<p>In this photo provided by the Las Vegas News Bureau, the Boys from Brazil sweep the PBR Finals for the second consecutive year, here Silvano Alves, from Pilar do Sul Brazil, receives the World PBR Overall Champion Trophy at the Thomas and Mack Arena in Las Vegas. In addition to the Championship Trophy Alves received a $1 million dollar bonus for achieving the highest combined points for the year. Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012.(AP Photo/Las Vegas News Bureau, Glenn Pinkerton)</p>

History was made in Las Vegas on Sunday as Brazils Silvano Alves became the first cowboy in history to win back-to-back world titles on the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series. Again, it came down to the final round.

For the first time, it wasnt between just a couple of guys, there were five guys in that final round that could have won the world title, said Keith Ryan Cartwright, senior writer for PBR.com. Alves edged countryman Ghuilherme Marchi, with L.J. Jenkins third. He won the $1 million bonus.

Another Brazilian bull rider rode his way into the spotlight last week at the world finals. Robson Palermo won the average and claimed the $250,00 top prize in Las Vegas for his efforts.

You got to hand it to this guy. Last year he won the average riding with a completely torn rotator cuff in the shoulder of his riding arm, Cartwright said. He comes back this year and tears the rotator cuff in his free arm and has to adjust his riding style, and literally days before the finals this year he dislocates his shoulder in his riding arm, and then in Round 2 he dislocates his knee cap and still rides five of six bulls.

Despite all that happened over six rounds of competition at the Thomas and Mack Center, Cartwright said there were really no surprises at the finals this year.

The top six competitors in the average are all from Brazil and nine of the top 15 in the championship round were Brazilian, he said.

That brings the questions of what happened to riders from the United States?

Well, they have thier work cut out for them, Cartwright said. Obviously, I like what I saw from Austin Meier. Weve always known that he is the grittiest, one of the toughest, a guy that is not held down by anything. This year he really showed a lot more technique in his riding. Either that or hes always had it and it is just now being noticed. I also like what L.J. Jenkins did this year.

The PBR opens the 2013 season Jan. 4-6, at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Former Blue Mountain Community College cowboy Dakota Eldridge continues his winning ways. The 21-year-old won the PRCA Resistol All-Around and Steer Wrestling Rookie of the Year awards this year and now he is winning money towards the 2013 season.

The Elko, Nevada, cowboy took the all-around title at the Grand National Rodeo, which concluded at the Cow Palace on Oct. 27, with earnings of $4,357.

Eldridge won the steer wrestling title with a time of 10.5 seconds on two head, and then split the calf roping title with Blake Hirdes, each posting times of 20.2 seconds.

Another Resistol Rookie of the Year winner, Spencer Wright, topped the field in the saddle bronc riding, winning the first round with an 88-point ride on Flying U Rodeos Last Call, sharing the second-round win with Elliot French (83 points apiece) to claim the two-head average title.

Other champions at the $68,414 rodeo were bareback rider Orin Larsen (161 points on two head), team ropers Clay White and John Chaves (5.5 seconds), bull rider Bobby Roberts (158 points on two head) and barrel racers Rachel Primm and Jaime Hinton (15.69 seconds each).

Butch Thurman has covered professional rodeo for 32 years. His email address is butch@rodeosportsupdate.com.