(Editor's note: PBR media release)
PUEBLO, Colo. – Matt Triplett capped off a dominant weekend at the Buckin’ at the Ranch Touring Pro Division event Saturday night by riding Louisville Slugger for 92 points in the championship round to earn his first victory at any level of competition this calendar year.
Triplett double-entered the event held on stock contractor Nathan Ogden’s ranch in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, and he went a combined 4-for-4 to also pick up a fourth-place finish with his Friday night entry.
The 29-year-old earned 19 points toward the world standings to move up to No. 13 in the rankings.
Triplett was flawless all weekend long in Arkansas. He went 2-for-2 on Friday night with 85 points on Gator and 88.5 points on Times Up. Triplett then began his path to victory Saturday with 86.5 points on Makavelli.
Triplett’s 92-point ride on Louisville Slugger ripped the victory away from Colten Jesse, who had just ridden Uncle Gangster for 90.5 points in the championship round and Junio Patrik Souza.
Jesse rode Feeling Froggy for 84.5 points in Round 1, and he netted 7.5 points toward the world standings for tying Souza for second place.
The Konowa, Oklahoma, bull rider moved up to No. 5 in the world standings, and he trails world leader Jose Vitor Leme by 446.50 points.
Triplett is still 584 points behind Leme, but the Columbia Falls, Montana, native will look to gain more ground on July 31 & Aug. 1 at the Deadwood, South Dakota, Touring Pro Division event before the second half of the Unleash The Beast resumes with the PBR Dakota Community Bank & Trust Invitational, presented by Cooper Tire.
This weekend is the first time Triplett has ridden four consecutive bulls since December 21, 2019 when Triplett began the 2020 season with a TPD victory in Kearney, Nebraska, after riding his last two bulls at the 2019 PBR World Finals.
His 92-point ride is also tied for the second-highest of his career at all levels of competition. Jesse’s 90.5-point ride is also the second-best of his career at all levels.
Rounding out the Top 5 in Prairie Grove was Joao Henrique Lucas (2-for-2, 173 points, 3 world points).
Buckin’ at the Ranch was the brainchild of Ogden after Springdale's 76th annual Rodeo of the Ozarks was cancelled.
“The soul of a cowboy desires to do good to those in need,” Ogden said in a press release last month. “Our country is in dire need of positivity and an example of a way to move forward, safely, in a positive direction. Buckin' At The Ranch will feature the top PBR cowboys on a ranch with an Arkansas Dept. of Heath approved/CDC plan to include bleacher seating, lawn chair and blanket-viewing areas as well as a Drive-in/Park and Watch viewing option to include in-car FM tuning for live buck-by-buck announcing."
Ogden, the president of Pick-It Construction, built a custom arena for the event and brought in bleacher seating to transform 400 acres into a makeshift venue for the weekend.
Professional Bull Riders - Buckin' at the Ranch Prairie Grove, AR, 2020
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 1-Round 2-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Matt Triplett [2], 0-0-86.5-92-178.50-15 Points.
2. Colten Jesse [2], 0-0-84.5-90.5-175.00-7.5 Points.(tie). Junio Patrik Souza [1], 0-0-87.5-87.5-175.00-7.5 Points.
4. Matt Triplett [1], 0-0-85-88.5-173.50-4 Points.
5. Joao Henrique Lucas [1], 0-0-86.5-86.5-173.00-3 Points.
6. Luciano De Castro [2], 0-0-83-67-150.00-2 Points.
7. Rafael Henrique dos Santos [1], 0-0-0-90-90.00-1 Points.
8. Brennon Eldred, 0-0-87.5-0-87.50
9. Andrew Alvidrez [2], 0-0-86-0-86.00(tie).
Koal Livingston [2], 0-0-86-0-86.0011.
Kyle Jones [2], 0-0-85-0-85.0012.
Michael Lane [1], 0-0-84.5-0-84.5013.
Mauricio Gulla Moreira [1], 0-0-84-0-84.0014.
Leonardo Lima [2], 0-0-82.5-0-82.5015.
Andrew Alvidrez [1], 0-0-80.5-0-80.50(tie).
Junio Patrik Souza [2], 0-0-80.5-0-80.5017.
Leonardo Lima [1], 0-0-80-0-80.0018.
Mauricio Gulla Moreira [2], 0-0-74-0-74.00
Colten Jesse [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Joao Henrique Lucas [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Silvano Alves [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Silvano Alves [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Amadeu Campos Silva [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Amadeu Campos Silva [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Cody Casper [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Cody Casper [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Marcus Mast [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Marcus Mast [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Rafael Henrique dos Santos [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Dakota Louis [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Dakota Louis [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Brady Sims [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Brady Sims [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Keith Hall [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Keith Hall [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Paulo Ferreira Lima [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Paulo Ferreira Lima [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Kyle Jones [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Romildo Rodrigues, 0-0-0-0-0.00Gage Gay [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Gage Gay [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Luciano De Castro [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Ouncie Mitchell [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Ouncie Mitchell [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Hunter Ball, 0-0-0-0-0.00Carlos Garcia [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Carlos Garcia [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Allen Burkholder [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Allen Burkholder [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Andre da Cruz de Souza [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Andre da Cruz de Souza [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Tyler Harr [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Tyler Harr [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00James Harper [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00James Harper [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Michael Lane [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Lamar Lehman [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Lamar Lehman [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Fernando da Conceicao, 0-0-0-0-0.00Ty Wainwright [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Ty Wainwright [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Jake Gowdy, 0-0-0-0-0.00Chase Dougherty, 0-0-0-0-0.00Austin Richardson [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Austin Richardson [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Manoelito de Souza Junior, 0-0-0-0-0.00Koal Livingston [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Dustin Ratchford, 0-0-0-0-0.00Elijah Lankford, 0-0-0-0-0.00Alex Jenks, 0-0-0-0-0.00Matt Hennelly [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Matt Hennelly [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Kade Alberty, 0-0-0-0-0.00Perry Schrock, 0-0-0-0-0.00Matt Oliver [1], 0-0-0-0-0.00Matt Oliver [2], 0-0-0-0-0.00Mason Ward, 0-0-0-0-0.00Quincey McDonald, 0-0-0-0-0.00Ryan Kornegay, 0-0-0-0-0.00
