What can you say about these Finals? Austin Meier holds onto Secretary of Soul in a display of pure strength and determination, Renato Nunes emerges from an end of season slump to ride four in a row, and Chris Shivers, well, the guy is a champion and age doesn't change that.
A few thoughts on Round Four:
- Robson Palermo won the round with a 90.5 point ride on Hustlin, but was carried out of the arena on a backboard after landing on his head and neck. X-rays showed no fracture and an MRI will assess ligament damage.
- Bushwacker. He bucked off Jody Newberry in something like two seconds and received a bull score of 46.50. At first I thought that was too high, given the brevity of the outing. Then I watched it again. Then I watched it in slow motion, and then I watched the slow motion in slow motion, and then I watched the frame-by-frame. And that bull does things that I don't think I've ever seen a bull do before. First he kicks impossibly high. Then, while his legs are just starting to come down and his body is still almost vertical, he starts to turn his body sideways into the spin. And is is a massive turn. His whole torso creases as he bends almost in half. Then he lands his back legs and his head comes up and back. The rider starts to slide down as soon as the kick goes up. The twist knocks his body forward and his head down. By then the only reason his head doesn't collide with the bull's head is that he's already on the dirt. It's awe-inspiring what that bull does.
- Bushwacker, part two. Even though he doesn't look like Reindeer in terms of color and markings, you get some kind of weird Reindeer echo from the markings on Bushwacker's face.
- Bushwacker, part three. He won the Classic bull title and while he hasn't totally put away the PBR bull of the year title, Major Payne will need to score a 46.25 to beat him. Bones would need a 46.50 to do the trick.
- Last night marked the retirement of two PBR bulls: Troubadour and Cat Man Do. Troubadour is being retired because of a back injury. Cat Man Do is a long time veteran of the PBR. Both will have long and prosperous retirements as sires. Cat Man Do got to go out in fine style, looking great with Chris Shivers on his back for 89 points. That was a nice moment.
- Only one rider - Renato Nunes - is 4 for 4 in the Finals. Six are 3 for 4. Thirteen are 2 for 4. Twelve are 1 for 4. 21 have not scored.
- Of the six riders who have gone 3 for 4, only one (Guilherme Marchi) is in the top ten of the world standings. As for the rest, you might well have predicted that Silvano Alves would be in that group, and he is, but I dare say you would not have predicted Chris Shivers, Dustin Elliott, Wesley Lourenco, or Ross Coleman! Neither would I have.
- Austin Meier. What can anyone say that hasn't been said? So I'll just say that no matter what that guy ever does again, that's a moment I will remember.
Today is the last day of this marathon, and I bet everyone is going to be glad to see the finish line.
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