Davis Wins 15/15 Bucking Battle in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas – 2016 PBR World Champion, and Texas native, Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas) owned the night in the Lone Star State’s capital after he won the 15/15 Bucking Battle at the Built Ford Tough Series Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic, presented by Frontier Communications, Saturday night at the Frank Erwin Center.

The reigning PBR World Champion dominated TLW’s Big Cat (TLW Bucking Bulls/Kuhn) for 91.75 points on the way to his second consecutive 15/15 Bucking Battle win. Davis career-high ride was only the second time a cowboy has covered TLW’s Big Cat on the BFTS, and it carried him to his BFTS-leading 10^th round win of the season.

The victory, and his second-place finish in Saturday’s Round 1, helped Davis continue his furious pursuit of the world No. 1 ranking by awarding him a total 210 world points and $10,250.

Davis now trails current world leader Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) by 429.17 points.

Pacheco, though, was quick to answer when he rode Udder Lover (D&H Cattle Co./Bob & Jeri Adams) for 90.5 points to finish second in the 15/15 Bucking Battle. Pacheco added a crucial 90 world points and $5,500 to help him fight off the hard-charging Davis for one more night.

Cody Nance (Paris, Tennessee) finished third in the 15/15 Bucking Battle after he rode Chocolate Shake (D&H Cattle Company) for 85.5 points Saturday night. For the finish, Nance took home 75 world points and $4,500.

Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil) finished fourth in the special round after covering Hurricane Hustler (D&H Cattle Co./01 Cattle/Barthold) for 80 points. Vieira pocketed 60 world points and $3,500 for the effort.

Fans can watch the 15/15 Bucking Battle exclusively on CBS national television at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday Sept. 17, check your local listings.

Meanwhile, Jess Lockwood (Volborg, Montana) won Round 1 of the Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic, presented by Frontier Communications, after a 90.25-point ride aboard Luke (Rocking I Rodeo Co). The ride was a bounce back performance that came just one week after Lockwood was injured in a wreck courtesy of SweetPro’s Bruiser (D&H Cattle Co./Buck Cattle Co.). It was also Lockwood’s second ride in his last four outs.

Lockwood snapped up 100 points toward the world standings and $3,580 for the win.

Davis, last weekend’s event winner in Springfield, Missouri, continued his second half run with a second-place finish in Round 1. Davis opened his weekend with a ride for the second week in a row after he covered El Guerrero (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) for 89.25 points.

Gage Gay (Staley, North Carolina) followed up with a third-place finish in Saturday night’s Round 1 after he rode DaNutso (D&H Cattle/Buck Cattle/Erwin Cattle) for 87.25 points. It was the second time in a row that Gay opened his weekend with a ride and it helped him net 50 points toward the world standings and a $2,000 paycheck.

Stetson Lawrence (Williston, North Dakota) rode his way to a fourth-place finish in Round 1 courtesy of an 86.75-point trip aboard Damn Frustrating (4G/Leschyshyn/Martinez Bucking Bulls). The ride was a bounce back for Lawrence, who was shutout last weekend in Springfield. For the effort, Lawrence took home 40 points toward the world standings and $1,300.

Chase Outlaw (Hamburg, Arkansas) rounded out the Top 5 Saturday when he rode Big City (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) for 80.5 points. The ride helped carry Outlaw to 30 world points and $850.

The Top 35 bull riders in the world will return one more time for Championship Sunday of the Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic, presented by Frontier Communications. Each rider will face one more bull in Round 1 before the Top 15 move on to the Built Ford Tough Championship Round where a winner will be crowned.

Championship Sunday from Austin will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on PBR LIVE and the PBR LIVE app. CBS Sports Network will also broadcast the final day of competition starting at 6 p.m. ET.

PBR Digital Editor Kristian Limas contributed to this report. 

Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series
15/15 Bucking Battle, Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic, presented by Frontier Communications
Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas
Event Leaders (Round 1-Event Aggregate-Event Points)

1. Cooper Davis, 91.75-91.75-150 Points.
2. Kaique Pacheco, 90.5-90.50-90 Points.
3. Cody Nance, 85.5-85.50-75 Points.
4. Joao Ricardo Vieira, 80-80.00-60 Points.
Eduardo Aparecido, 0-0.00
Jess Lockwood, 0-0.00
Derek Kolbaba, 0-0.00
Chase Outlaw, 0-0.00
Stormy Wing, 0-0.00
Cody Teel, 0-0.00
Rubens Barbosa, 0-0.00
Marco Antonio Eguchi, 0-0.00
Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-0.00
Stetson Lawrence, 0-0.00
Dener Barbosa, 0-0.00

Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series
Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic, presented Frontier Communications
Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)

1. Jess Lockwood, 90.25-0-0-90.25-100 Points.
2. Cooper Davis, 89.25-0-0-89.25-60 Points.
3. Gage Gay, 87.25-0-0-87.25-50 Points.
4. Stetson Lawrence, 86.75-0-0-86.75-40 Points.
5. Chase Outlaw, 86.5-0-0-86.50-30 Points.
6. Emilio Resende, 85.5-0-0-85.50-15 Points.
7. Dakota Buttar, 83.75-0-0-83.75-5 Points.
8. Eduardo Aparecido, 75.5-0-0-75.50
(tie). Ramon de Lima, 75.5-0-0-75.50
Kaique Pacheco, 0-0-0-0.00
Derek Kolbaba, 0-0-0-0.00
Stormy Wing, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Teel, 0-0-0-0.00
Joao Ricardo Vieira, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Nance, 0-0-0-0.00
Rubens Barbosa, 0-0-0-0.00
Marco Antonio Eguchi, 0-0-0-0.00
Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-0-0-0.00
Dener Barbosa, 0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0.00
Guilherme Marchi, 0-0-0-0.00
Luciano De Castro, 0-0-0-0.00
Mike Lee, 0-0-0-0.00
Brennon Eldred, 0-0-0-0.00
Troy Wilkinson, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Campbell, 0-0-0-0.00
Brock Radford, 0-0-0-0.00
J.W. Harris, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Rodeo Tyler, 0-0-0-0.00
Kurt Shephard, 0-0-0-0.00
Lachlan Richardson, 0-0-0-0.00
Luis Blanco, 0-0-0-0.00
Nathan Burtenshaw, 0-0-0-0.00
Jordan Hansen, 0-0-0-0.00
Robson Aragao, 0-0-0-0.00
Skeeter Kingsolver, 0-0-0-0.00