First Half Recap: Dirteater Rises in Phoenix; Lowe Breaks Through

PUEBLO, Colo. – Now that summer has arrived and we’re that much close to the start of the second half of the Built Ford Tough Series in Nashville, PBR.com wants to take you back and look at the first half of the season.

Phoenix: Ryan Dirteater used a perfect 3-for-3 performance to win the Ak-Chin Invitational in Phoenix. The win was his first BFTS event win since 2011 and was the start of a resurgence for the Hulbert, Oklahoma, bull rider. Dirteater secured the win with an 87.25-point ride on Cooper Tires Brown Sugar in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round.

“It’s been a long time,” Dirteater said. “It is unbelievable. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I know it is a great feeling. Anything is possible. I have had my ups and downs in my career, but if you work at it and give it 100 percent, and you really want it bad enough, you are going to get it.”

Duluth: Canadian cowboy Tanner Byrne was the man in Duluth, after a 3-for-3 showing earned him his second Built Ford Tough Series victory. His highest scored ride of the weekend was an 87.5-point trip on Cracker Jack in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round. Though he finished second in the round, his three rides gave him the lead in the event average and the title.

“I was making some crazy moves,” Byrne said. “That is definitely up there as a really solid ride. Bull was really good. There were many times I was bucked off and I just kind of let it all hang out and kicked both of my feet loose. Luckily I got back to the middle. That definitely ranks up there. It wasn’t my highest score, but it was one of those cooler moments getting the win with 1 second on the (chute) clock and all my buddies cheering.”

Albuquerque: The 20^th Ty Murray Invitational was another classic at WisePies Arena, aka The Pit. The Built Ford Tough Championship Round featured two 90-point rides, including Cooper Davis’ masterful 91.5 effort on Crossfire, but it was Mason Lowe’s 90-point ride on Brutus that pushed him ahead of the pack and earned him his first career Built Ford Tough Series event win.

“Finally,” Lowe said with a smile. “I finally got the win.

“I was sitting there by the fence with one guy left to ride, and it was Stetson (Lawrence) on Bruiser and I figured he would ride him. I didn’t want to put my chips in the basket yet. When he got bucked off it was a sigh of relief, I guess.”

CHECK OUT THE REST OF OUR FIRST HALF RECAPS

–Part 1

–Part 2

–Part 3

–Part 4