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Dougherty Feels Comfortable in Las Vegas Due to Past Success

By: Justin Felisko

LAS VEGAS – There was a time early in Chase Dougherty’s bull riding career where he would leave Las Vegas like so many others – emptyhanded.

Dougherty’s luck in Vegas began to turnaround in 2018 when he went 7-for-10 to win the event average at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo inside the Thomas & Mack Center.

Less than two miles away and Dougherty is looking to continue his push up the Rookie of the Year standings by earning his first career Unleash The Beast Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“I actually was here before the NFR for a couple other events, and they were not nearly as big as the NFR, and I actually never rode a bull here until the NFR,” Dougherty said. “But after that, every time I have been here, I have had really good success and I have always felt way more confident.”

That belief in himself was on full display Friday night at the PBR Las Vegas Invitational when he rode Hell On The Red for 87 points to finish Round 1 in third place.

 
“All I can think about is this is where so many great legends and bucking bull legends have competed here and to ride is a dream come true,” Dougherty, referencing the first PBR World Finals being held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, said. “To say I have rode here once, and I am having a little boy, it will be really cool when he gets older, whether he rides bulls or not, to pull up them old bull riding tapes and I can be like, ‘Oh ya, I rode there.’

Dougherty will try to add to his personal MGM Grand story Saturday when he faces off against Gray Smoke (2-2, UTB) in Round 2 (9 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network / RidePass).

The 23-year-old is only 95 points behind Rookie of the Year leader Colten Fritzlan, who remains out of competition because of a left shoulder dislocation.

Dougherty is also on pace to qualify for his first PBR World Finals, which will be returning to Las Vegas on Nov. 3-7 at T-Mobile Arena.

“So far pretty good,” Dougherty said of the rookie race. “I am just trying to catch up to that son of a gun (Fritzlan). I feel good. I know I have a good chance of making (the Finals), but I treat it like I am still in that 26 spot trying to make it on tour. I am trying to stay hungry. I am trying to go to some prorodeos during the week because they make me real hungry to get here.”

Dougherty also has no plans on slowing down during upcoming one-month, summer Unleash The Beast break. The Stephenville, Texas, bull rider has entered next week’s Dakota Community Bank & Trust PBR Bull Riding Challenge in Bismarck, North Dakota, as well as the Binford PBR on June 26.

The Unleash The Beast resumes on July 26-27 with Last Cowboy Standing at Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Dougherty wants to keep his foot on the gas pedal as he builds toward returning to Las Vegas in five months for his first PBR World Finals. There is a growing excitement to be a part of what should be a memorable World Finals now that Vegas is slowly opening back up following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city is buzzing this weekend with tourists and PBR fans, something Dougherty said he and other riders missed last year during the privately held Monster Energy Team Challenge.

“It is hands and fists different,” Dougherty concluded. “When we got here last year, we were like the only people here in the whole (South Point) casino. Then when they opened up the next day, it was like only 20 people playing cards. That was about it.

“This year Vegas is starting to get packed and it is starting to look like it never slowed down.”

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media

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