Express PBR Classic

The Built Ford Tough Series roared into Oklahoma City Friday night with the Express PBR Classic. This weekend they are in the heartland of bucking bull country. Some of the biggest name bulls made their first appearances of the 2006 season. Last years Bull of the Year Big Bucks, will make his first showing this year in tonight's championship round. Several other powerful bulls will also do their best to put the weekends top fifteen riders into the dirt, including Pandora's Box, Uncle Charlie, Smokeless Wardance, Palace Station Deuces Wild, and one bull very loved by the riders for his consistent outs, Mossy Oak Mudslinger. Though Mudslinger has been ridden just 24 out of 84 total attempts, riders who manage to stay aboard this big brindle bull are just about guaranteed a ninety plus point ride.

Round one showed last night (Saturday) on OLN. I didn't catch all of it, but some of the rides were outstanding. Luke Snyder picked up a much needed score on a new bull from Martin Baca Bucking Bulls, Mudd Boggy. Ross Johnson won the go round on Fender Bender, youngster Travis Briscoe topped veteran Uncle Charlie for second, with L.J Jenkins, Jody Newberry and Ross Coleman rounding out the top five. Some other riders were not so lucky.

One of these was Oklahoma cowboy Dan Hendricks. Hendricks faced off with Gnash, a relatively new bull from Rafter 7R Bucking Bulls. Dan and Gnash literally went head to head, with Dan ending up unconscious in the exit gate. One of the bull fighters dragged him out of the way, while one of the out riders used to help get the bulls out put his horse right in between Hendricks and Gnash to prevent further injury. He and his horse went down when Gnash steamrolled over them but both seemed to be okay. Hendricks did get up and walk out of the arena on his own, so hopefully he wasn't too badly injured.