Halverson Clinches Second PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Win of 2021 at Series’ Debut Event in Springfield to Crack World’s Top 40
PBR’s bovine athletes remain dominant on Championship Saturday, allowing just three qualified rides in 47 attempts
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – As the debut PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event in Springfield, Massachusetts came to a climactic conclusion, no rider was more dominant than Conner Halverson (Gordon, Nebraska) on Championship Saturday at the PBR Springfield Invitational. Delivering the high-marked ride of the event in Round 2, Halverson clinched his second Velocity Tour victory of 2021 inside MassMutual Center, cracking the Top 40 of the PBR world standings.
Following a hard-fought 3.79-second buckoff aboard Capone (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls) in Round 1 Friday evening, Halverson was quick to rebound Saturday night. Drawing Bone Tomahawk (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls), the Nebraska native matched the bovine athlete jump-for-jump en route to a round-winning 86.5-point score.
Halverson’s score catapulted him to the top of the event leaderboard and, despite a 2.38-second buckoff in the championship round, dealt to the 20-year-old by Cutthroat (Cornwell Bucking Bulls), allowed him to clinch the event victory.
For his efforts, Halverson earned a critical 37 world points.
Seeking his career-first qualification to the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas in November, Halverson rose into the world’s Top 40. After beginning the event ranked No. 47, he is now No. 37, 36.5 points outside of the Top 30 and a seeded position on the elite Unleash The Beast.
Halverson, previously victorious on the Velocity Tour in late May in Sioux City, Iowa, also gained significant ground in the race for the 2021 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Championship. He is now No. 2 in the race for the coveted title, 18 points behind series leader Michael Lane (Tazewell, Virginia).
The PBR’s world-class bucking bulls once again headlined the competition for the Springfield Invitational, showcasing their supreme athleticism by surrendering just three qualified rides in 47 attempts Saturday evening. Collectively across the two-day event, the bulls bucked off 93.1% of the riders, allowing a mere six qualified rides in 87 trips.
In a seven-way tie for the high-marked bull of the event honor, the rank pen was led by Custom Made (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls), Twist of Faith (Cornwell Bucking Bulls), Puddle Dock Road (Cornwell Bucking Bulls), Ace (J Bar W), War Paint (Cornwell Bucking Bulls), Night Shift (Cornwell Bucking Bulls) and Dirt Gangster (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls), each recording a 43.5-point bull score.
In Round 1, Custom Made earned the event-best marks for his 2.12-second trip with Elijah Lankford (Polkville, North Carolina), while Twist of Faith registered the score for his 1.58-second buckoff of Paulo Souza Rodriguez (Mato Grosso, Brazil). Out in Round 2, Puddle Dock Road dispatched Joseph Petersheim (Dundee, Ohio) in 1.61 seconds, while Ace sent Amadeu Campos Silva (Atair, Brail) to the dirt in 3.37 seconds, and War Paint got the better of Lane in 4.12 seconds.
Completing the septet, in the championship round the 43.5-point scores were logged by Night Shift when he bucked off Eduardo de Oliveira (Nova Lacerda, Brazil) in 2.94 seconds, and Dirt Gangster for his 1.82-second trip with Allen Burkholder (Millersburg, Ohio).
Returning to the event leaderboard, Round 1 winners Eli Vastbinder (Statesville, North Carolina) and Amadeu Campos Silva tied for second, each earning 20.5 world points.
Both delivering an 83.5-point ride in the opening round, Vastbinder covered Trump (J Bar W), while Silva made the 8 atop Livin’ Life (CG Bucking Bulls/Big Rafter Rodeo, LLC).
While Souza bucked off both his Round 2 and championship-round opponents, Vastbinder had his event come to an early end when he strained his right bicep in the second round following his 1.96-second buckoff aboard The Fist (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls), relegating him to the sidelines.
The silver finish allowed both riders to climb the 2021 PBR world standings.
Marking Silva’s first event of the season, he rose from unranked to No. 90.
For Vastbinder, he surged from No. 35 to No. 32. The North Carolinian is now within a mere 11 points of the Top 30.
Fourth was Eduardo de Oliveira, earning 10 world points.
The 28-year-old Brazilian rode Twist of Faith in Round 2 for 81.5 points.
Rounding out the Top 5 in fifth was Allen Burkholder.
Covering Kickin’ It (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls) for 80.5 points in Round 2, the Ohio native was propelled to his season-best finish, netting 7 world points.
The PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour will next travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan for the PBR Grand Rapids Classic. Action at Van Andel Arena will get underway Saturday, August 21 at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
