The run towards PBR Finals Week continues this weekend with Touring Pro Division action scheduled in Australia, Canada and the USA. Time is running for riders hoping to find themselves in the Top 35 of the PBR World Standings and qualify for the PBR World Finals. Australia will be represented in all three countries so let’s get into this edition of the PBR Weekend Preview.
PBR Touring Pro Division
We kick things off Saturday morning at 10am with the 20th Annual Jerome Davis Invitational from Archdale, NC.
There are no Australian’s in action at this event however it shapes as an important event for two-time PBR World Champion JB Mauney. Mauney currently sits 38th in the World Standings and in danger of missing the World Finals. The 31-year old will be hoping for a good result on home soil to cement his ticket to Vegas.
Fan favourites Stormy Wing and Sean Willingham also feature on the Daysheet with a bunch of PBR young guns hoping to make a late run up the standings.
The two-day event will conclude on Sunday at 10am.
PBR Australia Touring Pro Division
The fight for the Australian National Champion Buckle is back in full swing with the Top 5 in the PBR Australia Nation Standings all competing in Blackall, QLD on Saturday night. Sixteen riders will battle it out over two long-go rounds with the top 10 returning for the Championship Round.
Aaron Kleier (Clermont, QLD) currently leads the PBR Australia National Standings by 405 points over Fraser Babbington (Gisborne, NZ) with Cliff Richardson (Gresford, NSW) a further 145 points adrift in third. There is a maximum of 425 points available in Blackall and while I don’t expect we will see a change at the top of the standings, it looks a nice opportunity for someone to improve their position.
The stock will be provided by Throsby and Russell Bucking Bulls and there are a lot of bulls that we have not seen in PBR competition so the riders will be taking Rounds 1 and 2 jump-for-jump.
The Championship Round pen, however, is loaded with bull power. Both Enemies Everywhere and Call Me Joe regularly post bull scores upwards of 44-points and look to be tough draws. On Point is a rider favourite that regularly carries riders to the top of the leaderboard.
The event is Free at the Blackall Showgrounds with the bull riding starting at 7pm.
You can find the full Blackall Daysheet here.
PBR Canada Touring Pro Division
Three Australia’s will compete in Canada on Sunday at the Glen Keeley Memorial Bull Ride.
The trio will be led by Lachlan Richardson (Gresford, NSW) who currently sits 34th in the PBR World Standings. Richardson holds an excellent riding percentage in Canada and has recorded 11 Top 5 finishes so far in 2018. The 25-year-old has drawn Headstruck from Eno Bucking Bulls in Round 1.
Justin Paton (Nebo, QLD) was a winner in Elnora, AB in his last start on Canadian soil and will be hoping to carry that in form into Stavely, AB this weekend. Paton has drawn F.O.A.D. from Thompson Rodeo Livestock.
Tamworth’s Lachlan Slade has ridden nearly 30% of his bulls in the land of the maple leaf this year. Slade is scheduled to ride in the last section of Round 1 and will face Morning Wish from Wild Hoggs and Trish Streeter.
Click here for the Stavely, AB Daysheet.
PBR Touring Pro Division
Lane Mellers (Mundubbera, QLD) will be flying the Aussie flag in Belton, TX this weekend with the two-day event kicking off at 10am on Sunday. The PBR Rookie has drawn Budakon from (Hale/Braun/Grimes/Wallgren) on the opening night of the Johnson Brothers Ford Touring Pro.
It looks a tough draw for the 18-year-old with the bull only covered once in eleven outs.
Mellers will be facing off with riders who sit just outside the PBR’s Top 35 and will be hungry for points so it should be an interesting event when results filter through.
The event will conclude on Monday. Stay tuned to social media for updates on Mellers’ Round 2 draw.
You can view the Night 1 Daysheet here.