GET SOCIAL 
SHOP NOW AT:
WRANGLER.COM

PRCA Bull Riding Leader Campbell Eyeing First PBR World Finals Qualification

PUEBLO, Colo. – It was a no-brainer for Boudreaux Campbell on Thursday afternoon when the PBR competition department notified him there was a last-minute draw spot available for the Unleash The Beast PBR Bullnanza event.

Campbell immediately accepted the alternate position, partially because he was already scheduled to be in Guthrie, Oklahoma, on Saturday night for the WCRA’s Stampede at the E.

However, the No. 1 bull rider in the PRCA has not given up on qualifying for his first PBR World Finals later this season.

That remains a priority for him during the final three months of the PBR campaign whenever he can find a way to work around his PRCA schedule. The PRCA season ends on Sept. 30.

“It is a big goal. If I make the PBR Finals I can win the Rookie of the Year in that just through the Finals,” Campbell told PBR.com late Friday night. “If I can win Rookie of the Year, heck, maybe even the world in the PBR. I just have to see where it goes. I just want to stay on my bulls and see where it takes me.”

Campbell earned seven points toward the PBR world standings Friday night inside the Lazy E Arena by placing fifth in Round 1 with 85.25 points on Bogey.

 
The 21-year-old moved up five spots in the PBR world standings to No. 54.

Campbell is only 39 points outside of the Top 35 heading into his Round 2 matchup Saturday afternoon against Real Gun (1-7). Campbell will be in a great position to get a second score and a high pick for the championship-round draft. Real Gun has been ridden six consecutive times on the premier series for an average score of 87.13 points.

Fans can watch the conclusion of PBR Bullnanza beginning at 1:45 p.m. ET on RidePass. CBS Sports Network will also air the event Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.

Campbell did receive a re-ride option in Round 1, but he decided to turn down the opportunity to increase his score seeing as he has a busy weekend ahead of him.

Not only is he competing at the PBR Bullnanza event on Saturday afternoon, but he then will get on potentially two more bulls at the WCRA Stampede at the E.

The 10 bull riders in the Stampede at the E are competing for a total purse of $78,000, with the winner receiving $62,500.

The Stampede at the E will be awarding Velocity-level points to the bull riders competing. One rider can earn a maximum of 44 world points (30 for the event win and seven points per round win).

“I got a big opportunity tomorrow, and a really, really big day to cash out on some points, as well as some big money,” Campbell said. “Hopefully I will stay on all of my bulls. That is my goal, and I will have good confidence going into Baker, Montana, for the PRCA.”

Campbell will then make a three-hour drive late Saturday night to Dallas so he can catch a 6 a.m. flight out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Sunday morning to head to Baker for the Fallon County Fair & Rodeo.

“I should have took (the re-ride), but I got four bulls tomorrow and one more Sunday in Montana,” Campbell said of his decision-making process in Round 1.

This weekend is only Campbell’s second premier series event after making his debut in Guthrie at the non-public UTB event on April 25 with an 0-for-2 showing.

Campbell then went 3-for-10 at the Monster Energy Team Challenge to help Team Pendleton Whisky finish runner-up to Team Cooper Tires in the team-formatted tournament.

The Crockett, Texas, bull rider arrived in Guthrie this weekend with some momentum thanks to an 89-point ride this week in Jerome, Idaho, that won him the Jerome County Fair And Rodeo.

Campbell leads reigning six-time PRCA champion Sage Kimzey by a little less than $4,000 with six weeks left in the PRCA season. If Campbell were to win the PBR Bullnanza event on Saturday, he would be ranked inside the Top 30 of the PBR world standings.

“I am going to try my best and hopefully win this event and get on tour,” Campbell said. “Then I can make the NFR and the PBR Finals.”

Daylon Swearingen was the only bull rider last season to qualify for the NFR and the PBR World Finals.

A victory this weekend at PBR Bullnanza would put Campbell in the situation of having to miss some weekend rodeos to compete on the Unleash The Beast, if he chooses.

Campbell says that he is OK with missing some rodeos to pursue a spot at the PBR World Finals now that he has the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo locked up.

He also knows that he has to first take care of business on the PBR side before he truly has to worry about it.

“I definitely thought about it,” Campbell said. “It is going to be tough. It might not be the best timing in the world, but if you stay on your bulls everywhere you go, everything else will take care of itself. Just do your job. If I ride all of my bulls here, dominate here, then I will go to the PRCA when I can and dominate over there when I can. I will pass (Kimzey) at the Finals, if he passes me during the regular season.”

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

© 2020 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.

Related Content