Vastbinder Wins Round 1 of PBR World Finals as Rookie of the Year Race Remains Anybody’s Game

By: Justin Felisko

LAS VEGAS – Eli Vastbinder had so many bigger things going on in his personal life in recent weeks that the last thing on his mind was chasing a Rookie of the Year title or feeling any nerves about riding at his first career PBR World Finals.

Instead, Vastbinder and his wife, Paige, had been preparing for the arrival of their twin girls. When the couple learned their daughters would be born almost seven weeks earlier than expected, that only added more uneasiness for the first-time parents.

However, the Vastbinders welcomed Blake and Blair on Oct. 25, and Eli certainly has them on his mind as he competes at his first PBR World Finals this week in Las Vegas.

“We ain’t got them home yet or nothing. They’ll be in there the next couple weeks,” Vastbinder said before the start of the World Finals at T-Mobile Arena. “They just came so early. Everything’s good. Me, them, my wife, everything’s good. These are our first kids. I don’t know anything about kids, so it’s stressful just in that. Then to throw in two twin girls on top of it, it’s been definitely stressful for both of us, especially with them coming so early. It’s tough getting on and competing and being on the phone the whole time, wondering what’s going on, and still trying to keep your mind in it. But everything’s good now.

“But now that they’re here and we’ve gotten to hold them and look at them, there’s no doubt, no worry whatsoever now. Everything’s good. I had to take off last event (Lincoln) due to the pregnancy and stuff. So I’m feeling good, healthy. I’ve got that out of the way, and then now I’m ready to go.”

There will come a time later in their lives where the two little girls will be able to watch back their dad’s standout debut on the PBR’s grandest stage after he won Round 1 of the 2021 PBR World Finals Wednesday night with a 91-point ride on Manaba.

 
Manaba had never been ridden before; the 4-year-old was 15-0 at all levels of competition and 7-0 on the Unleash The Beast.

“I honestly didn’t know him,” Vastbinder said. “I’d seen a video of him. Cody Jesus rode him just a jump or two. I didn’t know much about him. Cooper (Davis) said he would fit me. Big bull and a big guy. He turned back into my hand. Cooper just gave me a little bit of confidence by just telling me he wouldn’t be nothing.”

Vastbinder earned 89 points toward the world standings and moved up to No. 3 in the Rookie of the Year race heading into his Round 2 matchup against Secret Weapon (9-2, UTB) on Thursday night (10 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network).

The 30-year-old is the oldest rider in contention for the Rookie of the Year title, and he trails No. 1 Junior Patrik Souza by 108.5 points.

“I am not thinking about anything,” Vastbinder said. “I am not thinking about anything other than staying on. That winning shit gets in the way. This isn’t a game of winning; it is a game of riding bulls. If you ride your bulls, at the end of the day, you are going to be happy. Whether that is Rookie of the Year or a world title, whatever it is, if you do your part, there is nothing you can do about it.”

Souza finished Round 1 in ninth place with 84.75 points aboard That Look, and he has a monster matchup against No. 2 YETI World Champion Bull contender Chiseled (24-13, UTB) in Round 2.

“Now my dreams come true,” Souza said. “Before I got here, I felt OK, but then when I saw the first bull tonight, I was so nervous. I say, ‘Wow, this is my dream. I have wanted this my whole life, and now I am here.’

“I had no words about everything. I just said, ‘Thank you, God. Thank you, PBR and my family.’”

Vastbinder, the elder statesmen of the rookie class, said butterflies were not an issue for him.

“Not really,” Vastbinder said. “Maybe a couple years ago if you’d have asked me. I’ve went and done about everything you could possibly do but make the PBR Finals. And I’ve realized every time I’ve showed up with those butterflies and looking forward to it and had high expectations, I didn’t usually meet them. So, if I just kind of swing from the hip and let it happen and keep my mind out of it, I’m better off.

“I’ve just been trying not to think about it, which has been easy with the babies coming. Rookie of the Year ain’t really crossed my mind.”

Chase Dougherty was one of two other rookies to post a qualified ride in Round 1 with his 88 points on Cuttin Torch. Manoelito de Souza finished 10th in the round with 82 points on Hoof Stock Genetics Mud Train.

“It feels great to get that first ride at the PBR Finals,” Dougherty said. “Just to get some momentum going. That’s it.”

 
There are 17 riders competing at their first PBR World Finals this week.

Dougherty is only 55.5 points behind Souza for the top spot in the rookie standings.

The 23-year-old considers Souza one of his good friends in the locker room, and he told Souza before the start of the Finals he hopes they all are perfect inside T-Mobile Arena. He also congratulated Souza following the Rookie of the Year leader’s qualified ride.

“We pray together all the time,” Dougherty said. “We get along really, really well. I told him yesterday I hope we all can go ride six bulls and let the scores take care of it.”

Professional Bull Riders – PBR WORLD FINALS: UNLEASH THE BEAST
Las Vegas, NV, 2021 – Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Round 4-Round 5-Round 6-Event Aggregate-Event Points)

1. Eli Vastbinder, 91-0-0-0-0-0-91.00-89 Points.
2. Cooper Davis, 90.75-0-0-0-0-0-90.75-49 Points.
3. Kaique Pacheco, 90.5-0-0-0-0-0-90.50-45 Points.
4. Mason Taylor, 89.5-0-0-0-0-0-89.50-40 Points.
5. Chase Dougherty, 88-0-0-0-0-0-88.00-36 Points.
6. Jose Vitor Leme, 86.75-0-0-0-0-0-86.75-32 Points.
7. Claudio Montanha Jr., 86.5-0-0-0-0-0-86.50-28 Points.
8. Cody Teel, 85.5-0-0-0-0-0-85.50-24 Points.
9. Junior Patrik Souza, 84.75-0-0-0-0-0-84.75-20 Points.
10. Manoelito de Souza Junior, 82-0-0-0-0-0-82.00-16 Points.
11. Boudreaux Campbell, 78.75-0-0-0-0-0-78.75-5 Points.
João Ricardo Vieira, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Dener Barbosa, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Derek Kolbaba, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Dalton Kasel, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Jesse Petri, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Marco Eguchi, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
João Henrique Lucas, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Paulo Ferreira Lima, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Cody Jesus, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Daylon Swearingen, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Eduardo Aparecido, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Andrew Alvidrez, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Ezekiel Mitchell, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Austin Richardson, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Cole Melancon, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Adriano Salgado, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Conner Halverson, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Cody Nance, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Thiago Salgado, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Lane Nobles, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Grayson Cole, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Alvaro Aguilar Alvarez, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Leonardo Lima, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Dalton Rudman, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media

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