $1,000,000 prize.
2015 BFTS World Standings (Top 5 Riders)
|
Average |
Rider |
Points |
Total Money (USD) |
Profile Picture |
|
1 |
Reese Cates |
540 |
$35,705.00 |
 |
|
2 |
Kasey Heyes |
400 |
$20,350.00 |
 |
|
3 |
Silvano Alves |
270 |
$13,375.00 |
 |
|
4 |
Ryan Dirteater |
185 |
$7,585.00 |
 |
|
5 |
Cody Nance |
155 |
$8,050.00 |
 |
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