With 11 scores on the board last night, we’ve been through four Built Ford Tough Series rounds since action started back. Regardless of what happened early in the season, at this point it looks like J.B. Mauney, Fabiano Vieira and Kaique Pacheco are battling it out for a World Championship the rest of the guys at the top are treading water or sinking. Those three guys have decent matchups tonight as well.
Brady Sims on 134 Ripslinger:
Sims won third in Friday night’s round, and he has a little-known bull here, but one that can be ridden. Ben Jones got the best of him in Albuquerque, New Mexico, earlier this year. Sims isn’t having a great year, but the talent is there, and he should be able to get things turned around.
Kaique Pacheco on 96 Redneck:
Redneck has given up five rides in eight BFTS outs, and his overall buckoff percentage is less than 40 percent. Pacheco is riding well, and he should be a heavy favorite here.
J.B. Mauney on 27 Gentleman Jim:
If you have to be “in the zone” to win a World Championship I think it would be fair to say that right now Mauney is in the center of it, while Alves and Joao Ricardo Vieira aren’t even in the same zip code as the zone. This bull should go to the left and will be a day off compared to the bull he had last night. Gentleman Jim has been ridden in his last four outs, and for good scores too. His career buckoff percentage is less than 50 percent, and while all the bulls at this level are relatively difficult, on paper he has practically no chance of getting Mauney on the ground.
Reese Cates on 017 Crazy Horse:
Cates didn’t do well last night, but he should redeem himself here. Crazy Horse has just six outs in his career, and he’s failed to buck anyone off yet. He’s a lot like the bull Eduardo Aparecido has in this round, but he’s not quite as flashy. He has perfect timing, and Cates should like him.
Silvano Alves on CR Corpus Red:
This is a pretty interesting matchup. We don’t see this bull on tour very often, but he’s a proven performer. He’ll get a lot of air, he likes to go to the right, and he can have some backup. Bulls that back up and try to tip guys forward are great for most riders, but they have really been like kryptonite to Alves throughout his career. On top of that, Alves hasn’t been himself at all lately, so he might struggle here. But, this is a bull you can win rounds on, and most of the riders would probably love to have him in this round.
J.W. Harris on 911 Dakota Style’s Hy Test:
This is a rematch from Des Moines, Iowa, in 2014, and Harris didn’t win that. But this bull does have a pretty predictable pattern, pretty good timing, and he’s been ridden often enough to say that Harris should be able to handle him.
Fabiano Vieira on 482 Raven Flyer
This is a rematch from more than a year ago. Raven Flyer won that match, but Vieira is much more comfortable with his injury now than he was then. He doesn’t really look like he’s struggling with it at all. This is not an easy bull, but he’s been ridden in his last two outs and Vieira is more than talented enough to get by him.
Chase Outlaw on 917 Pound the Alarm:
For having been out with an injury so long, Outlaw looked pretty good in his return to action last night, although he didn’t get to the whistle. He should get along with this bull better. Pound the Alarm can be tricky, but he’s been around long enough for the riders to figure him out. He can go either way, but he likes the right better, and he will be welly toward the end of the ride regardless of which way he spins. If Outlaw can stay out of the hole he’ll be alright.
Eduardo Aparecido on 033 Shoot Out the Lights:
This is one of the nicest bulls around right now. He’s a quality bull and produces an average score of more than 88 points, but he has clockwork timing and he’s extremely rider friendly. His buckoff percentage shows it. He’s less than 50 percent overall, and he’s 2-5 against right- handed riders. Aparecido got a score last night, and he’s well set to get another here.
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