Woopaa Takes Lead in YETI World Champion Bull Race as Bull Power Dominates in Sioux Falls

By: Justin Felisko

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – There were many, many frustrated bull riders this weekend inside the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. The majority walked out of the arena dragging their bull rope, battered, beaten down and covered in dirt.

The Unleash The Beast locker room encountered fierce bull power during the three-day event, which featured a 15/15 Bucking Battle. The 65-rider field went a combined 28-for-128 (21.87%).

The bulls were even ranker on Championship Sunday, with three bulls erupting for 46-plus bull scores – Dennis The Menace (46.25 points), Bread Basket (46 points) and Moonlight Party (46 points).

Dennis The Menace earned his best bull score of the season by launching Mason Taylor off in his back in the championship round in only 3.08 seconds. The out was also Steve Viducic’s bovine’s best since he won the Bull of the Finals title at the 2021 World Finals with a 46.25-point score when he took down Taylor in 4.17 seconds.

 
“I just really liked his intensity and how he got off the ground,” Viducic said. “It looked like he half knew what he wanted to do. A lot of times with that bull, our biggest thing is he’s just not patterned and not really consistent. When he does his deal, like he does here and like he did at the Finals, he’s a great, great bull, but then he has those days where nobody knows what’s going to happen.”

That inconsistency has been costly. Dennis The Menace began the year with world title aspirations, but he is only 5-0 with an average bull score of 44.15 points and is No. 32 in the world standings.

Viducic knows that if Dennis The Menace could mature a little more, he may have a title contender on his hands. Dennis The Menace is still a perfect 13-0 in his premier series career.

“Real frustrating when you know you’ve got one that’s capable of doing that and you don’t get it from him on a consistent basis,” Viducic admitted. “But he’s 5 years old this year, so hopefully he matures and comes into his own. That’s all we can hope for.”

Bread Basket earned his career-high score by launching Alex Marcilio at the 2.57-second mark. Moonlight Party, the No. 3-ranked bull in the world, helped his case in the YETI World Champion Bull race by downing Alisson de Souza in 4.21 seconds in the championship round.

Moonlight Party increased his World Champion Bull average to 45.58 points.

The 2022 YETI World Champion Bull will be the animal with the highest average bull score from their top-six regular-season outs and two outs at the PBR World Finals.

Woopaa regained the world No. 1 ranking when he bucked off Daylon Swearingen in 5.85 seconds in the 15/15 Bucking Battle. However, Woopaa appeared to almost stop bucking right at the end of the out.

 
“I’m happy we’re back in the lead, but no, I’m not happy with the out yesterday,” stock contractor Laramie Wilson said. “I debated on bucking him again today, but I’m just going to wait and get him fresh.”

Wilson said he plans on next bucking Woopaa at the PBR Express Ranches Classic, presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on April 15-16.

This season, the 6-year-old is 7-2 with a World Champion Bull average of 46.17 points. He is a mere 0.04 points ahead of No. 2 Ridin Solo.

Wilson believes a week off will be good for Woopaa, who has bucked at four of the past five UTB events.

“Last year, we had 10 or 11 months to get eight outs,” Wilson said. “This year, we’ve got four months to get six outs, so we’ve kind of had to push a little bit harder. And I think he does a little better when he’s fresher, but I can’t leave him home to be fresh. I’m out of time. I’m having to do what we’re doing right now.”

Wilson and company are also being pushed in the World Champion Bull race by a fierce challenger in Ridin Solo.

Ridin Solo did not compete in Sioux Falls, but Cord McCoy is going to haul his World Champion contender to the Pacific Northwest to buck him at the PBR Everett Invitational Wednesday night in Everett, Washington (11 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network) and then again in Tacoma, Washington, next weekend at the PBR Wrangler Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires.

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media

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