PBR Pick ‘Em Morning Line – PBR World Finals Round 1

By: Slade Long

As usual, Round 1 here at the World Finals also serves as the first round of the ABBI Classic Finals. All these bulls are outstanding 3- and 4-year-olds, and there are some impressive athletes in the group. For the past two years, the highest-scoring ride of the PBR Finals has come on one of the Classic bulls. Woopaa carried Jose Vitor Leme to 95.75 points in Arlington, Texas, last year, and Rubens Barbosa was the same on Chiseled in 2019.

Conner Halverson on 792 Dagger:

Halverson was 0-for-2 at the Velocity Finals last weekend on two tough draws, but he has a pretty nice bull here. Dagger would be what many of the riders in this round, especially left-handed ones, were hoping to draw. He’s fifth in the ABBI Classic standings coming in, and he can deliver a high-80s to 90-point score for riders. He has good timing and is as rider-friendly a bull as you will see tonight.

Cooper Davis on 34E JuJu:

This is a big-time matchup. JuJu is the No. 1 ABBI bull coming in, has led the ABBI standings for much of the year, and has been a consistent 44.5-plus-point bull at UTB events in 2021. He also likes to go to the right, and Davis presents a serious challenge for him. This is probably one of the bulls Davis was hoping for. He may be too many points back in the standings to reach the No. 1 spot by the end of the Finals, but he can disrupt things this week by winning rounds and staying on his bulls. With a bull this good under him, he is a real threat.

Silvano Alves on 50F Casper:

This almost unknown bull was 45.5 points at the Velocity Finals Sunday, placing second in the ABBI’s Wild Card Classic and earning a spot here. He may not be the best fit for Alves, and Alves may not be what the bull’s owner was hoping for. The Classic bulls need to be set up to get their maximum scores, and often that means drawing a rider who gets great scores out of bulls. Alves is the opposite of that.

Dalton Kasel on 701 Mr. Right Now:

This could turn into a huge score for Kasel. Mr. Right Now should go into Kasel’s hand, and he is showy and rideable. He is not easy and has only given up one qualified ride in 11 outs this season. He is one of the flashiest bulls out tonight that usually goes left, and Kasel has done well on bulls like this one.

Eli Vastbinder on 705E Manaba:

Manaba is 15-0 in his career and is one of the strongest and most experienced 4-year-old bulls going. He threw Cooper Davis off in July, and no one has been able to get to the 8 seconds on him yet. He typically goes to the right, so whenever he’s facing a capable right-handed rider, there is the potential for a big score. Vastbinder has ridden well enough down the stretch and has a chance to start the World Finals off with a bang here.

Jose Vitor Leme on -715 Little Voodoo Jacket:

The lead story coming into the Finals, and the big question, is can Leme hold off Pacheco to win his second straight world title? The real contest is between Leme and his own injuries. If he comes in here and makes even a couple of big rides this week, he should be able to defend his title easily. This bull is a good draw for him, and on paper would have little chance against a fully healthy Leme. But the question is just how healthy is Leme, and can he bring the magic in at least some of the rounds? There is a strong consensus among former riders that Leme is one of the best riders who has ever strapped on a set of spurs.

Kaique Pacheco on 734 Karate All Night:

This bull won the ABBI Wild Card during the Velocity Finals at the South Point over the weekend. That is his only out on record, but he was scored 46 points by two of the same judges who will be looking at him here. He also likes to go to the right, which should be good for Pacheco. As far as the world title race, Pacheco needs to rack up a lot of points, and he needs Leme to get almost none.

Boudreaux Campbell on 710 Yadi:

Yadi has only eight pro-level outs under riders, but he has a lot of experience as an ABBI competition bull. He has buckoffs against some high-level riders, including Chase Dougherty. He likes to go to the left out of a left delivery, which will be good for Campbell, who is already on something of a hot streak here in Vegas.

Chase Dougherty on E18 Cuttin’ Torch:

Cuttin’ Torch is in second place in the ABBI Classic standings and has also given up a couple of high-80s scores to left-handed riders this season. Dougherty is as capable as anyone of going on a run here at the Finals, and he has a good draw in Round 1.

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