Cody Jesus Wins CBR 2018 Battle of the Plains title but prize purse in Jackson now $78,250

 Anticipation builds as CBR bull riders left $48,250 dollars in the CBR bank after Enid where the bulls took complete control of the Battle of the Plains bull riding knocking off the top ranked riders in CBR… and the world. 28 bull riders faced 46 bulls in three rounds of electrifying competition that included four World Champions and eleven National Finals Rodeo qualifiers on the dirt at the Central National bank Center.

Photo By: Todd Brewer

Twenty qualified rides produced an adrenaline rush high energy show of some of the best bull riding talent in the world. But at the end of the four man Shoot Out round, it was the Oklahoma Bull team, Mike Sellers Bucking Bulls, that took home the largest payout check and the CBR’s next event in Jackson, Tennessee is now worth $78, 250 to the bull riders, the first time in history the amount has rolled over three times.

“It is really exciting to see the money being available as we make history and roll the prize purse over for the third time, the money available thru these types of large purses on the Road to Cheyenne tour are life changing wins for young athletes,” said four time World Champion bull rider and CBR Ambassador and Chute boss Tuff Hedeman.   

Cody Jesus of Sawmill, Arizona was the average winner of the event with 181 points on two bulls.

CBR rules of competition are if no rider makes a qualified ride in the four man Shoot Out round the bulk of the prize money is rolled into the prize purse of the next Road to Cheyenne tour event. 

Round One

The first rider on the day sheet, Trey Benton of Rock Island, Texas, took the first lead with a 90 point ride on the 2017 Bull of the Year, 911 Hy Test, owned by Matt Sharping and competing for Jared Allen’s Pro Bull Team.  The PRCA’s number two bull rider in the world for 2017 held that lead thru 24 riders until United States Army veteran Juan Alonzo broke what had become a four way tie of 90 points on the leaderboard. Alonzo, known for big rides in big moments, thrilled the crowd with a 91 point effort on 647 MoJo owned by Lyndal Hurst. Round one concluded with fourteen qualified rides including solid showings from two rookies, Oklahoma’s Matt Palmer of Chelsee and Trey Holston of Fort Scott, Kan., who were 90 and 86.5 point respectively. The two rookies held their own where they were among the 26 seasoned professionals entertaining the standing room only crowd at the Central National Bank Center in Enid where five NFR qualifiers posted scores to advance to the CBR’s second round.

Semifinal Round

Powered by the CBR Bull Team Challenge competition, the Semifinal round bulls were stacked and stationed ready to fire, and fire they did. Reigning CBR World Champion Sage Kimzey was the first to ride two taking an early lead in the average with 175 points after his 89.5 point ride on 304 Vegas Lights (Barnett/Barker). Tyler Bingham followed with 82.5 on CPR’s Blind Spot but not enough bull to surpass Kimzey at this point in the competition. The next three would buck off until the PRCA’s Rookie of the Year, Boudreaux Campbell would take 33 Tamale (Harris) for 85 points and 173.5 in the average. Koby Radley drew 626 Karaoke and after an 88.5 effort, he slid into the top slot with 176.5 on two.

Cody Rostockyj came charging back into the CBR season with an 89.5 on Rockin R’s 027 Concealed Carry and be in control of the bull draw in the final round with a 179.5 average score. Navajo Nation bull riding World Champion Cody Jesus was smiling when he realized he had a rematch with 756 Whacked Out and the possibility of being the number one rider going into the Shoot Out where in CBR competition the rider controls his own destiny by selecting his bull for the final four man payout round. Jesus rode his old friend, 756 for 91 points and took the lead and the pick away from Cody Rostosckyi with a 181 point average on two. 

Shoot Out

Four seasoned pros moved into the huddle with Tuff Hedeman to discuss the four man selection process and when all was said and one it was number one and two Cody Jesus and Cody Rostockyj with the rematch and dream draw. Jesus selected Harris’s Rising Sun, a bull he rode in Cheyenne at the World Finals. Rostockyj then took a bull that lives just a few miles away from him and he has seen multiple times and always wanted a chance to ride, 10 Damn Frustrating (Whisnant-Shaw). Radley then selected Speckled Bird, a bull familiar to the CBR contestants, which left Kimzey to face Cowbanger, a bull that has cost the 7 time World Champion several event titles and over $100,000 in earnings.

All four came down before the whistle but Cody Rostockyj as awarded a reride after the bull hipped himself on the way out of the chute. In a bold move he decided to get on the same bull instead of a re ride bull Tuff Hedeman had loaded in the back pens. “Run him back, I want another shot at him,” laughed Rostockyj when answering the question of the reride. Rostockyj, a multiple event champion and NFR qualifier, was in a good mood considering he just lost over $48,000 dollars when he bucked off the bull that was raised near his home in Lorena, Texas, but he had to drive over 400 miles to attempt.     

 

World Standings Race

CBR’s number one ranked rider, Boudreaux Campbell, came to work in Enid not only to win the largest purse but to keep his number one ranking. Although disappointed he did not have an opportunity to ride three, his two qualified rides were enough to retain his lead in the CBR’s World Standings Race with 619.5 points. With 173.5 points on two bulls he missed the Shoot Out round by 1.5 points. Without an opportunity for a third bull, Campbell could have lost the number one ranking if Cody Jesus had ridden and earned a minimum of a 78 point score in the Shoot Out Round. Rookie Trey Holston rode one and remains in the top five in the number 3 position. Koby Radley moved into the #5 slot with Sage Kimzey, Trey Benton, Juan Alonzo and Cody Rostockyj rounding out the top ten after the fifth event of the already in progress CBR 2018 season. 

Bull Team Challenge

In what was the closest team victory in CBR memory, Mike Seller’s bull team from Duncan, Oklahoma  took home the top prize package that includes a Hy O Silver trophy buckle and a check for $20,000 on Saturday night where his three bull team winning point total was 286.08 points.

With two seasoned bulls and one newbie, 410 Bout Time, Sellers Bucking Bulls ranch foreman Mark Willet convinced Sellers to give 410 a shot in Enid.  “We raised 410 and he is out of Make Ya Famous, we knew he had some talent and the day came to decide and Mark thought he was ready,” said Sellers who stayed home to host and produce a benefit bull riding at his Up the Creek Ranch.

Sellers and Willet put together their team with three bulls including 2078 Cowtown Cartel, a former CBR Bucking Bull of the year, 410 Bout Time, and 756 Whacked Out. The team’s bulls posted two qualified rides, Palmer 86.5 in round one and Cody Jesus’s round winning 91 points in the Semifinal found to edge out the second place team, Jerilyn Harmon’s Elite #2, by a hair. Harmon was 286 points. Third place was Rafter B Rocking C, Harris piloted by Jeff Harris with 282.68. Rounding out the top four was Chad Ramer and David Findley’s Rockin R//Okeechobee/Sycamore Springs team with 281.86. 

Battle on the Great Plains Results

1, Cody Jesus, 181 points, $2,250. 2, Cody Rostockyj, 179.5, $2250. 3, Koby Radley, 177, $2250, 4, Sage Kimzey, 175, $2250. 5. Boudreaux Campbell 173.5, $1250.

Bull Team Challenge Results

1, Sellers Bucking Bulls, Duncan, Oklahoma, 286.06 points, $20,000. 2, Jerilyn Harmon’s Elite Bulls 2, 286.0 points, $12,000. 3, Rafter B Rockin C Harris, 282.68, $8,000. 4, Okeechobee, Rockin R/Sycamore Springs, 281.86, $5,000.

Champion Bull, V9 Roy’s Boy owned by Mike Rawson

Bull of the Event - Tie, 89.5 points, 436 Chrome Hatchet owned by Championship Pro Rodeo and 756 Wacked Out, Sellers Bucking Bulls. ~CBR Media