Air Support Takes Over Lead in Yeti World Championship Race
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – The YETI World Champion Bull race has featured a handful of bulls in 2020, and Air Support is starting to try to separate himself from the pack.
In his first appearance in two months, Air Support showed no signs of rust or of being out of shape. Instead, he made Mauricio Moreira look like a rag doll when he flung him off his back in 3.23 seconds at the Lazy E Arena during the championship round of the PBR Cooper Tires Invitational, presented by Ariat.
Air Support was named the YETI “Built For the Wild” Bull of the event after being scored 46 points for the out, and he took over the lead in the 2020 YETI World Champion Bull race.
Two-time World Champion Justin McBride said on CBS Sports Network that he believes Air Support appears to have a sense of control with his intensity that his father Air Time struggled with on some occasions.
“To me, the little bit I’ve got to see Air Support, I feel like he has the potential to be the best in that family tree right there,” McBride said. “I’ve seen a real special day out of him at the Global Cup, and he looked like he could beat any bull on that day.
“The difference in this bull and his father Air Time is that calmness, to be able to control it, wait, wait, and then explode, and not to try to do too many things at one time. I think that is a very impressive bull that’s got a great shot at winning a title this year.”
Air Support is averaging 45.75 points in five 2020 outs, while previous No. 1 Chiseled is now at a 45.70 average. Chiseled was marked 45.5 points for his 4.32-second buckoff of 2018 World Finals event winner Marco Eguchi. Chiseled is averaging 45.70 points in his five appearances.
Eguchi had to be helped to the PBR Sports Medicine room and he said via text message that he believes he hurt his groin.
Air Support has now been scored 46 or more points in three of his past four outs. He is 8-0 on the premier series and 12-0 at all levels of competition.
Meanwhile, Hostage posted the second-best bull score of the weekend following his 45.75-point score he earned with a 5.53 second buckoff of Daylon Swearingen in the championship round.
The Unleash the Beast continues next weekend with the PBR Lucas Oil Invitational, presented by U.S. Border Patrol, at the Lazy E Arena on Saturday and Sunday.
The event will conclude at 2 p.m. ET live on CBS national television on May 17.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
© 2020 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.