Smooth Operator Dispatches Triplett in Last Tune-Up Before World Finals
By: Justin Felisko
MINNEAPOLIS – Reigning PBR Stock Contractor of the Year Chad Berger is not sure what Smooth Operator’s future may be following the 2019 season, but Berger is pretty confident that this year may just be his bull’s final shot at winning a World Championship.
The No. 1 bull in the world bucked off Matt Triplett in 4.05 seconds during the 15/15 Bucking Battle Friday night at Target Center in his final out before the 2019 PBR World Finals.
Smooth Operator did not increase his World Champion Bull average score in downtown Minneapolis, but he was still the high-marked bull of the night with 45.25 points.
“This is the last one for him before the Finals,” Berger said earlier in the night. “He is 9 years old. This is his last chance I think.”
Berger, however, would not go as far as saying he would retire Smooth Operator at the end of the year.
“It will depend,” Berger said. “We will see.”
Smooth Operator is currently sitting atop the World Champion Bull standings with a 45.81 average on his eight best outs this year. Smooth Operator’s 45.36 average on 14 outs this year is the best of his career.
The 2019 World Champion Bull will be the bull with the highest average bull score from their top eight regular-season outs and two outs at the PBR World Finals.
Berger was part owner of 2009 World Champion Code Blue, but Smooth Operator would be his first champion under his full-time watch.
“He’s one of the top bulls,” Triplett said. “We’ll see what happens. It all comes down to the Finals, you know?”
Smooth Operator was able to fling Triplett off his back with relative ease on Friday night.
The 9-year-old has now bucked off four consecutive riders – Triplett, Cody Nance, Jose Vitor Leme and Ryan Dirteater – in less than 4.1 seconds.
“Yeah, I just let him beat me around the corner,” Triplett said. “I’m going to love to get on him again, because I know I can ride him. I just need to bring a little better ballgame to the court. He does something different every time. He threw a hop skip with me today, and I wasn’t prepared for that. I just needed to bow up. But great bull, and best of luck to him.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
© 2019 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.