There were five Australian riders in action at PBR events on US soil over the weekend. Aaron Kleier and Brady Fielder were joined in Chicago by Troy Wilkinson for his first premier series event in almost two years.
We also saw Lawson Nobbs and Lane Mellers make their first appearance of the new year in Reno on the Velocity Tour.
2020 PBR Unleash The Beast Tour – Chicago, IL.
Round 1
Aaron Kleier made light work of Next Level Bucking Bulls’ Hard Juice in Round 1, marked 86.5 points for a ninth-place finish in the opening round. The bull turns straight back into his hand, and the dual Australian Champion made some great moves to stick with him. The bull reversed back to the right at the 6 seconds mark, but the damage was done.
Kleier’s score held on for an eighth place in the round, and he earned 3 World Points.
Clermont’s Brady Fielder rode Biker Bob for 3.22 seconds after the Dakota Rodeo – Chad Berger, Clay Struve and H&C Bucking Bulls bucker turned back to the left. Fielder got slightly behind, shifted to the outside and couldn’t recover. He was out the back but got away safely with the bull collecting 42.5 points.
Troy Wilkinson didn’t have the best of luck in Round 1 with Iceberg Slim from Blake Sharp and Henry Wilson getting caught up leaving the chutes. He backed out, ran off to the right and turned sharply back to the left, causing the Upper Horton cowboy to slap at 2.80 seconds. The bull was marked 39.75 points.
Round 2
An 84-point ride aboard Bugle Boy from Black Sharp was not enough to get Brady Fielder back for the short round. The bull turned back into his hand, and the 20-year-old made no mistakes, putting together an uneventful, but confidence-building ride which ended with a step-off.
Fielder’s ride earned him 5 World Points for finishing seventh in the round.
Troy Wilkinson showed plenty of hustle aboard Bottom’s Up from TCB Ranch and K-C Bucking Bulls, but the buck off came at the 5-second mark. The bull turned back into his hand, and the 29-year-old made some nice corners; however, the bull power got too much, and he was launched out the back. The bull was marked 42.75 points.
Mason’s Missouri Golden was the second-round opponent for Aaron Kleier. The bull lept clear of the chute and turned back to the left. The Clermont bull rider avoided the well once but has he was sucked down a second time. The bull reversed direction at the optimal time, and that sealed Kleier’s fate. A 5.19 seconds buck off with the bull receiving 40.75 points.
Championship Round
Aaron Kleier made it back for the short go for the 12th spot in the draft and Preachers Kid from RD Cattle and K-C Bucking Bulls. The bull extended his unbeaten record to 15-0 with the buck off coming at 3.89 seconds and was marked 43.75 points.
The bull left the chutes and kicked hard on the turn back to the left, causing Kleier to get to the outside slightly. He overcorrected as the bull shifted direction back to the right as they reached the upright, causing the buck off.
Kleier finished the event in thirteenth place, and Fielder wound up in twentieth place. Both received no further points towards the 2020 PBR World Standings for their aggregate finishes.
Here are the full results from Chicago.
2020 PBR Velocity Tour – Reno, NV.
Round 1
Moura’s Lawson Nobbs opened his weekend with 87-points aboard Fat Boy from Rafter B Bucking Bulls. The bull turned back to the right and away from Nobbs’ hand, but reversed back to the left at around the 5.5-second mark. The 22-year-old kept a good seat which allowed him to open up late and finish strong to split third place in the round.
Lane Mellers was down early in his 2020 debut. The Mundubbera bull rider bucked off Blame It On The Whiskey in 3.37 seconds. The JHQ Bucking Bull turned immediately back to the left, and while Mellers looked i nice shape for a spin, the bull had too much power and was marked 43.5 points.
Round 2
Lawson Nobbs‘ opening-round ride bought him back for Round 2 and set up a matchup with Jackhammer from Flip’em Buck’en Bulls and Knapp. The bull made a sharp turn to the right as Nobbs’ called for the gate. He stuck to his rope for a round or two, but the bull gained the upper hand for a 3.44-second buck off and a 43-point bull score.
Championship Round
Despite his buck off in the second round, Lawson Nobbs slipped to only in the aggregate, with Concealed Carry from Rockin R Bucking Bulls waiting in the final round. The bull made a strong move leaving the chutes and made his regular turn back to the left. Nobbs got shifted a bit too far back from his rope, and he shot out the back for a 2.06 second no score. The bull was marked 41.5 points.
The buck off left Nobbs splitting seventh place in the event, and he earned 4 points towards the 2020 PBR World Standings.
Here are the full results from Reno.
World Standings Update
Just a quick update on the 2020 PBR World Standings. They seem to be taking plenty of time to update on the new system, and the rider profiles are not displaying the information accurately.
I will provide a full update sometime over the next few weeks as we approach the cut, which I believe comes after the seventh event of the UTB season.
Check out the full (but not correct at 9:00 am AEST Monday) 2020 PBR World Standings here.
Stay tuned for coverage of the three-day Denver Velocity Tour event this week and check back on Wednesday for a Rundown of what is coming up in the PBR!