Campbell Looking to be More Than a One-Hit Wonder
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – Boudreaux Campbell already etched his name in the PBR history books last November when he won the 2020 PBR World Finals, but the 22-year-old made clear inside AT&T Stadium that he wants that prestigious victory to be the just first of a series of memorable accolades.
Campbell backed up those words in a major way on Sunday at the PBR Caterpillar Classic, riding Woopaa for 95.5 points – one of the best rides in PBR history – to clinch the first regular-season win of his career.
“I don’t know what everybody else has been saying, but in my mind, I had a bad NFR, so I have had a bit to prove this year so that people don’t think I am a one-time deal,” Campbell said. “To make rides like I did this weekend and to come out on top shows people I am not a one-hit wonder.
“I am the real deal.”
Campbell was referencing his 1-for-10 showing at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo when he failed to win the PRCA bull riding title a few weeks after his dominant performance at the PBR World Finals.
The “embarrassing” performance left a sour taste in Campbell’s mouth, and a 1-for-5 start to the 2021 PBR season following a six-week recovery from surgery on his right free hand/wrist in January did nothing to alleviate his frustrations.
Finally, Campbell got back to riding like he knows he is capable of.
He first rode Hard Shot for 88.5 points in Round 1 on Saturday night. He then used an 86.75-point ride on Dr. Campbell to take the event lead in Round 2 on Sunday and give himself the first pick of the championship-round draft. Campbell then made sure to select the bull he knew could win him the event in Woopaa.
“I knew I could be a lot of points on him,” Campbell said. “I knew if I rode him, there was no doubt in my mind I would win that event. I didn’t want to put it into the judges’ hands.”
Campbell knew he needed to pick large in the draft with three heavy hitters – all who have PBR gold buckles on their belts – nipping at his heels in the event standings in Cooper Davis, Kaique Pacheco and Jose Vitor Leme.
Those three riders then upped the pressure on Campbell by converting on each of their respective bulls in the championship round, including a massive 94-point ride by Davis on Chiseled.
“Those guys ahead of me have gold buckles,” Campbell said. “I have to compete with them. If you want to be as good as they are, you have to compete with them or be better than them that day. It is not even being better than them, honestly. It is just being better than the bulls you had that weekend. If you want to be a World Champion, you have to compete. That is all I am trying to do. I want to just compete with everybody and be in the top every single weekend.”
Campbell is now the No. 14-ranked bull rider in the world standings, and he will head into the Lucas Oil Invitational on Saturday/Sunday in Louisville, Kentucky, 304.5 points behind Davis in the world standings.
“Cooper Davis probably isn’t going to fall off too many this year, so I am going to have be right there on his tail, matching him bull for bull or staying on when he falls off,” Campbell said. “All the guys on tour, they be riding. They are consistent.
“I definitely need to get more consistent and better as a bull rider.”
The talent is certainly there for Campbell, and his ride on Sunday inside the T-Mobile Center is tied for the 15th-best in PBR history. The all-time record is a 96.5-point score, which has occurred four times in PBR history. There have been six 96-point rides and four 95.75-point rides.
Since making the nine-hour drive home to Texas on Sunday evening, Campbell has watched the ride back a few times.
“It is still a little unreal,” Campbell said. “95.5 points. I knew he was bucking. I didn’t really know how hard he was bucking, but I knew we were going to be a lot of points. Honestly, I didn’t know if I was going to be there the next round or not on him. Until the very end, I never felt too comfortable. He always had me loose, working and moving, but that’s bull riding. You don’t just sit there and ride along. You are making the ride happen. You aren’t just riding along.
“That is the rankest bull I have ever been on and the best bull ride I have had in my whole life.”
Saturday night will also feature a 15/15 Bucking Battle, and Campbell is slated to face Zero Time (14-3, premier series). The broadcast airs Sunday at noon ET on CBS.
15/15 Bucking Battle Matchups
Silvano Alves vs. Diddy Wa Diddy (3-2, UTB)
Boudreaux Campbell vs. Zero Time (14-3, premier series)
Derek Kolbaba vs. The Right Stuff (26-1, premier series)
Taylor Toves vs. Oilfield Outlaw’s Yellow Feather (1-1, premier series)
Colten Fritzlan vs. Amato (0-0, UTB)
Rafael Henrique dos Santos vs. Blue Crush (24-5, UTB)
Joao Ricardo Vieira vs. Marquis Metal Works Coriolis Effect (11-1, UTB)$
Mauricio Moreira vs. Ridin Solo (12-4, UTB)
Dener Barbosa vs. Marquis Metal Works Red Clark (11-0, UTB)
Jose Vitor Leme vs. Apper’s Mind Freak (32-5, UTB)$
Junior Patrik Souza vs. Midnight Rock (13-4, UTB)
Keyshawn Whitehorse vs. Big Black (23-15, UTB)
Cole Melancon vs. I’m Busted (15-2, premier series)
Kaique Pacheco vs. Homegrown (11-3, UTB)$
Cooper Davis vs. Preacher’s Kid (18-2, UTB)$
*Bull previously bucked off the rider
$Rider previously has ridden the bull for a qualified ride
Campbell admits he had to learn he can’t be lazy, and his struggles at the NFR and the start of the 2021 season were a humbling reminder of just how closely related success and failure are in this sport.
The 2020 PBR Rookie of the Year knows he needs to keep pushing himself harder, and he will not be resting on his 95.5-point laurels this week for long. Instead, Campbell is slated to compete at two PRCA Rodeos (Redmond, Oregon, on Wednesday and Waxahachie or Nacogdoches, Texas on Friday) before climbing into the bucking chutes inside Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center Saturday night.
“I plan on making the NFR and PBR Finals again,” Campbell concluded. “Not just making it, but also competing for a world title in both.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
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