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Eguchi Wins First 15/15 Bucking Battle of the 2021 Season with 94 Points on Smooth Operator

By: Justin Felisko

PUEBLO, Colo. – If you ever needed a reminder of the heavyweight potential of Marco Eguchi, you did not have to look too far this past weekend at the Coors Banquet Invitational in Okeechobee, Florida.

The 2018 PBR World Finals event winner rose to the occasion in a major way, conquering two-time YETI World Champion Smooth Operator for 94 points to win the first 15/15 Bucking Battle of the 2021 season.

“When I draw Smooth Operator, I knew I had a great opportunity to win the 15/15 or get a great score,” Eguchi told Kate Harrison on CBS national television. “That is a two-time World Champion Bull. He already had bucked me off twice. I knew I couldn’t let this opportunity go away. I did everything I could to ride him.”

Two-time World Champion and CBS analyst Justin McBride said during the broadcast, “That’s a good, good ride right there by Eguchi. Smooth Operator, I know he’s got some age on him, but he still had an outstanding day.”

The ride is tied for the highest of Eguchi’s 10-year career. He rode Spotted Demon for 94 points during his World Finals event victory run in 2018.

Eguchi continued forward on Championship Sunday by riding South Texas Gangster for 86.5 points in Round 2 of the Coors Banquet Invitational to finish in 13th place in the regular event. He was one spot shy of qualifying for the championship round.

The eight-time PBR World Finals qualifier earned 71 world points over the course of the weekend to go from 10th in the world standings to No. 7.

The 31-year-old is only 133 points behind new world leader Cooper Davis, who went a perfect 4-for-4 in Okeechobee, and may just be a dark horse contender this season.

Davis leads No. 2 Junior Patrik Souza by 71 points. The UTB is on break next weekend, and the tour resumes on Feb. 13-14 in Del Rio, Texas, with the PBR Built Ford Tough Invitational.

Eguchi used a third-place finish at the 2020 PBR World Finals (4-for-5) to finish a career-best fourth overall in last year’s world standings. He has posted three consecutive Top-10 finishes in the world standings, including last season in which he missed eight events.

Several injuries limited Eguchi in 2020 – he sustained a concussion in the practice pen in January, another concussion at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event in Memphis, Tennessee, in February, and then a partially torn groin attempting to ride Chiseled on May 10 in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

“I hope God will help me stay healthy, and I can work to being a champion,” Eguchi told PBR.com during the season-opener in Ocala, Florida. “Last year, people say I had a lot of ups and downs, but I don’t see it that way. I had to miss eight events. It is not up and down. I know what I am capable of.”

Smooth Operator, meanwhile, may have been ridden in back-to-back outs, but the 11-year-old bovine legend looks to be in contention for a third World Championship after being marked 46 points Saturday.

Smooth Operator is tied with Ridin Solo for the No. 1 ranking in the world. He scored 45.5 points when Ezekiel Mitchell rode him in Arcadia, Florida, for 93 points.

“That is not just championship round, that is World Championship-status bull right there,” 2002 World Finals event winner J.W. Hart said to McBride on the CBS broadcast. “You go with Eguchi; I’m going with Smooth Operator. What an outstanding trip by a great bull.”

Eguchi’s ride was tops during a 15/15 featuring a series of fireworks – four 90-point rides to be exact, which also involved Davis making the 8-second mark on Ridin Solo.

Davis rode a wild Ridin Solo during an untraditional out, which began with few bucks inside the steel chutes, for 91.25 points to split second place with Kaique Pacheco (91.25 points on Homegrown).

Ridin Solo was only marked 44.5 points with Davis, but he rebounded Sunday by bucking off Cole Melancon in 0.98 seconds and a 45.5-point score in the championship round.

The 5-year-old bull has four outs through the first month of the season and is halfway towards officially qualifying for the 2021 YETI World Championship.

The 2021 YETI World Champion Bull will be the animal with the highest average bull score from their top eight regular-season outs and two outs at the PBR World Finals.

PBR COORS BANQUET INVITATIONAL 15/15 BUCKING BATTLE 1/31/2021
Okeechobee, FL, 2021 – Event Leaders (Round 1-Event Aggregate-Event Points)

1. Marco Eguchi, 94-94.00-59 Points.
2. Kaique Pacheco, 91.25-91.25-46.5 Points.
(tie). Cooper Davis, 91.25-91.25-46.5 Points.
4. Dener Barbosa, 90.5-90.50-39 Points.
5. Junior Patrik Souza, 89.5-89.50-28 Points.
6. João Ricardo Vieira, 89-89.00-26 Points.
Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 0-0.00
Cole Melancon, 0-0.00
Cody Teel, 0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0.00
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0.00
Brennon Eldred, 0-0.00
Dalton Kasel, 0-0.00
J.T. Moore, 0-0.00
Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 0-0.00

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media

© 2021 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.

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