[Editor's note: The following story originally appeared in the June/July issue of Pro Bull Rider. Pro Bull Rider, published six times a year, is the award-winning magazine sent to all PBR Fan Club members. For information about joining the Fan Club, go here.

In the time since this article was published, Smackdown was covered twice - by Robson Palermo for 94.5 points at a Touring Pro Division event in Bismarck, N.D., and by Douglas Ferreira, for 91 points in Round 3 of the World Finals.]

PUEBLO, Colo. - Kody Lostroh is not used to being smacked down like this.

He's nearing $3 million in PBR earnings, making him the sixth-richest bull rider in PBR history.

He has been successful more than 50 percent of the nearly 500 times he has nodded his head in a PBR arena.

And he's one of only 13 World Champions in PBR history.

When a bull rider of Lostroh's stature gets dominated, it's news. Smackdown is 5-0 against Lostroh, and the champ is solution-hunting.

"I wish I knew," said Lostroh when asked why he can't get past the 6-year-old, 1,500-pound beast owned by Chad Berger, Clay Struve and Julie Rosen. "I have never, ever been bucked off that many times by a bull without eventually riding him. There's something different about him, but I can't put my finger on it."

'I have never, ever been bucked off that many times by a bull without eventually riding him.'

That's exactly what Berger loved about Smackdown when he approached Steve Katich about buying him at the 2009 PBR World Finals.

"I liked the way he dropped and whipped himself around, like he'd be difficult to ride," Berger said. "He jars them with his front end because he comes down so hard right out of the chute, and then he whips them off with his back end around to the left. That's his M.O."

It's ironic that Smackdown might actually be responsible, in part, for helping Lostroh win his World Championship.

J.B. Mauney, who finished a whisker behind Lostroh in the final 2009 world standings, drew Smackdown in Round 7 of the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas. He made the whistle, but Mauney was barely hanging on the last 3 seconds, which lowered his score to 86.75; Smackdown was marked a solid 45 points.

In his last matchup with Smackdown, in Kansas City, Mo., in 2011, Kody Lostroh lasted just 2.7 seconds.

"Had J.B. not gotten in trouble and had they been 92 or 93 points, that would have vaulted J.B. higher in that round and who knows how that would have worked out," said PBR Livestock Director Cody Lambert. "We might have had a different World Champion. I know one thing. J.B. couldn't have ridden Smackdown another second that day."

Smackdown was ridden four of his first eight PBR trips. Things have changed. As of this writing, in the 23 trips since Travis Briscoe scored 89 points on Smackdown on Valentine's Day 2010 in Oklahoma City, Smackdown has leveled 22 bull riders. Since Briscoe's ride, only Paulo Lima has solved Smackdown - he scored 90 points Jan. 9, 2011 in New York.

"But that was the only time we've bucked him on back-to-back nights," Berger said. "That bull bucked so hard the first night, I think he might have been sore with Paulo. He didn't have that same whip he usually has. If a guy keeps him fresh and in shape, and I will, it'll be a while before they ride him."

Lambert loves Smackdown more and more every time he sees him.

"He was a good bull when he came on the scene two and a half years ago, but he's been so much better and has a very distinct pattern over the last year and a half," Lambert said. "Everyone knows what he's going to do. He's gonna jump out and whip around to the left. Guys are ready for that, but he's still bucking them off.

"It's gonna take someone really good to ride him. Sure, he's had his way with Kody so far, but I don't think there's any doubt that Kody will ride him. He's too good not to."

'Everyone knows what he's going to do. He's gonna jump out and whip around to the left. Guys are ready for that, but he's still bucking them off.'

Lambert, Lostroh and Berger all talked about what makes Smackdown unique.

"He's got a strange build to him," Lambert said. "His backbone sticks up like a cow or a steer. You've gotta have your hand in the middle of his back to ride him, but your hand wants to run down the side a little bit because of that backbone."

Lostroh said, "I know I can ride him, but I like my rope back a little bit, not right up on the shoulders. I'm going to have to make a change and put my rope more forward. That would help get away from the whip in his back end. Most bulls have big shoulders where there's almost a little spot you can sit behind the shoulders. Smackdown is built like a cow, so there are no real shoulders to sit behind. It's like he's streamlined, and you just have a tough time getting a good seat."

Berger said, "Of all the guys, I think Robson (Palermo) has the best chance to ride Smackdown. He's probably the strongest left-handed bull rider out there. But I don't think Robson wants anything to do with him, so it's either gonna have to be at the end of the draft and he has no choice, or at an event where he just draws him.

Lostroh needs a favor from Berger.

"If I could just get Chad to let me have him in my practice pen for a while, I'd get him figured out," he said with a laugh. "It always feels like he wants to get me down inside the spin, and the next thing I know, he's got me on the outside and flinging me through the air."

Lambert thinks he's seen Smackdown's buckoff move before.

'You feel like you have a chance if you just hold the position you're in, but Smackdown is spinning so hard to the left when he hits the ground, he bucks you off before you even know you're in trouble.'

"He does this move I haven't seen a bull do since the great Pacific Bell," Lambert said. "Pacific Bell would do a little roll in the air to the outside of the spin. With Smackdown, that gets you leaning a little bit to the right, but then you're spinning to the left. It's just a little move, but that's how he sets you up. You feel like you have a chance if you just hold the position you're in, but Smackdown is spinning so hard to the left when he hits the ground, he bucks you off before you even know you're in trouble."

Lostroh's not sure he'll pick him again any time soon.

"I've picked Smackdown at every point in the draft you can pick him," he said. "It's like a challenge thing for me. A guy's just gotta keep trying until he can figure it out. I could have picked different bulls and won a lot more money.

"He's just really strong and has that whip in his back end. He's not just coming up when he's bucking. He's coming up and out and around . . . like a whip. He bucks me off pretty early. Three seconds is all I've been able to ride him when Smackdown's been in his prime.

"It might be time to pick other bulls for a while. Yes, I'm stubborn, but I've lost a lot of money. I'll damn sure pick him again, though. It's gotta happen one of these times."