Campbell’s star continues to rise as he seizes CBR World Standings lead

 

The Conroe Texas Bull Mania presented by Demontrond Auto Group 

 

Photo: Todd Brewer

  Living up to the top billing as the place to be in Conroe Texas on Saturday night, the Conroe Bull Mania witnessed local crowd favorite Boudreaux Campbell attempt five bulls to try and earn the double purse prize money at the Lone Star Expo Center on Saturday night. At the end of the night Campbell earned the average and the Conroe Bull Mania title with 177 points on two bulls, but what the 18 year old cowboy from Crockett, Texas was chasing, the supersized prize purse, remains in the CBR Bank after the Shoot Out Round produced zero qualified rides and the money rolls over for a second time to the next CBR Road to Cheyenne event purse.

“I was just out of gas at the end after getting on five bulls, but I know I have to be able to finish no matter what in the future,” said a heartbroken Campbell after being within two seconds of winning his fourth event title championship on the Road to Cheyenne and missing the $33,750 check.

Paying tribute to the local First Responders during the opening ceremony, the action then got underway at the Lone Star where the fans were treated to nineteen qualified rides and two significant leaderboard changes during the three round tournament style CBR competition.

But Campbell was not the only new leader at the Bull Mania, the local “duke out” between Mayor Pro Tem Duke Coon and City Councilman Duane Ham continued and the war of words turned real when Ham, a former bull rider, rode Bill is No Bully, for the required 8 seconds to take over the Bill is No Bully World Championship from Coon.

“I am happy to be here and ride for such a great cause, Montgomery County is setting the example for the nation and we showed appreciation for the First Responders, Veterans and teachers of our area,” said Ham after his victory aboard Bill is No Bully.

The other local celebrity and night’s average winner, Boudreaux Campbell, a freshman at Panola College recently qualified for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and earned the PRCA’s Rookie of the Year award which identifies him as the top money earning cowboy of this year’s freshman pro rodeo class.

In addition to bringing the top 28 bull riders to town, Benny Cude, a local businessman who also serves as Chairman of the Board of CBR, raised money with the Coon vs Ham Ride Off for the anti-bullying campaign which features a live pet bull. Bill the bull greeted children and adults at the Conroe National Night Out early this week spreading the message thru a children’s book that “bullying” is not acceptable behavior. 

Round One

It was a fierce battle on the dirt in Conroe as the 28 CBR bull riders from 11 states fought to advance to the 12 man semifinal round. With 12 qualified rides in round one, one of the five CBR rookies on the roster, Mason Taylor from Maypearl, Texas, took the lead riding everyone’s favorite bull 059 Boomer (Elite) for 90 points and the round win. 

Two Louisiana cowboys would finish second and third in the round, Koby Radley would post 88.5 on 126 Hood Rat as the second highest score with Dustin Bouqet third in the round on 8363 Mighty Mike (Elite) who went right into his hand and was a big kicker in Conroe. Hurst’s big bucker Yellowhair challenged the World Champ who came out on top with 88 points. Kimzey who has seen the bull many times and waiting his turn to draw the CBR Finals and NFR bucker - was a solid 88 points. Top ranked rider Cody Jesus was 88.5 on Cory Melton’s 324A Heartaches and Grease, a new right hand delivery bull in the chutes that was lightening fast away from Jesus’s hand. The reigning National High School Rodeo Champion, Trey Holston, was 87.5 on Championship Pro Rodeo’s 885 Gold Digger.  

Campbell placed tenth in the round and had this to say about his first ride.

 “I rode Ol’ Black in Window Rock to win the Shoot out for 90 points, so I was excited to have him here in round one, he had a different trip this time and I was 86.5 - but it all worked out.”

Semifinals

The twelve man semifinal round slowed down the bull rider’s advantage a little bit, but seven of the twelve riders covered their draws for a score. First rider to cover two was Juan Alonzo and he was 89 on 33 Tamale (Long Creek Outfitters/Harris). The rides kept coming with Eli Vastbinder riding 49 B Top Line (Whisnant/Good ol Boys) for 87.5. Melancon was 86.5 on Hurricane Harry and Trey Benton III took 3404 Cimarron (Hurst/Baker) for an 88.5 spin putting him in the lead for 175.5.

Rookie Trey Holston was also 88.5 and Vastbinder was 87.5. Kimzey was the last qualified ride and stayed in the game at 87 points on Rawson’s Flip Flop. Sledge Hammer would end Radley’s night and Bouquet, Jesus and Taylor all followed bucking off 210 Chaos Ghost (Winston/Melton), 411 How Bout It (Sellers), and 128 Uptown Funk (Knapp).

Campbell was awarded a reride and subsequently had to ride two to get out of the second round and ride he did winning the round with 90.5 points.

“My reride was Y104 Speckled Pup from Jeff Harris and he’s a really good bull and my buddy Braden (Richardson) rode him a couple of weeks ago for 92 at the Horizon Series in Waterloo – so he helped me out with him, and he felt great and I got what I needed to advance.”

In addition to providing the Conroe fans nineteen spectacular ride moments thus far, the rankest marked bull of the night came from round two when Cunningham and Scoggins 208 Sledge Hammer took the night away from Koby Radley in 6.63 seconds. Radley made a valiant effort on the new bull from Waco team, but the bull’s performance earned him the honors and a four judge 90 point bull score which assisted the bull team to a fourth place win.

Shoot Out

Seven bull riders rode two, but only four advance to the final four man shoot out round, where the bulls and the bull riders take it up a notch. The stats left Eli Vastbinder, Juan Alonzo and Cole Melancon on the fence.  Campbell was the high man back with 177 on two and he wasted no time selecting Harris’s 31 Rising Sun after a quick consultation with Tuff Hedeman. Holston picked second and he selected 10 Damn Frustrating (Whisnant). Benton took Speckled Bird (Harris) and that left Kimzey with Crimson King (Melton).

Kimzey, Benton, and Holston all came down before the whistle as the pressure mounted for Campbell.  A few seconds into the out the bull came down to one knee and hung a horn in the dirt said the bull’s owner and traveling partner Jeff Harris. By virtue of the bull not providing the rider a fair opportunity - the judges gave Campbell a reride – on the same bull.  Campbell, now boarding his fifth bull would do everything in his power to stay on but at 6.34 seconds the bull would win the battle.

“I was just out of gas and that is a great young bull that bucked hard,” said Campbell after 6.34 seconds aboard the four year old 31 Rising Sun, and star, from Harris Bucking Bulls

World Title Race

Campbell rode two bulls in Conroe to take control of the CBR World Standings with 446 points.  85.5, or one bull score, behind Campbell is CBR World Finals Champion Cody Jesus who rode one in Conroe. The rookie from Ft Scott, Kansas, Trey Holston, is tucked into third just eight points behind Jesus with 362 points. Idaho cowboy Ruger Piva bucked off in round one but he remains in fourth with 347.5. The Road to Cheyenne tour resumes in January in Enid, Oklahoma where the prize is now one of the largest regular season purses - $63,750.00.

CBR Bull Team Challenge

Two women, Hannah White and Jerilyn Harmon made the trip to South Texas and as the only female hanging flank ropes last night in Conroe, Hanna White flanked the winning bull team for the Conroe Bull Mania taking Jerilyn Harmon’s Elite Bull Team 2 to victory with three qualified rides from two well-known CBR bulls (059 Boomer and 626 Karaoke) and one, 8363 Mighty Mike, that is earning his place on Jerilyn’s Elite string of buckers. The two ladies on the Road to Cheyenne, Jerilyn Harmon and Hannah White cleared the field by 2.84 points.

“This was special tonight to win it with Hannah White hauling the bulls and flanking them for the team.  She did a great job and this was really exceptional as we were in good company against such great other bull teams,” said Harmon. Hannah’s husband, PRCA and CBR World Champion Mike White had a scheduling conflict. 

 World Champion bull team stock contractor Jeff Harris of Palestine, Texas was second with his Long Creek Outfitters and Harris team with one qualified ride on 33 Tamale (Alonzo). Partners Mark and Jodi Smith of Long Creek Outfitters in Leon, Iowa, and Harris were second with 282.66 and one qualified ride from Alonzo’s 89.5 on 33 Tamale.

Sledge Hammer led the team of Cunningham and Scoggins to third place and the Bull of the Event Honors for their 208 bull who Cody Rostockyj predicted before the competition began he would be the single best bucker in the Conroe Bull Mania Bull Team Challenge. Cunningham and Scoggins earned the third place check on rank bull scores with zero qualified rides. Hudgins Bucking Bulls were fourth with two qualified rides from Cole Melancon on Category 4 and then Hurricane Harry.  CBR action continues on October 28 at the Horizon Series Spooktacular in Jacksonville, Texas produced solely for scholarship charity with the help of CBR World Champion Stock Contractor Jeff Harris.  CBR Road to Cheyenne tour action is on break until January when the tour resumes in Enid, Oklahoma where the purse will be $63,750.

Shoot Out Results

    Zero Qualified Rides

Average Results

1, Boudreaux Campbell, 177 points on 3, $2,250. 2, Trey Holston, 176, $2,250. 3. Trey Benton III, 175, $2,250. 4, Sage Kimzey, 175,  $2,250.

Round by round scoring available on www.cbrbull.com

Bull Team Results

1, Jeri Harmon’s Elite Team 2, 285.50, $20,000. 2, Long Creek Outfitters and Harris, 282.66,   $12,000. 3, Cunningham/Scoggins 1, Burleson/Barnett #1, 278.33, $8,000.00.4, Hudgins Bucking Bulls, 277.01, $5,000.       ~CBR Media