The Morning Line: Bismarck, Day 1

Morning Line – Dakota Community Bank & Trust BlueDEF Tour Event

Compared to the last BlueDEF Tour event in Decatur, Texas, a couple of weeks ago, this opening round is a lot more predictable. This is a seasoned group of veteran bulls, and we kind of know what to expect from them. The ABBI Classic bulls in Decatur were the opposite. We will definitely see more rides here than we did in Decatur, but these bulls are far from easy, and the riders will still have to work for it.

Shay Marks on 03 Redbone:

This bull is a great draw even at the Built Ford Tough Series level and Robson Palermo won the short round on this bull last year here in Bismarck with 89 points. Red Bone is a big bull with a lot of action, and Marks is a small guy, and that combination often results in big points, but Marks will have to deal with a big, heavy bull that goes away from his hand.

Cody Campbell on 1275 Joe the Grinder:

Chad Berger’s two “Joe” bulls have probably gotten more mentions in the Morning Line than any other two bulls going, and there’s a reason for that. They are both pure quality, but this one is the better of the two by a slim margin. Joe the Grinder always goes to the right, and he is pretty much the gold standard of bull performance. Many bulls you see in short rounds have exceptional strength, speed or athleticism. This bull has all that in near equal measures. He’s not as powerful as Crossfire or as athletic as Asteroid, but he’s a mix of the two. At most BFTS events he could fill in as a short round bull and he wouldn’t look out of place. Campbell is right-handed, and if he can stay on here, he’ll either win the round or come close to it.

Tyler Harr on 103 Strong Heart:

This is a veteran bull who holds his own against BFTS level riders. He’s been on the big tour for the past two years, and he’s been to the PBR World Finals twice as well. He likes to go to the left, and he is similar to Red Bone in style, but he has a little more hang time and he doesn’t have speed. He has a lot of action, but he’s noticeably slower than some of the other bulls you will see here. He’s a good draw here, and a bull that Harr can place high on if he makes the whistle.

Joao Ricardo Vieira on 28X Big Enough:

Vieira should be a huge favorite here. Big Enough goes to the left, and he’s a quality bull, but not nearly enough to take down Vieira unless he beats himself. He’s also not usually enough bull to win a round on, unless they don’t ride very many at all. Look for Vieira to score 84-85 points here.

Cooper Davis on 078 Grandpa Joe:

This is the other “Joe” bull that I mentioned before. Grandpa Joe goes to the left, and he’s also a quality bull, but he’s just a half step behind Joe the Grinder most of the time. He’s a little easier to ride as well, and he’s given up five rides in his last five outs. Davis has had him twice this season at the BFTS level, and was unsuccessful each time, but he really should be the favorite in this matchup. Look for Davis to get a score in his third attempt on this bull.

Zac Peterson on X18 More Big Bucks:

This is probably the best overall draw for a left-handed rider in tonight’s long round. More Big Bucks spins to the left, and he has a little back up, meaning he wants to tip the rider forward most of the time. This is a style that is much easier for riders to handle than a bull that’s always running away from you. Peterson has a chance to impress here.

Neil Holmes on 06 Swashbuckler:

Robson Palermo was 89 points on this bull at the Last Cowboy Standing in Las Vegas last month. Swashbuckler is a black bull that looks similar to Crossfire when he’s bucking, but doesn’t have nearly the power that Crossfire has. He tends to go to the left, and that would be good for Holmes. This is a good matchup that could put Holmes in the money here.

Valdiron de Oliveira on 914 Say I Won’t Playboy:

These two met a little over a year ago in Seattle, and Oliveira was 86.75 points there. This bull is a solid performer who goes to the right. He can move forward a little and open his spin up a little near the end, and this adds difficulty, but if you look at Oliveira’s career highlights, he’s ridden hundreds of bulls with this same style. This is a near perfect fit for Oliveira.