By: Burke De Boer Sports Editor
Beneath the lights of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Cooper Davis sat on the back of a white speckled bull named Catfish John.
The 22 year-old Texas cowboy was behind two clear favorites to win the Professional Bull Riding title going into the fifth and final go-round.
J.B. Mauney. A two time world champion, Mauney rode the only 90-point ride of this year’s competition just the day before. Mauney just might be the best in the world.
Kaique Pacheco was the one on top of the leaderboard. Many consider him the next-to-be best in the world. If he won the 2016 golden buckle he would no longer have to be “next.”
Catfish John is an ornery snot. He was raised up by a North Dakota outfit that was crowned the PBR contractors of the year.
But this was Davis’ last chance.
Cooper Davis was not alone in hunting after Mauney and Pacheco. The Cherokee Kid Ryan Dirteater had a personal best season. He was ranked fourth in the world and first in the event. Though he hadn’t won a round in Vegas, he was the only one to go 5-for-5, successfully riding a bull every single night. This was despite the fact that he lacerated a lung in August.
It’s not every year that the deciding round comes this late. In 2015 Mauney had the whole deal sealed by round four. In fact, with four title seekers in round five, this was the closest championship race in PBR history.
Davis had been on top of Catfish John before. The two met in Sioux Falls earlier this year, where Davis rode the bull and got eight-eight points out of him.
When the chute opened in Vegas, bull and rider came out in a blast. Catfish John got to spinning to the right, in a tight circle. The bull moved in a reliable pattern. Little variation, lots of velocity.
Just like in Sioux Falls.
When the scores came in he had a 91 point ride and took the lead in the standings.
The last go-round came to end the whole event. Pacheco could take the lead back.
The young gun was joined by his countryman Guilherme Marchi. The old man has 14 more years of experience than Pacheco. Also unlike Pacheco, he wears a cowboy hat when he rides, not a helmet. And while Pacheco is the ideal height and weight for a bull rider, the six foot Marchi is a lot bigger than most in his profession.
Vegas has always been kind to Marchi. He was now ranked sixth in the world despite not being in the top ten when the first night kicked off.
In the championship round he drew Red Rover. Red Rover, the bull that’s never been rode.
Or never had been, until Guilherme Marchi rode him.
He got 87.5 points off of Red Rover, enough to finish second in the entire event. Dirteater was named the event winner after going 6-for-6 with a last ride on Brutus.
Pacheco was not so lucky. When he got thrown in the final round, it finally decided the world champion.
And the winner of the tightest title race in PBR history was a 22 year-old Texan named Cooper Davis.
Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu
