When I show up at a Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series show these days, I just never know what compelling story line to expect.
It can be a cowboy from a foreign country climbing onto the winner's stage. It can be a younger bull rider or an older cowboy. It can be a past World Champion. It can be a competitor with a great comeback story.
As the PBR celebrates its 15th season, the Built Ford Tough Series is producing tour stop winners with very diverse story lines. And that thought really struck me as I mulled over the list of winners from the past 22 BFTS tour stops in 2008.
Some examples:
Mike Lee. The 2004 World Champion from Decatur, Texas, won the season opener in Duluth, Ga., (on Dec. 30) and the latest tour stop in Dallas (June 22). He falls under the heading of popular former world champs in the spotlight, and fans witnessed a lot of that in Dallas. Chris Shivers, a two-time World Champion, finished third after being sidelined for two months with a head injury. Justin McBride, the defending World Champion who returned after being sidelined for seven months with a shoulder injury, finished seventh.
Two other examples of former World Champions winning a BFTS stop are Shivers at Tacoma, Wash. (March 15), and Adriano Moraes sharing the title at Rosemont, Ill. (April 26).
Back to Lee. I watched Lee grow up competing in junior rodeos in the Fort Worth area and then turning pro. He's a quieter cowboy with a strong Christian faith and amazing riding ability. It's hard to believe that Lee is only 25. He also represents a number of talented riders who generated headlines at 18 or 19, so when they're 25, 26, or 27, it seems like they've been around for the longest time.
Adriano Moraes. He falls under the heading of bull riders who can hold their own in world-class competition after 35. He's 38, and it's obviously a bigger challenge than ever to master the world's rankest bulls. That's one reason why I was glad to see Moraes in the winner's circle in Rosemont. Every sport has the older competitor who defies the odds, and Moraes, who announced that he will retire at the end of the season, is pro bull riding's elder statesman. His world title victories in 1994, 2001 and 2006 clearly represent finding ways to win in different stages of a career. Moraes' success has been the result of sticking with his Christian faith, staying in great physical shape and just having sheer determination.
Valdiron de Oliveira. He won the tour stops in New York (Jan. 6) and San Antonio (March 17) and he falls under the heading of Brazilian dominance. The Brazilians have won nine of 22 BFTS tour stops and they also win on the lower levels. Their success has been a huge topic this season. I write a syndicated column that runs in Texas newspapers and I recently spotlighted the success of the Brazilians on the week of May 19-25. It read as follows: "Last weekend, Brazilians won at the PBR's highest and lowest levels of competition. On the Built Ford Tough Series, Brazilian Valdiron de Oliveira, of Aparecida de Goiania, won the title at a top-tier tour stop in San Antonio, while his countryman and world title race leader, Guilherme Marchi of Leme, finished second. On the PBR's Discovery Tour, which is billed as the lowest of three levels in the PBR's minor-league system, Agnaldo Cardozo of Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Brazil, won the title in the East Texas town of Palestine."
Guilherme Marchi. He won back-to-back tour stops in Kansas City (March 9) and Portland (March 14) and has a commanding world title race lead. Marchi has been very close to winning the world title for the past three years. As a result, lots of fans are pulling for Marchi. He represents the cowboy who is World Champion caliber, but has yet to pull it off. McBride fell into that category before snaring his first of two world titles in 2005.
Brian Canter. The 21-year-old cowboy, who won in Omaha, Neb. (April 12), is from North Carolina and he represents the PBR's advances into the Eastern States. The PBR has numerous shows in the East, ranging from Baltimore, Md., to Worcester, Mass. to Winston-Salem. N.C., so fans should expect to see more high-profile competitors with residences in the Eastern States. The biggest role model is Jerome Davis who in 1995 became was the first champ to claim a residence East of the Mississippi when the North Carolina cowboy won a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association bull riding title. (At the time, the world's top riders were competing heavily in both the PRCA and PBR when the PBR was in its baby stages). When I wrote on Davis in the mid-1990s, it was clear that there were a lot of rodeos in the Eastern states, but most of them were minor league association shows. As a result, the Eastern portion of the United States didn't produce many world-class cowboys. But thanks to Davis' influence and the PBR's strong presence on the Eastern seaboard, there's a growing number of Easterners such as Canter and North Carolina's J.B. Mauney who win big money in the big leagues.
Travis Briscoe: After winning tour stops in Worcester (Jan. 13), Fresno, Calif. (Jan. 18), and Albany, N.Y. (Jan. 27), Briscoe's earnings in January surpassed $200,000. He represents the cowboy who gets on a roll and wins big money very fast. Briscoe's earnings in Fresno were $105,000.
L.J. Jenkins. At 20, he's won the PBR World Finals average title (2006) and more than $780,000 over the past three seasons. He represents the cowboy who springs from the high school circuits and wins big in the pro ranks. Jenkins won the tour stop in Albuquerque, N.M. (March 30). Today, there are several early 20s cowboys such as Jenkins, Briscoe, Mauney and Kody Lostroh who win big.
Zack Brown: He represents the cowboy who makes an amazing comeback. In 2005, Brown said he would retire after receiving internal injuries while competing in Billings, Mont. But he managed to recover and return to Billings this year and struck a chord with fans when he won the title (April 20) after making a rough ride on his final round bull.
With all that in mind, what's your favorite story line from the 2008 Built Ford Tough Series?
Then the next year Adriano trying so hard with Justin McBride ending up winning.
Then in 2006 Adriano struggling so hard and eveyone saying he was too old and he should retire. This great champion bull rider just kept trying and before our eyes he won for the third time fighting off the pain, a lot of people saying he should retire and the great competition. He went to his family in the stands and had them around him celebrating with him with such happiness after his last ride. He overcame all adversities showing that it can be done.
To me there has never been a moment where it showed more that with the love of God, family and the sport that you can accomplish your desires.
In 2005 Adriano is not as high up in the ratings and Justin McBride wins by barely hanging on to the side of the bull with his bull rope over Guilherme Marchi.
Then in 2006 going into the World Championships many announcers had made comments all year about when was he going to retire and why he didn't before he was not able to ride good anymore. His fans had to listen to that most of the year. Even at one of his interviews you could since the signs of his frustration in what he was hearing (I know because I have the tape). For a fan this was disheartening to hear it in the tone of his voice. He went into the finals in fourth place. Next to the last day he had bad back spasms. Everyone except some of his best fans thought he was out of the race. He comes back the next day and rides his last bull. 93 points he gets for the ride. Even before he hears the score he runs up to his family to celebrate his ride and to be around all of his family and fans. This great Three Time World Champion never gave up and overcame the pain and with his faith in God, his family and great determination and passion for the sport won the title again for the third time.
To me that is by far the greatest come back story of all time. Nobody thought at 36 that it was possible to win for the third time the World Championship. I just feel lucky to have had the the pleasure of watching this great bull rider excel at this sport and now be such a great ambassador to the sport. He is retiring this year at 38. He is a little further down in the ratings but I guarantee it is not over. We are in for some more great rides from this great Champion.