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Blake Sharp Named 2023 Stock Contractor of the Year

By: Darci Miller

FORT WORTH, Texas – When stock contractor Blake Sharp was on his way home to Columbus, Missouri, from the premier series event in Tacoma, Washington, he got a call from PBR Director of Livestock Riley Gagnon.

The news? He’d won the 2023 PBR Stock Contractor of the Year award.

“I was kind of shook,” Sharp said during Round 2 of the 2023 PBR World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas. “I was kind of shocked. It was an awesome experience.

“It means the world, that’s for sure. Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve dreamed of doing it. I’ve been around it my whole life. So it means a lot.”

It’s an incredible achievement for Sharp, who boasts such bulls as UTZ BesTex Smokestack, Mike’s Motive, Yellowknife, Centerfold and Bandido Bug. But UTZ BesTex Legend is undeniably the star of the show in 2023, sitting at No. 3 in the YETI World Champion Bull race with a 45.58-point average. He trails Cool Whip and reigning YETI World Champion Bull Ridin’ Solo, tied at No. 1 with 45.61 averages.

“Legend’s probably my favorite,” Sharp said. “I call him a freak of nature. He does something different every time. Very explosive, gets off the ground, kicks hard. Guys don’t really like to get on him, but at the end of the day, that’s the World Champion contenders. Hopefully he can show out here and go to the top of the leaderboard.”

Sharp looks back fondly on Legend’s trip in St. Louis, where he bucked off Dalton Kasel for a 46.75-point bull score. He also has a special place in his heart for his bulls’ performance in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in February, where Legend scored 46.5 points to be named YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Event ahead of fellow world title contenders No. 4 Flapjack and No. 5 Ricky Vaughn.

Legend has been ridden just twice in 14 outs in 2023, once for 90.5 points by Kasel in Manchester, New Hampshire, and once for 89 points by Sandro Batista in Little Rock, Arkansas. He scored higher than 45 points five times, including his two 46s in St. Louis and Tulsa.

He notched a third 46-point bull score in his first out in Fort Worth, bucking off Wingson Henrique da Silva for 46 points.

“I’ve just enjoyed it, as far as watching Legend climb (the standings),” Sharp said. “He had a few hiccups in there, but he redeemed himself right there at the end of the season. We took him to Louisville and he climbed up one more position, so that’s always good.”

While riders don’t want to get on Legend, they do want to get on Smokestack, who sits at No. 14 in the standings.

“I think Smokestack is the riders’ favorite bull going because when they ride him, they’re always 90 on him,” Sharp said. “They’ve been 92 on him twice. So I think that’s the bull I hear most about that the guys want to get on.”

Indeed, Smokestack has been ridden four times in 11 outs this season, all for more than 90 points. In Round 2, he bucked off Chase Dougherty for 44.25 points.

While Sharp has been in the game for some time now, he says there’s one key to his success in building himself a rank pen of bulls.

“Partners,” Sharp said. “I’ve always had the knowledge to do it, and I can always recruit bulls, but you’ve got to have the partners behind you to help you purchase the animals. Finally, this past year, I’ve been able to get some really good partners. Koe Wetzel is the one that kind of got it going, and then the guys that he hangs around with, they wanted to be involved. So just kind of over time, it’s just growing.”

Sharp and his partners’ dedication not only led to winning Stock Contractor of the Year, which is prestigious in that it’s voted on by the riders, but dethroning Chad Berger, who had won the award a staggering nine times in a row and 12 times overall.

“I definitely respect Chad, and I’ve always looked up to him,” Sharp said. “It’s a blessing in disguise. With God, anything is possible, that’s for sure. That’s my go-to saying. If you just believe, you can achieve.”

Sharp has undoubtedly achieved, and he hopes for even more from Legend this week in Fort Worth.

“I hope Legend can climb up and go ahead and seal the deal,” Sharp said. “Hopefully, he moves up a little bit, and he’s got two more trips. We’ve got Stock Contractor of the Year won – I just would like to see Legend win the world title.”

But regardless of what Legend does, Sharp is proud of what he’s built and what he’s achieved this season.

“This (award) was my whole goal going into this season,” he said, “so at the end of the day, I’m pretty happy.”

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media

© 2023 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.

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