Gay Continues Roller Coaster Start to 2016
By: Justin Felisko
February 12, 2016
Gage Gay rides I’m Trouble for 87.75 points in Round 1. Photo by Andy Watson / BullStockMedia.com.
ST. LOUIS – Here are three things we learned from Round 1 of the Bass Pro Chute Out, presented by Cooper Tires, on Friday night at Scottrade Center.
Gay continues roller coaster start to 2016
Gage Gay’s start to the season fits in par with how he is feeling this weekend in St. Louis.
Gay is the latest rider on the Built Ford Tough Series to catch an illness, and he competed on Friday night with some variation of a head cold or flu that was giving him hot and cold chills throughout the day.
Similar to his hot and cold start to the year, Gay wound up placing second in Round 1 with an 87.75-point ride on I’m Trouble.
“He kind of tripped or something right around there and about got my hand out of my rope, but it stayed in there just long enough,” Gay said. “It was fun. He was a perfect size for me. He is a little stout bull and I got short legs so it seemed to work out.”
The ride is only his sixth qualified ride of the season, but it is the fourth time he has placed inside the Top 4 of a round. The ride ends a streak of five consecutive buckoffs for the third-year pro.
“When I ride it seems like I can win rounds and stuff,” Gay said. “I just wish I could do it more often.”
Gay earns 60 points toward the world standings to move up one spot to 13th.
Friday was the second time Gay has faced I’m Trouble. Gay previously rode the bull for 85.75 points in Springfield, Missouri, last season.
The ride should give Gay some confidence heading into his 15/15 Bucking Battle matchup on Saturday night against Lane’s Magic Train. Only three riders (Eduardo Aparecido, Robson Aragao and Kasey Hayes) have ridden Magic Train in 23 BFTS outs.
“Well, he seems to click everybody’s heels so I am going to try and get a good hold with my feet,” Gay said. “He is usually right there around to the right and that is right into my wheelhouse.”
23-year-old Newman debuts with round win
Nevada Newman didn’t wait long to make an impression in his first Built Ford Tough Series event.
Newman didn’t waste any time inside the bucking chute and the 23-year-old from Melstone, Montana, aggressively rode Ante Up for 88.25 points to eventually win Round 1.
“That is exactly what I have been imagining, coming here and winning this first round,” Newman said. “I am just blessed.”
It also didn’t take long for Newman’s motor to get running inside Scottrade Center.
“I try to have lots of try and try and be aggressive,” Newman said. “These big shows really get me going too. I seem to try 10 times harder at these then a local rodeo. Before I was getting on, I was shaking. I was a little nervous and stuff. Once I got off my feet and everything it was awesome.”
Newman, who is now ranked 20th in the world standings after earning 100 points for the round win, may be new to the BFTS, but he isn’t new to the Western lifestyle. His grandfather, Rodney Newman, owned a rodeo company and his dad and uncle were pickup men.
He had ridden five straight bulls on the BlueDEF Tour before making his debut in St. Louis.
Newman currently lives in Hillsborough, Texas, with fellow Montana native Matt Triplett, and he also spent a couple days this week at Douglas Duncan’s place preparing for his debut.
“Matt texts me about every day now and he said just go there and try your hardest,” Newman said. “I want to be on tour with all of the bad cats. The PBR is the elite of the elite and I want to be with those guys.”
Newman has drawn Striker (2-0, BFTS) for Round 2 on Saturday night.
Vieira finishes fourth in round; ready for Asteroid
When asked if he was ready for Asteroid, Joao Ricardo Vieira smiled and winked on Friday night following his 85.75-point ride on Mug Shot.
Vieira said he was happy to be tested some by Mug Shot in Round 1, but he knows it will be no challenge like the one that is awaiting him in the 15/15 Bucking Battle.
“Mug Shot was a hard bull,” Vieira said. “He was hard to ride right of the gate. Tomorrow we will see.”
Vieira tied for fourth in the round with Cooper Davis (85.75 points on Slim’s Playboy) and each rider earned 35 points toward the world standings.
The 31-year-old moves back into second place in the world standings ahead of Fabiano Vieira (84.25 points on Son of Sioux).
World leader Paulo Lima was bucked off by Longmire in 2.9 seconds. Lima has bucked off three consecutive bulls.
Shane Proctor finished third in Round 1 with an 87-point showing on Rebound for 50 world points.
Cody Nance placed sixth in the round with his 85.25-point ride on Spear My Gear, while Stetson Lawrence (85 points on Mouth Hug), Silvano Alves (85 points on Lieutenant Dan) and Eduardo Aparecido (85 points on Loose Change) all tied for seventh place.
Nance earns 15 world points and Lawrence, Alves and Aparecido each earned two.
Injury Updates
According to Dr. Tandy Freeman, Robson Aragao was transported to a local hospital for X-rays and treatment after being struck by Like A Boss’s horn as he was thrown off during Round 1. He sustained complex facial lacerations and multiple mandibular alveolar dental injuries. Aragao is questionable for Round 2.
Douglas Duncan is also questionable for Round 2 after being stepped on during his 5.64-second buckoff against Rattler. Duncan was already competing with a right fibular fracture.
Defending World Champion J.B. Mauney is competing with a torn ligament (MCP/UCL) in his right thumb (free hand) that he sustained when he was stepped on in the first round in Sacramento, California, last week.
There were six other riders listed on Freeman’s injury report that were competing with injuries: Guilherme Marchi (rib sprain), Ben Jones (right hamstring strain), Ryan Dirteater (sprained right shoulder; free arm), Cody Nance (sprained left hand and wrist; riding hand), Justin Paton (sprained right riding hand) and Kasey Hayes (right shoulder separation; free arm).
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
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