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[> Subject: Re: WAY TO GO, DUSTY!!!
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Author:
Kris
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Date Posted: 10:23:51 04/01/09 Wed
Hill out; LaBeth moves up
BFTS makes third cut of the season
PUEBLO, Colo. (April 1, 2009) - Avoiding the cut has been an uphill battle for some cowboys.
Beau Hill is the latest rider to be cut from the Built Ford Tough Series. The 30-year-old from Montana finished the weekend in 31st place in the world standings, a mere 51 points behind McKennon Wimberly.
As a result, Hill, who is in 32nd place in the Copenhagen Bull Riding Challenger Tour standings, will now have to earn approximately another $4,000 or more at the lower level events in order to work his way back onto the BFTS as an alternate.
The PBR administrates cuts every five events.
The Top 30 BFTS riders – as the standings indicate today – are now locked in for the next five events, along with the Top 5 money earners from the Challenger tour who are not already ranked in the Top in the world.
Because of the lower-level earnings, which includes international money, Pete Farley, Jock Connolly, Dusty Ephrom, Dusty LaBeth and Nick Landreneau will be guaranteed the next five events to work their way into the Top 30, otherwise they will have to simultaneously maintain their lead on the Challenger tour.
LaBeth, who won more than $2,900 this past weekend at a Discovery event in Palestine, Texas, will make his first appearance at a 2009 BFTS event this weekend. The 29-year-old is a three-time qualifier for the PBR World Finals and his best season was 2001, when the Kansas native finished 19th in the world.
Last weekend, two of the Top 30 riders – Ryan Dirteater, 10, and Brian Herman, 27 – missed the Albuquerque event due to injuries. This coming week in Nampa two other riders – Mike White, 19, and Mike Lee, 22 – will also miss the event along with them.
With four riders out because of injuries, 26 of the 40 slots are filled with the top-rated riders in the world. The next five will be the top money earners from the Challenger tour along with another spot in the draw being filled by Aaron Roy, who is using his one and only injury exemption after missing the Birmingham event three weeks ago.
That leaves room for eight alternates.
Those spots – in order of their qualification based on money earned on the Challenger tour – will be filled by Ben Jones, L.J. Jenkins, Jody Turner, Reese Cates, Michael Manes, Rocky McDonald, Clayton Baethge and Tanner Girletz.
While the BFTS Top 30 qualifiers and the Top 5 money earners from the Challenger tour are locked in for the next five events, the alternate list is updated on a daily basis based on money won at any point in time.
That is precisely why, two weeks ago, Jenkins and Cates elected to pass on a BFTS alternate position in effort to improve their overall Challenger standings.
NEWS AND NOTES
Pee Wee’s big adventure: Brian Herman is expected to return to the BFTS in two weeks for The NILE Invitational presented by Cooper Tires, which will take place in Billings. At that time, he will have missed six events because a fracture of his left ankle. Currently the 38-year-old, 15-year pro is still ranked 27th in the world.
Mike and Mike on the Injury Report: Mike Lee will miss this weekend’s event in Nampa with a bruised thigh and Mike White will miss the event as well with a right shoulder sprain.
—by Keith Ryan Cartwright
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