The Morning Line: BlueDEF Finals, Day 3

Morning Line – BluDEF Finals Round 3

For the past two nights we’ve seen a group of 3 and 4-year-old ABBI Derby and Classic bulls. Most of them were brand new to PBR competition at any level. Tonight we have a set of older bulls we actually do know something about. These veteran bulls will have to be very good in Round 3 just to measure up to the standard the young bulls have set for this event so far. The 3 and 4-year-old ABBI competitors have looked outstanding, and we’ve seen some serious bull power through the first two rounds.

Quite a few riders are trying to qualify for the Built Ford Tough World Finals have a lot on the line tonight. Brazilian Invite Dener Barbosa is the only man with two qualified rides, and he kept a low score last night rather than take a re-ride. He can be beaten today, but he controls his destiny.

Round 3 Matchups:

Juliano da Silva on 611 Locomotive Exhaust:

This is an important out for da Silva. He won the opening round on Saturday, and he’s just a few points behind the leaders in the BluDEF Tour standings. He could earn a spot in the World Finals with a good finish at this event. This bull hasn’t had a long career, but he’s got three outs on record and has allowed two qualified rides. Odds are with the rider here.

Nathan Schaper on B36 JJ’s Pride:

This is a great draw for Schaper. JJ’s Pride is a BFTS veteran bull, and he’s one of the better long round bulls to ride at the BFTS level. He’s been ridden in his last four outs going back to February this year. He’s also thrown off Guilherme Marchi and J.W. Harris over the past year. He’s not a hard bull to ride, but he’s not necessarily a bull that is going to lock into a pattern and stay there. He can throw in a wrinkle here and there and make it easy for a rider to fall off. Schaper can’t be caught napping tonight.

Dakota Buttar on 73 Big Dan:

Buttar rode his first round bull but came down last night. There’s a lot at stake for him here, and he needs to ride two bulls today starting with this one. Big Dan is 3-5 against left-handed riders, and he’s a near perfect fit for any lefty. He has great timing, and unlike JJ’s Pride he will lock into a pattern and stay hooked, making the rider’s job a little easier.

Neil Holmes on 9507 Blues Man:

Holmes has a great chance to add a second score to his round win last night. Blues Man is a solid bull that should spin to the left immediately. He has an easy corner, and he telegraphs every move he makes. As long as Holmes can avoid overriding him he should come out on top here.

Chase Outlaw on 915 Tom Horn:

Outlaw is another guy with a good shot at getting a second score here. Outlaw had a good ride in round one. Tom Horn has been ridden just twice in 23 career outs, but he’s a good fit for left-handed riders. He’s a long-bodied bull that spins to the left and kicks out horizontally rather than breaking over with a lot of vertical drop. Outlaw should be able to handle him and make it look good.

Fraser Babbington on 017 Crazy Horse:

This is one of the better draws in the round, and Babbington really needs to get something done tonight. He bucked off his first two bulls, and he’s in a precarious position right on the bubble in the world standings. Crazy Horse can spin either way, but he’s 8-10 against right handers in his career. He has timing, and is as rider friendly as a bull can get for his level of performance. Kaique Pacheco earned two big short round scores in him down the stretch this year including a 90.25 point ride in Tucson, Arizona, last week.

Dener Barbosa on 06-0 Wiley:

To win this event, Barbosa needs two qualified rides tonight. To make the World Finals he may only need one. Wiley will be a tougher than either of the bulls he’s had here so far. He’s 16-1 against right-handed riders in his career. He likes to go to the right, and he can drift and move around in the spin. Barbosa has a tougher draw than most of the guys chasing him, and that could make things interesting.

Cody Heffernan on 08 Margy Time:

Heffernan looked very polished last night, and made a great ride. He will have to do an entirely different job here today. This bull is nothing like the fast spinner Heffernan had yesterday. Margy Time has zero finesse and is all about raw power. He will change direction, but he doesn’t really stay in a tight spin – he circles and uses his strength to try and tear the rider’s arm off. He doesn’t have any tricks, and he is rideable, but he is far from easy.

Derek Kolbaba on K912 All Shook Up:

Kolbaba may have turned things around last night. He had a good chance to fall off his bull and nearly did, but he righted himself and finished strong. When a guy isn’t riding well, one good move can drastically change his perspective, and Kolbaba was all smiles after round two. This bull will be a little unpredictable. At some point in the ride Kolbaba will have to make a recovery, and he has to have more confidence that he can pull it off than he did 24 hours ago.

Sage Kimzey on 192 Alligator Arms:

Kimzey had an easy time last night and put himself in contention with an 85-point score in Round 2. All he needed was a better bull and his round three bull will be a little bit of an upgrade. Alligator Arms has been around for a while, and he’s no pushover, but he’s a good fit for a right-handed rider. Kimzey is probably already familiar with Alligator Arms – the bull has been to a number of PRCA rodeos, and he’s been ridden at a few of them as well. The margin for error on this bull is pretty slim, but Kimzey has the talent to get it done.

Emilio Resende on 9311 Honey Hush:

J.W. Harris scored 93.25 points on this bull in the short round of the 2014 World Finals. We haven’t seen Honey Hush much since then. He’s 28-2 in his career, and the two rides both went to right handed riders. Resende won’t have an easy time with him, but he really needs a score here.