Top 17 Rides of the First Half: No. 2

PUEBLO, Colo. – The first half of the 2017 Built Ford Tough Series season was a five-month stretch filled with everything from surprise surges, comeback victories and continued excellence from the world’s best bull riders.

The 2017 World Championship race is far from clear, but the first half provided an insightful preview of what’s to come in the homestretch to the 2017 Built Ford Tough World Finals.

The first half featured dominance from the future stars of the sport, an amazing run from a veteran Brazilian, an unexpected rise and a ride the etched a legend’s name into the history books. Over the next few weeks, PBR.com will countdown the top rides from the first half and look forward to the second half where a World Champion will be crowned.

With 17 days remaining before the return of the BFTS in Tulsa, Oklahoma, PBR.com will countdown the Top 17 rides of the first half.

You can witness that next great moment by purchasing tickets for the 2017 World Finals, where the PBR’s best will return to T-Mobile Arena Nov. 1-5.

Stormy Wing: 95.25 points on SweetPro’s Bruiser (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

Stormy Wing had usually always been in the background of the Built Ford Tough Series. A talented rider that had been a stalwart on tour, but had yet to make major waves in a World Championship race.

At the Ty Murray Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Wing finally made some noise in a big way.

Wing rode SweetPro’s Bruiser for 95.25 points to cap a 3-for-4 weekend and win the second BFTS event of his eight-year career.

 
“It would be one of the best,” Wing said. “I don’t know. I like me on Train Wreck in Nampa. I was 92 there. Ty Murray said on TV I should have been a few more. That is one that stands out. I have ridden the rank ones before. It is just a long time coming.

“I knew I could ride him and it happened to work out. We just got along today.”

The ride was the fifth-highest numerical score in PBR history, and only 22 riders have scored higher. It was a trip that mirrored J.B. Mauney’s historic 95.25-point ride on Bushwacker in 2013, and Mauney, who is a close personal friend of Wing, knew his buddy always had that kind of potential in him.

“That was rank,” Mauney said. “He asked me earlier what I think before the short round. I said, ‘Bruiser. All day. You are going to have to be a lot of points to beat (Guilherme Marchi and Cody Nance). He picked him and he backed his ass up.”

For his part, Wing didn’t allow himself to get too caught up in the moment and simply stated that he did what he shows up every week believing he can do.

“That is what we come to do week in and week out,” Wing said. “I wouldn’t take myself out of the truck if I wasn’t here to win. It was great to bounce back, they were about to cut me. I don’t like to get thrown off. Nobody does.”