PHOENIX ― Two years ago, the Built Ford Tough Series came to the Phoenix area with a stop in Glendale, Ariz. Silvano Alves won that event and two bulls we saw last week – Rango and After Party – were the top bulls that weekend. Rango will make an appearance in the short round this Sunday in Phoenix, and, according to PBR Livestock Director Cody Lambert, Rango has been great this year.
“I think Rango has been getting higher in the air,” Lambert said. “That’s made him a little better to ride than he was, but boy, he’s a good bull. We’ve seen him a good bit this year and he’s been outstanding.”
Along with Rango, the top bull at Dr Pepper Iron Cowboy V (Stone Sober) and the top bull at THE AMERICAN (Air Time) are also slated for the short go in Phoenix. Stone Sober tied with Bushwacker for the highest- marked bull at the Iron Cowboy and is certainly a star on the rise.
“Stone Sober has really been bucking,” said Lambert. “The two guys that had him in Arlington didn’t make it three seconds on him combined. He’s been really good this year, but I’m not sure he can stay on the level of Bushwacker, Asteroid and Shepherd Hills Trapper just yet. He’s one to watch, though.”
Justin McBride’s one-day return to bull riding was cut very short when he got slammed by a young bull called Air Time. Air Time was the highest-marked bull at RFD-TV’s THE AMERICAN rodeo on Sunday. We’ll see him in Phoenix as well.
“What you saw of him Sunday – that’s what he’s supposed to be,” Lambert said. He was a Classic bull last year and had trouble getting out of the chute clean. He and Stone Sober were two of the top Classic bulls last year, but Air Time came out of the chute backwards at the World Finals, fell and they got a re-ride on him. I think he’s the real deal, though, and he could be the rankest bull at any event he goes to, so long he’s decent in the chute. Just getting out on him has been an issue sometimes.”
The short round in Phoenix also includes David’s Dream, Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey, Jared Allen’s H4WW Hot Iron, Mr. Bull, and I’m a Gangster Too among others.
One long-round bull is a standout because of his family ties. 805 Slinging Wolf is one of the few relatives of famous PBR bull Red Wolf.
“I’ve only seen video of him so far,” said Lambert. “But, he comes from the ranch that Red Wolf was born on in California. The Silveiras raised Red Wolf and Growney bought him from them. This bull – Slinging Wolf – would be one of the grandsons of the cow that Red Wolf was out of, and he’ll be one of the last grandsons out of that cow. So there’s some history there – to have a bull that goes back to Red Wolf’s mother. In the video I’ve seen, he’s a lot nicer to ride than Red Wolf really was. He looks like one the guys will really like to get on.
Mick E Mouse, who has been one of the best bulls this season, was injured at the Iron Cowboy last week. He was scheduled to face Guilherme Marchi Sunday in THE AMERICAN, but was held out because he looked sore – a decision that ultimately made Marchi $25,000 richer.
“Mick E Mouse will be out 8-12 weeks,” said Lambert. “He’s got a fracture on a bone in his hip, but everything is in place. He could probably come back sooner than that, but they are going to hold him out long enough to be sure. He’ll be back, and he should be as good, or better, than he was.”
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