Childhood friends tie for first on night when bulls rule
The theme song to “Mission: Impossible,” which was played after the last bullrider had been bucked off Saturday night, would have been an odd musical selection for a rodeo atmosphere in almost any other setting.
But following the Professional Bull Riders’ Touring Pro Division event at Bolado Park, it was wildly appropriate. For the second straight year, the meanest bulls in the business flexed their collective might and proved — in Saturday’s short round, at least — to be an impossible ride.
“Everyone wants to see a guy stay on,” said Australia native and Hollister resident Brendon Clark. “But in the PBR, it’s the best bulls.”
And for the majority of the bullriders present Saturday night — roughly 34 in all — getting bucked off was the norm. Only five riders lasted eight seconds during the event’s long go-round, while nobody lasted in the short round, meaning the five qualifying scores held as the night’s final standings.
Traveling partners and childhood friends Dylan Hice and Bobby Roberts shared the top prize after each recorded a qualifying score of 88.5 points Saturday, and as a result walked away with more than $4,200 apiece.
“If I had to split it, what better person to split it with?” said Hice, 19, who grew up with Roberts and has known the Visalia cowboy for roughly 12 to 13 years.
At the end of the night, Hice, of Escalon, flipped a coin with Roberts to see who would claim the buckle, and who would be the owner of a new jacket and suitcase.
Roberts, 22, won the buckle.
“I feel great,” Roberts said of the win, his first on the PBR tour. The Visalia cowboy said he was not surprised to see so few riders last the required eight seconds during the short round, though, which took the top 15 from the long go and featured the event’s best bulls.
“In the short round, the bulls are better,” said Roberts, noting the bucking prowess of Soulja Boy, Yellow Jacket Jr. and Big Tex. “For none of us to ride in the short round, that’s likely to happen.
“It’s hard.”
It was a similar case last year as well. After three riders posted qualifying scores in the long round, only one rider — Shane Proctor of Mooresville, N.C. — lasted the required eight seconds in the short go. His 88.5-point ride was the best of the night, and he was awarded the event’s top prize as a result.
“They bring such good bulls here, every year,” said Cody Campbell of Summerville, Ore.
Each of the 14 bulls in Saturday’s short round belonged to Chad Berger, while one, Squaws Dream, was owned by Naccarato Bucking Bulls.
“And the bulls were outstanding,” added Campbell, who narrowly placed third overall Saturday after recording a score of 85 points in the long round.
He was bucked off by “Mo” during the short round, however.
“Chad Berger had the rankest bulls in the short round, and Naccarato’s bulls were just as good,” said Campbell, who earned more than $2,100 with the top-three standing. “A lot of those bulls are what we see on the Built Ford Tough tour.”
Saturday’s event was part of the Touring Pro Division, which is a minor league tour of the PBR featuring an array of up-and-coming talent mixed alongside some more established riders, all of whom are trying to earn enough money to qualify toward the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS).
Campbell is 26th on the BFTS standings.
Being bucked off in the short round would leave most cowboys disappointed and out of the money. But after each of the other 14 riders failed to do the same Saturday, Campbell was pleased with his money-making night.
“I’m happy with it, but I wish I rode in the final round,” he said. “You’ve got to take what you get and run with it.”
Troy Jensen of Lodi rode to a score of 79 in the long round and finished in fourth place as a result, and acquired more than $1,300 in prize money as well, while Jose Garcia’s 69 during the long round was good enough for fifth place when everything was said and done.
With only five cowboys recording scores during the earlier round, though, organizers were forced to conduct a draw to fill out the remaining 10 spots for the final round.
“Lucky for me,” said Clark, who was bucked off during the long round but was drawn back to the final, nonetheless. Ranked 39th on the BFTS standings, and already a qualifier toward the PBR World Finals in October, Clark was looking to make up ground during the long go when he drew “My Space,” which has an average ride score of 86.58 points this season.
“I was real happy with the bull I had, but my hand came out of the rope,” Clark said. “But no excuses.
“You make a little mistake on the caliber of bulls that are here, you’re gonna get bucked off.”
