BILLINGS, Mont. – Travel issues are leading to some shuffling for this weekend’s Stanley Performance in Action Invitational at RimRock Auto Arena.
Stormy Wing was unable to make it out of Amarillo, Texas, on Friday morning because of weather-related travel issues and instead of arriving on Saturday, the Dalhart, Texas, bull rider is taking the weekend off to rest his sprained left MCL.
According to the PBR competition department, Lachlan Richardson has replaced Wing in the draw this weekend. It will be an opportunity for the bull rider tied for 38th in the world with Tyler Harr to try and make up ground in the standings after originally thinking he was cut for the weekend.
Richardson trails No. 30 Rubens Barbosa for the last guaranteed spot in BFTS draws by 121.25 points.
The 22-year-old takes on Proper Ripped (0-0, BFTS) in Round 1 and Slinger Jr (4-0, BFTS) in Round 2.
Barbosa has drawn Raven Flyer (22-2, BFTS) and Cash Ya Out (4-6, BFTS).
Wing was not the only rider to experience travel issues as of Friday morning. Ryan Dirteater is going to miss Round 1 and get a zero because of flight issues in Oklahoma City and Denver.
Dirteater is expected to make it to Billings for his second-round matchup against Little Brother (0-0, BFTS).
Richardson is one of eight alternates: Douglas Duncan (-22.5 points back of Barbosa); Robson Aragao (-43.75); Claudio Crisostomo (-61.25); Sean Willingham (-66.25); Bryan Titman (-76.25); Gage Gay (-106.25) and Tyler Harr (-121.25).
Robson Palermo is returning this weekend after spending the last two months competing on the BlueDEF Velocity Tour and Touring Pro Division. Palermo is in the draw because of his BlueDEF Velocity Tour event win in Wheeling, West Virginia, last month.
He is tied for 45th in the world standings with Marco Eguchi and trails Barbosa by 163.75 points.
Palermo will try to make 8 seconds on Smoked Out (0-0, BFTS) and You’re A Daisy If You Do (4-1, BFTS).
World leader Joao Ricardo Vieira will attempt to build on his 295-point lead in a first-round matchup against Nearly Departed (0-0, BFTS). He will then face Helter Skelter (0-2, BFTS) on Saturday night.
Reese Cates has the only rematch in Round 1 and takes on Good Cop after being bucked off by the bovine in 7.5 seconds in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
There will be three rematches in Round 2: Douglas Duncan vs. Donardo, Fabiano Vieira vs. Cowboy Up and Kasey Hayes vs. Dollar Hunt.
Hayes is the only rider to have successfully ridden his rematch bull. The Liberal, Kansas, native rode Dollar Hunt for 82.5 points in Pueblo, Colorado, at the 2012 BFTS event. He was bucked off by Dollar Hunt in 2.56 seconds at the Ariat Invitational (Oakland, California) in 2013.
There are four riders within the Top 30 of world standings out because of injuries: Silvano Alves (fractured hip); J.B. Mauney (torn ACL); Chase Outlaw (right shoulder dislocation/torn rotator cuff) and L.J. Jenkins (broken neck, C1).
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