DENVER - For Shane Proctor, it was a bittersweet trip.

Wednesday night, he received one final honor for his accomplishments in 2011 - a bronze trophy as the Touring Pro Division Champion.

The overall champion was determined by money earned throughout the TPD season.

"It really was an amazing year," Proctor said. "It's still new to me. It really was a cool year. It's probably something that I'll always cherish. I cherish just going and getting on bulls."

Proctor, who broke his left arm in December, said it was difficult to watch last weekend's Built Ford Tough Series event on television, and equally hard being at the Denver Coliseum for the Touring Pro Finale on Tuesday and Wednesday knowing he's still a few months away from competing.

'It really was an amazing year.'

"Just seeing the crowd and knowing that was the first event of the year, that was really tough," said Proctor of the Madison Square Garden Invitational, "but I watched it because that makes me want it even more."



Chance Roberts, who was the only rider to cover three bulls at the Denver Shootout, won the TPD Finale event with a combined 262.5 points.

He earned the win in the short round when he covered Priceless for 91 points. His third-round score was the only qualified ride in the final round.

"They all looked pretty good," he said. "I was lucky to stay on and get the job done."

The win is Roberts' first in the three months he's been competing since missing an extended period of time with a broken collarbone last summer.

He said the injury is healed, he feels good and has been "hitting the gym."

"I just have to keep riding and trying to do what I do," Roberts added.

Last year, he was en route to his third Top 10 finish in six Built Ford Tough Series events when he was injured. He also had a pair of second-place finishes at TPD events. He made his BFTS debut in 2010 and twice rode his way into Built Ford Tough Championship Rounds.

As a freshman in high school, he won the Illinois state bull riding championship in 2007, and went on to finish third at the National High School Finals.

Wednesday night he out-rode reigning World Champion Silvano Alves and home-state hero Kody Lostroh, who won the world title in 2009. Valdiron de Oliveira, Ryan Dirteater, J.B. Mauney and L.J. Jenkins were also among the top-ranked riders who qualified for the final round in Denver.

'You just have to try and ride every bull you get on. You can't worry about everybody else. You're not really competing against them. You're competing against the bulls.'

"You can't really think about that," Roberts said. "You just have to try and ride every bull you get on. You can't worry about everybody else. You're not really competing against them. You're competing against the bulls."

Roberts is working his way back to the BFTS as an alternate, while Proctor will be out of competition for another few weeks.

Proctor will start physical therapy on Friday, and said he's about five weeks from the bone in his left arm being healed.

Originally, he was scheduled to have one plate and two screws inserted above his elbow to help strengthen the bone. However, doctors discovered more damage, and he wound up with two plates, 15 screws and bone grafts.

"They basically rebuilt that bone," Proctor said. "The bone's not healed right now, but basically I have enough hardware in there holding everything together. What we're going to start doing is getting some flexibility and moving my arm."

He added, "It was amazing how much muscle I lost in three weeks. … It's going to be a process."

Proctor, who has improved his standing every year since debuting in the PBR, finished a career-best ninth in the world in 2011, despite being unable to compete in the final four regular-season events. The groin injury he suffered in Springfield, Mo., also forced him out of competition after two rounds at the World Finals.

He finished first in San Antonio, going 4-for-4 while winning Round 2 and tying for first in Round 3. He ranked seventh in riding percentage (45.33 percent), 10th in bulls ridden (34) and tied for sixth with five round wins. He had a career-best 11 Top 10 finishes and tied his career high with four Top 5 finishes.

During the summer break from the BFTS, he won both the Calgary Stampede and the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo en route to winning the PRCA world title.

Upon his return, Proctor's goal will be to ride his way back into the Top 25.

He'll have five injury exemptions, and with the BFTS draw being cut from 40 to 35, he said he'll "go as hard as possible just because I love getting on bulls and pushing the limits."

"This is not going to be the last of it. The way I look at it, this was a good year and I'm still looking for the great year."

NEWS & NOTES

CATES OUT: Reese Cates sustained a broken jaw in the short round Wednesday night when he was jerked down by a bull named Will James. He is scheduled to have surgery to reset his jaw, which was fractured in three spots. Late last night he tweeted, "Thanks for all the support and prayers! I'm having surgery tomorrow to rebuild my jaw. I have the greatest friends, family, and fans ever!" There is no current information about how long he'll be out of competition.

WATCH THE ANAHEIM INVITATIONAL: The action from the second Built Ford Tough Series event of the season will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 6 p.m. ET. Follow along live with the PBR Live Event Center, Saturday at 10 p.m. ET and Sunday at noon ET.