Countdown to 600: Marchi Picks Up Career Ride 593
By: Justin Felisko
March 11, 2017
Guilherme Marchi is now seven rides away from 600 in his career. Photo: Justin Felisko / PBR.com
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Here are three things we learned from the Bad Boy Mowdown this weekend at Verizon Arena.
Marchi seven rides away from 600 (3-11-17)
2008 World Champion Guilherme Marchi continued his pursuit of history by recording his 593rd ride on the Built Ford Tough Series.
The 34-year-old rode Glory Days for 84.25 points and finished 1-for-3 and tied for 14th place.
“Getting closer and closer,” Marchi said with a grin.
Marchi is now seven rides away from becoming the first rider in PBR history to reach 600 qualified rides.
The Leme, Brazil, bull rider was bucked off by Seven Dust (44.75 points) in a rank Built Ford Tough Championship Round that featured only one qualified ride – Derek Kolbaba’s 89.5-point ride on Cochise.
“Oh man, he felt like a tractor today,” Marchi said. “He was really strong. I sat back and he jerked me. He is a contender for World Champion Bull. He has been here for a couple years and only one rider rode him for 92 points. He is very strong and hard to ride.”
Marchi was competing in North Little Rock with tightness in his lower back.
“Last week on the last day, I felt sore before I got on St. Patty,” Marchi said. “I had been working out at home and I felt so tight on Tuesday and Wednesday. Yesterday I felt great, but today my lower back started feeling tight again.”
SweetPro’s Bruiser was the top-marked bull with a 46-point bull score by costing Joao Ricard Vieira the victory when he bucked off the veteran in 6.49 seconds on the final ride of the night.
Jared Allen’s Air Time was only marked 43.25 points, but he once again proved he has J.B. Mauney’s number by bucking off the two-time World Champion in 2.17 seconds.
Kolbaba wins second event of the season
Derek Kolbaba really despises the valleys that come with professional bull riding, but he sure dang likes it when the peaks come.
Kolbaba became the third rider this year to win multiple events by riding Cochise for 89.5 points during the championship round.
The 20-year-old then watched on as the next 11 riders, including local favorite Chase Outlaw, all bucked off.
“This is what we all live for,” Kolbaba said. “Riding bulls like that, that nobody else really wants. It is a dream come true riding at this level with these great riders.”
Kolbaba is the fourth rider in 24 outs to make 8 seconds on Cochise. Gene Owen and Jane Clark’s bovine athlete had bucked off 17 riders in a row on the BFTS.
The Walla Walla, Washington, bull rider entered the championship round in 12th place after riding Taboo for 84.5 points in Round 2.
He had previously been mired in a 1-for-15 slump prior to this weekend since riding Bruiser for a career-high 92 points to win in Oklahoma City in January.
“Man, it is not easy to just say, ‘Hell, I bucked off 10 bulls. It is time to pull it together,’” Kolbaba said. “It is just part of the sport. Everybody says it is 99 percent and it is the truth.”
Kolbaba joins world leader Eduardo Aparecido (3) and Jess Lockwood (2) as the only riders with multiple victories this season.
Vieira, Outlaw (1.77 seconds on Cut the Cord) and Silvano Alves (3.11 seconds on Jack Shot) all were a perfect 2-for-2 before bucking off in the championship round.
Vieira had won Round 2 with an 87-point ride on Legacy and finished in second-place with 370 world points. He moves to 12th in the world standings after beginning the event 21st in the world standings.
Outlaw picked up 280 world points for third-place and is No. 5 in the world standings, while Alves finished fourth with 138.3 world points.
Lawrence picks up major points to avoid BFTS cutline
Stetson Lawrence came up .26 seconds short of potentially claiming his first BFTS victory on Saturday night, but he did enough inside Verizon Arena to solidify himself another chance at earning a BFTS win in the coming weeks.
Lawrence rode Pick-It Construction’s Find Jesus for 86.5 points in Round 2 to propel himself to a season-best fifth-place finish and 125 world points.
It was a good showing from Lawrence as he moved to finish the ride a night after getting caught sitting on his pockets attempting to ride Dirt Man Do.
“I just had to get one that fit my style a little bit,” Lawrence said. “I had to get my confidence back and get one rode.”
The 28-year-old nearly won the event before bucking off BC Circular Insanity at the 7.74-second mark in the championship round.
Regardless, he leaves Arkansas ranked 24th in the world standings after beginning the weekend 33rd.
“You just have to stay focused and do your job,” Lawrence said. “I definitely pay attention to it a lot. I have to pick my game up a lot. I don’t let it bother me when I get here and I do my thing. Where I am in the standings shouldn’t change how I ride.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
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