Hunter Ball Wins Round 1 of Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Event in Reading, Pennsylvania
By: Kacie Albert
READING, Pa. – In front of an electric Friday night crowd in Reading, Pennsylvania, Hunter Ball (Carsonville, Michigan) rode supreme, winning Round 1 of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour’s PBR Reading inside Santander Arena.
As competition got underway, Ball was tasked with Flashbang (GN Livestock & Bucking Bulls/Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls). Nodding with confidence, Ball burst from the chutes, matching the bull jump-for-jump en route to the requisite 8.
Marked 88.5 points, Ball not only won Round 1 and surged to the top of the PBR Reading event leaderboard but also earned 28 Velocity Global points.
Oakie (C-B Bucking Bulls) awaits Ball in Round 2.
With nine rides recording scores during Round 1, two Pennsylvania riders were among those to convert.
Grayson Cole (New Ringgold, Pennsylvania) led the duo, tying for second alongside Brandon Chambers (Newport, North Carolina).
Cole, who rides for the Florida Freedom in the separate PBR Teams league, dominated Grande Patron (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) for 86.5 points. Chambers logged a matching score on Game Day (C-B Bucking Bulls).
Courtesy of the silver showing, both Cole and Chambers earned 17.5 Velocity Global points.
In Round 2, Cole has drawn Trinity (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls), while Chambers will climb atop Air Shift (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls).
Looking down the leaderboard, the Keystone State’s Cody McCandless (Derry, Pennsylvania) tied for seventh with Jake Morinec (Mokena, Illinois). Both riders earned 12.5 Velocity Global points.
Scored a similar 84 points, McCandless converted atop Bottoms Up (J Bar W) and Morinec topped Risky Business (J Bar W).
McCandless and Morinec will look to climb the leaderboard in Round 2 when they take on 017 J Bar W (J Bar W) and Red Man (C-B Bucking Bulls), respectively.
Returning to the top of the event standings, Michael Lane (Tazewell, Virginia) and Dustin Martinez (Canjilon, New Mexico) rounded out the Top 5, tying for fourth. Each rider left Santander Arena with 15.5 Velocity Global points for their 85.5-point rides.
Lane rode Coolio (C-B Bucking Bulls), and Martinez reached the whistle on Steel Anchor (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls).
On Championship Saturday, Lane has drawn Game Day (C-B Bucking Bulls), and Martinez will attempt Dutchess of Earl (J Bar W) in Round 2.
Action for PBR Reading will conclude with Round 2 and the championship round on Saturday, Feb. 10. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. EST.
PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour
PBR Reading
Santander Arena – Reading, Pennsylvania
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3- Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Hunter Ball [1], 88.5-0-0-88.50-28 Points.
2. Grayson Cole, 86.5-0-0-86.50-17.5 Points.
(tie). Brandon Chambers, 86.5-0-0-86.50-17.5 Points.
4. Michael Lane, 85.5-0-0-85.50-15.5 Points.
(tie). Dustin Martinez, 85.5-0-0-85.50-15.5 Points.
6. Tyler Manor, 84.5-0-0-84.50-14 Points.
7. Cody McCandless, 84-0-0-84.00-12.5 Points.
(tie). Jake Morinec, 84-0-0-84.00-12.5 Points.
9. Max Castro, 74.5-0-0-74.50-10 Points.
Dustin Herman, 0-0-0-0.00
Hunter Ball [2], 0-0-0-0.00
Justin Ethridge, 0-0-0-0.00
Dylan Smith, 0-0-0-0.00
Matt Allgood, 0-0-0-0.00
João Paulo Fernandes, 0-0-0-0.00
Alvin Detweiler, 0-0-0-0.00
Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 0-0-0-0.00
Bennie Shetler, 0-0-0-0.00
Ueberson Duarte, 0-0-0-0.00
Josh Stepp, 0-0-0-0.00
Eduardo de Oliveira, 0-0-0-0.00
Alex Jenks, 0-0-0-0.00
Jake Goodson, 0-0-0-0.00
Colt Robinson, 0-0-0-0.00
Jarred Walker, 0-0-0-0.00
Axel Palacios, 0-0-0-0.00
Eder Barbosa, 0-0-0-0.00
Jake Schreiber, 0-0-0-0.00
Lucas Felix, 0-0-0-0.00
Perry Schrock, 0-0-0-0.00
Michael Phillips, 0-0-0-0.00
Eli Byler, 0-0-0-0.00
Jeferson Silva, 0-0-0-0.00
Darnell Bahe, 0-0-0-0.00
Dakota Johnson, 0-0-0-0.00
Photo courtesy of James Reuff
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