McBride re-writes PBR record books

Published 8:27 am Thursday, June 28, 2007

DALLAS – Justin McBride has re-written the PBR record books. The Elk City, Okla., bull rider topped the field at Dallas Sunday, the 20th stop on the Built Ford Tough Series Tour, to win a PBR-record seventh event title in a single season. The 2005 World Champion turned in a three-round score of 262 points at American Airlines Center.

“It feels really good you know,” he said. “Anytime you can break any kind of record, that’s a good feeling.”

McBride broke the season event wins record set in 1999 by Cody Hart of Gainesville, Texas, who claimed the world title that year. In 2005 McBride tied the previous record on his way to his PBR World Championship title that year.

McBride said that he didn’t feel any added pressure – knowing that he was closing in on the record.

“I think just getting on a bull is about all the pressure that you need whether there’s a record at stake or not,” McBride said.

McBride finished third in the first round at Dallas with 86.75 points aboard Frontier and Teague Bucking Bulls’ Here’s Your Sign. He dominated the competition on Sunday afternoon when he went into the Built Ford Tough Championship Round leading the field of outstanding bull riders. McBride covered the previously unridden Dreamin owned by Davis/White in the final round for 88.5 points and claimed the event championship.

“I drew really good bulls this weekend,” McBride said. “They were just really good, solid bulls, all three of them.”

McBride credited Cody Lambert for setting a good pen in Dallas.

“I think what makes his job so tough here is picking out which ones as there are so many good bulls here.”

With McBride’s 29th career event win he moved even closer to taking over the lead for career event wins from three-time and current PBR World Champion Adriano Moraes of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Moraes has 33 event championships on his resume.

“It’s been a good year so far,” McBride said. “Hopefully, we can finish it out just as strong.”

It’s been an exciting race for the top spot this year. McBride continues to extend his lead over his closest competitor, J.B. Mauney of Mooresville, NC, who trails McBride by 1,434.5 points.

NOTES: The 88th annual Reno Rodeo paid out $539,224 in prize money as it closed out Sunday.

The big money winner at this year’s rodeo was Wesley Silcox, from Payson, Utah. Silcox earned $15,934 and the bull riding title after a 90-point ride on Big Bend Rodeo’s Rapid Reloader on Saturday night. Add that to his $13,262 he won at the Xtreme Bulls event here on June 14th and Silcox had a total take of $28,146 from this year’s Reno Rodeo.

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Butch Thurman has covered professional rodeo for 27 years. His e-mail address is butch@rodeosportsupdate.com