What to Watch For: Toves Returning in Nashville as World Finals Race Heats Up

By: Justin Felisko

PUEBLO, Colo. – Taylor Toves knows the 2021 PBR World Finals is less than three months away, but he also understands that sitting on the sidelines for too long because of a hand/wrist injury on his riding hand could lead to him missing out on a third consecutive trip to the PBR’s season-culminating event.

Toves told PBR.com on Tuesday that he plans to return to competition on Saturday night at the PBR Ariat Music City Knockout, presented by Cooper Tires, following a two-week absence.

“It’s feeling better for sure, but I don’t know,” Toves said. “I am going to find out this weekend and hope it holds up. I need to get back to making money and keep my spot on tour.”

Toves is ranked No. 30 in the world standings, the last guaranteed draw spot on the Unleash The Beast. Regarding qualifying for the 2021 World Finals on Nov. 3 in Las Vegas, Toves is 51 points inside the Top 35.

Below is a look at the No. 30 – No. 40 World Standings

No. 30 Taylor Toves (+51 points ahead of No. 36)*
No. 31 Kyler Oliver (+27 points)
No. 32 Eli Vastbinder (+17 points)*
No. 33 Thiago Salgado (+12.5 points)
No. 34 Andrew Alvidrez (+1.75 points)$
No. 35 Lucas Divino (+1 point)
No. 36 Caic Cassio Carvalho (-1 point)
No. 37 Luciano de Castro (-5.17 points)
No. 38 Conner Halverson (-9.5 points)*
No. 39 Michael Lane (-13 points)$
No. 40 J.T. Moore (-14 points)
*Competing in Nashville
$Competing at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday (8 p.m. ET on Pluto TV)

 
Toves has a rematch against Mike’s Motive (7-2, UTB) for Round 1 on Saturday night in Nashville (8 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network). Mike’s Motive previously bucked Toves off in 5.65 seconds in Omaha, Nebraska.

Toves will meet with the PBR Sports Medicine Team before Round 1 to receive treatment on his wrist/hand.

“I’ll probably get sports med to tape it again, but I tried that in Tulsa and it didn’t help much at all, so we’ll see,” Toves said.

Toves was able to punch his ticket last year to the World Finals with a fifth-place finish at the regular-season finale in Nampa, Idaho, after beginning the event ranked No. 36.

The Stephenville, Texas, bull rider would certainly like to be well within the Top 30 by the time this year’s regular-season finale on Oct. 23-24 in Lincoln, Nebraska, rolls around.

With only three riders ranked No. 30-No. 40 – Toves, Eli Vastbinder and Conner Halverson – in the Nashville draw, it could be an important weekend for them to attempt to further solidify their chances at making the World Finals.

TOP 30 RIDERS OUT OF COMPETITION BECAUSE OF INJURY/OTHER

No. 10 Marco Eguchi (broken right foot)
No. 15 Colten Fritzlan (left shoulder)
No. 24 Cody Jesus (family emergency)

ALTERNATES

No. 32 Eli Vastbinder

HALVERSON BACK IN FINALS CONTENTION THANKS TO PWVT WIN

Conner Halverson became the second rider this year to pick up a second Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour victory as his 86.5-point ride on Bone Tomahawk wound up being enough for him to sneak off with the Springfield Invitational title.

The 20-year-old picked up 37 world points to put himself right back in the thick of the race to qualify for the World Finals.

Halverson is this weekend’s Velocity Tour invite to Nashville. The No. 38-ranked bull rider in the world is a mere 10.25 points behind No. 35 Lucas Divino.

The Gordon, Nebraska, native is 2-for-5 in three premier series events. He has drawn Wileywood Blue (9-3, UTB/METC) for Round 1.

Velocity Tour No. 1 rider Michael Lane, who is tied with Halverson for the most VT wins, turned down a draw spot for Nashville and will be competing at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

DIVINO DOWN TO FINAL EVENT EXEMPTION

Lucas Divino is hanging on to the final World Finals qualification spot – No. 35 – but that does not necessarily mean he has a guaranteed draw spot on the Unleash The Beast.

This season, only the Top 30 riders in the world are guaranteed a draw spot weekly on the UTB. Therefore, Divino has some work to do this weekend now that he is down to his last injury exemption.

Divino is only 16 points behind No. 32 Eli Vastbinder, who was the only alternate in the draw this weekend, and only 50 points outside the Top 30.

The 27-year-old is 3-for-8 and has been climbing up the standings (+9) since returning from reconstructive hip surgery in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on July 31.

Divino takes on Big Man (0-0, UTB) in Round 1.

No. 52 Daylon Swearingen will continue to attempt to get back inside the Top 30 as he will have three more exemptions following Nashville. Swearingen has bucked off five consecutive bulls heading into his matchup against Express Lane (3-2, UTB)

LEME 90-POINT RIDE WATCH

 
World No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme is attempting to set the new PBR single-season record for 90-point rides this weekend. He is currently tied with 1999 PBR World Champion Cody Hart with 16 rides. Leme likely would have broken the record last weekend in Little Rock, Arkansas, with a ride on Oilfield Outlaw’s Yellow Feather if not for a slap immediately coming out of the chute.

The 25-year-old has drawn Show Me Homie (28-9, UTB) for Round 1.

Leme has a 424-point lead in the world standings into Nashville.

ROUND 1 REMATCHES

Cody Teel vs. Good Night Robicheaux (0-3)
Dener Barbosa vs. Sky Harbor (4.28 seconds in Bismarck, North Dakota)
Derek Kolbaba vs. Ponotoc (1-3; 87.75 points in Billings, Montana)
Taylor Toves vs. Mike’s Motive (5.65 seconds in Omaha, Nebraska)

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media

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