Bulls’ Night Out – Fort Worth Xtreme Bulls
Former world champion Cody Teel was the only cowboy to ride both bulls during the first performance of Bulls’ Night Out at the 2023 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. Teel marked 87.5 points on Stockyards Pro Rodeo’s Crash Cart in the short round. That, added to his 82.5 score in the first round, gave him a total of 175. He will wait to see whether his score will hold up through the 40 bull riders who compete Wednesday night. FWSSR photo by James Phifer
FORT WORTH, Texas – Cody Teel, the former world champion bull rider from Kountze, Texas, dominated the competition in the first night of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo’s Bulls’ Night Out.
Teel showed the form that has earned him five trips to the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Dickies Arena. He was the only one of 40 bull riders to make two qualified rides on Tuesday. The field was divided into four sections of 10 riders.
He was one of two riders in the opening section to make a qualified ride, notching 82.5 points on 4L & Diamond S Rodeo’s bull House of Pain and trailing Minnesotan Coy Thorson who scored 87 on Big Rafter Rodeo’s bull Smooth Disaster.
Just two cowboys made the eight-second ride in the second section, then two more were successful in the third. In the fourth section another former world champion, Shane Proctor of Grand Coulee, Washington, matched Thorson’s 87 on Stockyards Pro Rodeo’s bull Western Hauler’s Express. Then Australian Ky Hamilton tied Teel’s mark on Stockyards’ bull Assault Weapon.
The top 10 scores from the first round qualified to compete on another bull in the short round. Teel, who has been among the best bull riders in the sport for 12 years, was the only one to stay aboard his bull for the full eight seconds. He earned the highest score of the night – 87.5 points – and took the overall lead with 175 points on two bulls.
Forty more bull riders will compete Wednesday night which is the scheduled return to competition for seven-time world champion Sage Kimzey. Kimzey missed much of the 2022 season and December’s National Finals Rodeo following shoulder surgery in June. He is a former champion at this event as well.
The format is the same with each cowboy competing in the long round, followed by a short round featuring the top 10 scorers from the long round. The championship will be awarded to the rider with the highest total score. Bulls’ Night Out at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Xtreme Bulls Tour.
In the junior bull riding for youngsters 10 to 15, Corbin Bunn of Lipan, Texas, won a trophy buckle and $500 with a score of 66 points.
The final Bulls’ Night Out performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 18 at Dickies Arena, with a new field of bull riders and junior bull riders.
Thursday night the Texas Champions Challenge rodeo comes to Dickies Arena with winners from five iconic Texas rodeos – Houston, San Antonio, Austin, San Angelo and Fort Worth competing in a team format in six events.
FORT WORTH, Texas – The following are leaders from Tuesday night’s performance of Bulls’ Night Out at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, January 17, 2022.
First Round leaders: 1, (tie) Coy Thorson, Fergus Falls, Minn., on Big Rafter Rodeo’s Smooth Disaster, and Shane Proctor, Grand Coulee, Wash., Stockyards Pro Rodeo’s Cheddar Biscuit, 87 points. 3, Tyler Taylor, Stephenville, Texas, 84.5. 4, (tie) Coby Johnson, Shelly, Idaho, and Jackson Carter Ward, Goddard, Kan., 83, 6, (tie) Cody Teel, Kountze, Texas, and Ky Hamilton, Mackay, Queensland, Australia, 82.5
Short Round: (one ride) 1, Teel, 87,5 points on Stockyards Pro Rodeo’s Crash Cart.
Total on Two: 1, Teel, 175 points. (on one) 2, (tie) Thorson and Proctor, 87. 4, Taylor, 84.5.
Jr. Bull Riding: (3 rides) 1, Corbin Bunn, Lipan, Texas, 66 points. 2, Kutter Farighton, Alvarado, Texas, 63, 3, Myles Turner, Comanche, Okla., 62.