Tyler Smith Wins FIRST BFT at San Antonio, TX

prbnow.com - 06/19/2007
by Megan Darnell

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (May 19, 2007) - The Ford Country Classic part of the Professional Bull Riders' (PBR) Built Ford Tough Series presented by Wrangler (BFTS) concluded tonight from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The 18th stop on the elite BFTS treated 18,000 Texas bull riding fans to big scores and rank wrecks. Event alternate, Tyler Smith (Fruita, Colo.) made the most of his weekend in San Antonio by claiming his first ever BFTS event championship and $29,880 in PBR bucks.

"Winning my first BFTS event is awesome," said Smith. The 20 year old has competed in 12 elite BFTS events during the 2007 season but his highest placing prior to San Antonio was tying for 12th in Nampa, Idaho.

Smith credited his bulls for his victory. "I just drew two great bulls tonight and made the most of the situation," Smith added. "I've been down in the standings and just knew I needed to do good in San Antonio to move up."

Smith's first round score of 86.75 points on Mud Flap owned by Bonsall Bucking Bulls was enough to be the 13th ranked cowboy going into the Built Ford Tough Championship Round. His final ride aboard Re-Vamp owned by Chumley Cattle Company earned him 90 points and eventually the event championship.

2004 PBR World Champion, Mike Lee (Decatur, Texas) put out his best effort but ended up .25 points short of the title. In fact, the scoring was so tight that the event champion had to be verified by computer calculation at the conclusion of the event.

"He (Tyler) has a lot of heart," said Mike Lee after the event. "He's got a lot of talent and I've never seen him stop trying. He's going to be a great bull rider."

In an electrifying first round of the Ford Country Classic, 22 cowboys made the eight second whistle. 2002 PBR World Champion, Ednei Caminhas (P. Alves, Sao Paulo, Brazil) claimed the top spot in the round with form reminiscent of his championship year, scoring 89 points on D&H/Anderson's Cosmo. However, he failed to make the required eight seconds on Eddie Munster owned by Roy Carter Bucking Bulls in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round.

In the race for the PBR World Championship, Justin McBride (Elk City, Okla.) and J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.) are 568.25 points apart with McBride continuing to lead the 2006 Daisy Rookie of the Year. McBride had a prime opportunity to pull even further away from Mauney when he qualified for the Championship Round, because Mauney failed to successfully ride his first round bull. However, Cat Daddy of Diamond S Bucking Bulls quickly turfed McBride in the final round, resulting in a missed opportunity to accumulate more BFTS Points.

Don't miss one second of the action as the battle for the PBR world title continues to intensify. The inaugural Jupiters Casino PBR World Cup will air on VERSUS when the event bucks out of the chutes from Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia on June 8 - 10. The best of the best return from hiatus for the Jack Daniel's Invitational in Nashville, Tenn. on June 16 and 17. VERSUS will air the event on June 16 at 9 p.m. ET and on Sunday, June 17 at 8 p.m. ET. Be sure to check your local listings for complete broadcast information.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Megan Darnell
PR/Marketing Manager
719.471.3008, ext. 3173 office
719-244-1295 cell
mdarnell@pbrnow.com

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