Revisiting the 90s in 2008

When I began covering pro rodeo in the mid 1980s, a score in the 90s was as rare as a no-hitter in baseball. It might even generate a story in a national western publication.

But times have changed, and these days it seems as if 90s are falling like rain. Last year, fans saw 73 rides in the 90s on the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series during the regular season and the World Finals in Las Vegas.

After last weekend's tour stop in Billings, Mont., the number for 2008 has risen to 88. With 16 of the 33 events remaining, the series is just about on pace to break the record of 179 scores in the 90s set in 2001.

The reason for the abundance of high scores is simple: The PBR has gone to great lengths to match the world's top riders against the toughest bulls around.

But there is occasionally criticism that the PBR is giving away 90s.

Critics claim the high scores happen way more often in the PBR because the association is emphatic about promoting its heavyweight matchups between great riders and all but unridable bulls.

I'm a former bull rider, and I can usually discern the difference between a bull being difficult to ride and one that only appears difficult. And the 90s that I've witnessed appear to be marks for standout rides.

In fact, when I see a rider conquer a bull for what looks like a score in the 90s, I'm rooting for the judges to mark him accordingly, because I remember the day when officials did not loosen up their spread of points as much as they should have.

Anyone who has been around bull riding and rodeos for a long time should understand that the PBR has created a format that in itself has the potential to generate lots of 90s. And fans are witnessing a generation of abundantly talented bull riders, such as Luke Snyder, who was marked in the 90s three times on his way to winning the Nampa, Idaho, tour stop, and Travis Briscoe, who scored a 95 aboard Copperhead Slinger in Worcester, Mass., en route to earning more than $200,000 throughout the month of January.

There's also a talented bunch of Brazilians such as Renato Nunes, who scored 95.75 on Chicken on a Chain, the PBR's top bull in 2007, at the St. Louis tour stop in February.

"Used to, there were only a handful of guys such as Chris Shivers, Adriano Moraes and Justin McBride who stayed on the 90-point bulls," said Jim Bob Custer, who helps judge many PBR shows. "But now, there's so much more younger talent out there that can do it.

"Today, the younger guys are stepping up to the plate and making the 90-pointers happen."

Custer has heard the criticism that judges have been loose with their scoring, but he stands by his scores and those of colleagues.

"We've had a lot of feedback from people who say that we're padding the scores and we're not," Custer said. "It still takes a special ride to be in the 90s."

Jay Daugherty, the PBR's vice president of event tours, said judges are doing a commendable job showing objectivity.

"Judges are not giving (90-plus) scores away," Daugherty said. "And I don't think they are influenced by the crowd. I think they are looking at the bull, they are looking at the rider and they can see that it's a 90-point ride."

Daugherty said there's a greater pool of rank bulls on the tour than ever, and that also has to be a factor in the higher scores. Since its first title race in 1994, the PBR has placed a high premium on recruiting tough bulls for its top-tier tour, and in turn contractors are working harder than ever to produce bulls that can buck riders into the 90s.

Moraes, a three-time World Champion, said bulls are faster and bucking harder than they did when the tour was in its early stages. "The bulls were a little bigger and slower," said Moraes, a Brazilian who won titles in 1994, 2001 and 2006. "The bulls (now) are a little smaller, but much faster and also much stronger. They have a great combination of strength and agility."

Cody Lambert, a National Finals Rodeo qualifier in the late 80s and early 90s, is the longtime PBR livestock director. He said judges were more conservative two decades ago and worked within a lower and narrower point spread.

"Back in the old days, when rodeos were not on television as much, judges said to themselves that as long as they got the placings right, who cares if a 74 wins?" Lambert said. "Now, we place more of an importance of letting people know when they see greatness.

"I only had four rides in the 90s in my entire career, and today, bull riders have four in a month."

Longtime stock contractor Bennie Beutler said he encourages judges to loosen up and credit riders with more 90s when they earn them.

"It's like I ask the judges, 'What are you saving those points for? You don't take them to the bank,' " Beutler said. "I say, 'When they ride one of those rank bulls or horses, why not give them credit for it?' It just helps everybody -- the PBR and the whole sport because people like to see riders scored in the 90s."

Randy Bernard, the PBR's chief executive officer, said fans want to see riders reach the 90s.

"It's like if I go to a NASCAR race, I not only want to see a wreck, but I also want to see great racing," Bernard said. "If I go to a football game, I don't want to see a 0-0 score in the fourth quarter, I want to see a score of 36-28 or something like that. If I go to a baseball game, I want to see a home run. I like to see great offenses, and that's what you have when you get a cowboy riding a bull for 90 points. It's like you're watching another home run."

Here are questions for you, the fans:

1. How do you feel about the abundance of 90-point rides?

2. Why do you think that the 2008 Built Ford Tough Series in now featuring so many 90-point rides?

3. What's your most memorable 90-plus ride?

4. What can PBR organizers do to make sure that a cowboy is scored in the 90s when he really earns it, but deny a rider of being marked in the 90s when the ride apparently falls short?