The Iron Cowboy Invitational returns this weekend in Arlington, TX, and it's shaping up to be a very exciting event. As a big college basketball fan, I love the bracket format in this event because it freshens things up a little from the regular week-to-week grind. The PBR made some necessary changes this year, and they should improve things a great deal. I've put together five fearless predictions heading into this year's Iron Cowboy Invitational. If you have anything to add, please feel free to comment below. Enjoy!
1. Multiple Seeded Riders Won't Get on Two Bulls
There are eight seeded riders in the Iron Cowboy Invitational, and they are among the big favorites for good reason. However, a number of them could very well be eliminated after their first bull. Austin Meier, Mike Lee, Silvano Alves, and Guilherme Marchi are the four who will face a tough situation in the Round of 16.
Meier has a solid bull in Big Tex, but either Stormy Wing or Pistol Robinson will have Priceless. Austin will probably make the whistle on Big Tex, but I don't think it will be enough. I have Wing advancing over Robinson, and left-handed riders get along well with Priceless. Wing could be a big-time surprise this weekend, and the number two rider in the world could make an early exit.
Mike Lee should be perfect for these competitions because of how many practice bulls he gets on, but the early draw doesn't set up real well for him. His first bull is Misunderstood, and no left-handed rider has made the whistle on this bull. If Paulo Lima gets by Aaron Roy, he will face Copp Hou. Lima rode this bull for 88.25 points last weekend in Oklahoma City. If Lee can somehow get by the Round of 16, however, the draw sets up very well for him to make a deep run.
Silvano Alves is the seeded rider with the worst draw in the Round of 16. He will be getting on Say When, and the bull hasn't been ridden in a year. Colby Yates has a decent shot to get past Travis Briscoe in the opening round, and if that's the case, he will face Mad Max. He isn't much easier to ride than Say When, but I would take my chances with him over the contrary. Alves has the second-highest riding percentage in 2011, so the odds will probably still go his way. Don't be surprised if he is eliminated early though.
Guilherme Marchi opted not to take a reride last weekend in hopes of being stronger this weekend in Arlington. His first bull will be Over The Edge, and he should ride him with no problems. However, Skeeter Kingsolver or Sean Willingham will have Maverick in the Round of 16. This bull is ridden often (four times in his last seven outs), and he should produce a higher ride score than Over The Edge. If Marchi gets to the quarterfinals, however, look out. He has dominated Wild N Out a couple times in the past year.
2. The Winning Rider Won't Make the Whistle on K93 Super Duty
This year's Iron Cowboy will get $50,000 for winning the event, and he will have a chance to earn an extra $100,000 if he stays on the bonus bull, K93 Super Duty. Formerly known as Major Payne, this bull has racked up an impressive record in recent years. Valdiron de Oliveira rode him for 92.75 points earlier this season, but making the whistle on this beast is a rarity. The winning rider will either have to ride four or five bulls to get an opportunity at K93 Super Duty, and by that time, they will be easy work for the animal athlete. He will be too much to handle.
3. Bushwacker Will Outshine I'm A Gangster
A lot of the talk going into this year's Iron Cowboy Invitational centers around the two rankest bulls in the world, Bushwacker and I'm A Gangster. Thankfully, each bull will only be out once at this year's event, and the two riders who make it to the Finals will face one of these two animal athletes.
They have each had their time in the spotlight this season, and they are both great for different reasons. Bushwacker is as physically impressive as any bull I've ever seen, while I'm A Gangster is the trickier of the two. When it comes down to it, however, Bushwacker is just better. He will prove that once again in Arlington when the two buck back-to-back. Both have bucked off riders extremely fast in 2011, and it's going to be fun to watch them this weekend. I'm just as excited to see these two bulls than I am to see the riders who will face them.
4. There Will Be More 90-Point Rides This Year
I was excited about last year's Iron Cowboy Invitational, but it ended up being a little disappointing in the end. Several bull riders went into the event struggling, and the bulls completely dominated. This year's event should be better because there are so many riders coming in riding well. In addition, I love several of the first and second-round match-ups. There could be several match-ups where both riders end up close to 90 points, and that's what the competition should be about. I fully expect the confetti to fall much more often this year, and it's going to create a lot of fireworks and excitement in Texas!
5. This Year's Iron Cowboy Will Be.........
The Brazilians have won all six Built Ford Tough Series events in 2011, and most of the talk heading into this year's Iron Cowboy Invitational is centered around them. They will be major contenders in Arlington, and it won't surprise me to see a couple of them in the semifinals. Austin Meier has been red hot the past few weeks as well, and his name has been mentioned a lot when predicting who will be the first non-Brazilian to win this season. All are good choices, but I'm going a different direction.
J.B. Mauney will be this year's Iron Cowboy for two reasons. First, he has a lot to prove after having a sub-par start to his season. Sure, he is still in the top 10, but he has ridden less than 50 percent of his bulls. For some, that's not that bad. For Mauney, however, it's just not good enough. The slow start will end in Arlington Saturday night.
The second reason is the possible bulls he will face in his path to the winner's circle. He was 92.5 points on Paycheck in December, and he has ridden Chicken on a Chain for 91.75 points before. Also, he is one of only four riders to ever make the whistle on Voodoo Child. Those three will put him in the Finals, and I'm taking whoever has I'm A Gangster over whoever has Bushwacker. The draw sets up very well for Mauney, and there is a possibility fans will see more than one 90-point rider from him this weekend.
