Keeping up with the stats on almost every PBR bull is a full time job, and at times it can be pretty monotonous.
What keeps it interesting for me is finding new bulls that look like they might be something special, and following their careers as they get to the BFTS and beyond.
It's really a long hard journey for any bull and while there are a great many that start out with promising numbers, only a tiny percentage will go on to become statistically elite.
Elite bulls as I define them are bulls that have 45 or more career outs with a 45 or better career average mark or 75 or more career outs with a 44.5 or better career average mark.
Very few bulls will ever achieve these numbers.
They represent about 0.2% of all the bulls that have appeared anywhere in the last 6 years. Among these elite bulls are famous names like Little Yellow Jacket, Blueberry Wine, Kid Rock and Mossy Oak Mudslinger.
There are usually several bulls that are on pace to become statistically elite, but don't have enough outs yet and the majority of these candidates will never make it for one reason or another.
In Grand Rapids, one will: Copperhead Slinger.
He is only one out away and his out in Grand Rapids will put him over the top and into the statistically elite class of bulls where he will join his dad – Mossy Oak Mudslinger.
While Copperhead Slinger is putting an exclamation point on his career another up-and-comer is going to make his BFTS debut in Grand Rapids. Page's 10-5 Crosswired, a son of another elite bull, Crossfire Hurricane, has been out only 4 times in the lower level PBR events, but he's been noticed.
His average marking is 44.63 for those 4 outs and he's already faced two very competent riders in Matt Austin and Jordan Hupp.
In Grand Rapids he'll face another tough one – Kody Lostroh - and it will be interesting to see if he can make the transition to BFTS competition without losing his intensity.
Many young bulls who started out earning high marks on the lower tours have failed to carry it over to the BFTS with all the lights and noise.
I'll be rooting for this one, though.
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