ARLINGTON, Texas ― Reigning PBR Rookie of the Year Joao Ricardo Vieira was crowned the Dr Pepper Iron Cowboy V Saturday night in front of a crowd of more than 37,000 fans, the Professional Bull Riders’s second largest attendance at AT&T Stadium.
After advancing through three rounds to the final bracket-pairing and winning it all, Vieira went head-to-head with two-time PBR World Champion Bull Bushwacker in the Bad Boy Mowers Million Dollar Ride. Bushwacker made quick work of the Brazilian rider, throwing him off in 2.17 seconds and dashing Vieira’s hopes of winning the $1 million. He may not have made history, but Vieira did receive a check for $50,000 and the right to be called the PBR’s Iron Cowboy.
As exciting as the anticipated Bad Boy Mowers Million Dollar Ride was, so too was current rookie Gage Gay’s march through the brackets to the final round. Gay was the only bull rider who made two qualified rides on the night and matched the highest-marked ride of the event with 90.50 points atop Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey (Wolf Creek Cattle Co.). He also knocked three former PBR World Champions out of the competition – 2013 World Champion J.B. Mauney, 2008 World Champion Guilherme Marchiand 2004 World Champion Mike Lee. The 19-year-old was a quick fan favorite as he walked away with a second-place finish and $25,000 in earnings.
Marchi is now only one ride away from accomplishing a feat that no other bull rider has done in PBR history. After covering Redneck (Reagan Bucking Bulls) for 87.50 points, Marchi now has 499 qualified rides in his career. He is on track for making his 500th career qualified Built Ford Tough Series ride in Phoenix next weekend.
Stone Sober (D&H Cattle Co.) and Bushwacker (Julio Moreno Bucking Bulls) tied for the Salem National Lease High-Marked Bull of the Event with 46.75 points.
The final rounds of the Dr Pepper Iron Cowboy V, including the Bad Boy Mowers Million Dollar Ride, will air Sunday, March 2, at 1 p.m. ET on CBS Network Television.
The BFTS is televised every week on CBS, CBS Sports Network and networks around the world. BFTS telecasts are produced for the PBR under a multi-year agreement with David Neal Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company led by 34-time Emmy® Award winner and Peabody Award winner David Neal, who serves as executive producer.
Next week the BFTS moves west, heading to Phoenix for the Bass Pro Chute Out at the US Airways Center on March 7-9.
Arlington was the ninth stop of 27 on the 2014 PBR Built Ford Tough Series. The tour kicked off at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 3-5 and culminates with the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas on Oct. 22-26 when the overall total points leader will be crowned the PBR World Champion, presented the coveted championship belt buckle and awarded a $1 million bonus.
Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series
Dr Pepper Iron Cowboy V
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
Round 1
(1) J.B. Mauney advances with a bye.
(16) Valdiron de Oliveira, 6.83 seconds vs. (17) Ty Pozzobon, 3.44 seconds.
(8) L.J. Jenkins advances with a bye.
(9) Mike Lee, 77.25 points vs. (24) Gage Gay, 85.75 points.
(4) Guilherme Marchi advances with a bye.
(13) Ryan Dirteater, 5.92 seconds vs. (20) Kasey Hayes, 2.86 seconds.
(5) Cody Nance advances with a bye.
(12) Robson Palermo, 4.54 seconds vs. (21) Billy Robinson, 3.97 seconds.
(2) Silvano Alves advances with a bye.
(15) Sean Willingham, 86.75 points vs. (18) Chase Outlaw, 88.50 points.
(7) Eduardo Aparecido advances with a bye.
(10) Fabiano Vieira, 87.25 points vs. (23) Douglas Duncan, 3.86 seconds.
(3) Joao Ricardo Vieira advances with a bye.
(14) Matt Triplett, 4.11 seconds vs. (19) Reese Cates, 5.41 seconds.
(6) Marco Eguchi advances with a bye.
(11) Stormy Wing, 6.83 seconds vs. (22) Lachlan Richardson, 4.22 seconds.
Round 2
(1) J.B. Mauney, 83.75 points vs. (16) Valdiron de Oliveira, 2.73 seconds.
(8) L.J. Jenkins, 5.73 seconds vs. (24) Gage Gay, 6.54 seconds.
(4) Guilherme Marchi, 87.50 points vs. (13) Ryan Dirteater, 1.79 seconds.
(5) Cody Nance, 87.25 points vs. (12) Robson Palermo, 89.50 points.
(2) Silvano Alves, 5.95 seconds vs. (18) Chase Outlaw, 3.88 seconds.
(7) Eduardo Aparecido, 3.62 seconds vs. Fabiano Vieira, 83.75 points.
(3) Joao Ricardo Vieira, 1.98 seconds vs. (19) Reese Cates, 1.83 seconds.
(6) Marco Eguchi, 89.00 points vs. (11) Stormy Wing, 90.50 points.
Round 3
(2) J.B. Mauney, 2.79 seconds vs. (24) Gage Gay, 4.22 seconds.
(4) Guilherme Marchi, 2.74 seconds vs. (12) Robson Palermo, 1.79 seconds.
(2) Silvano Alves, 87.75 points vs. (7) Eduardo Aparecido, 5.52 seconds.
(3) Joao Ricardo Vieira, 3.57 seconds vs. (11) Stormy Wing, 1.25 seconds.
Round 4
(24) Gage Gay, 90.50 points vs. (4) Guilherme Marchi, 5.09 seconds.
(2) Silvano Alves, 3.23 seconds vs. (3) Joao Ricardo Vieira, 5.91 seconds.
Round 5
(24) Gage Gay, 1.45 seconds vs. (3) Joao Ricardo Vieira, 2.42 seconds.
Bad Boy Mowers Million Dollar Ride
Bushwacker (Julio Moreno Bucking Bulls) vs. (3) Joao Ricardo Vieira, 2.17 seconds
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