"I was always attracted to the other end of the arena - even though my dad was a team roper," Hook said. "When I was about 14, one of my friends asked me to flank a bull for him. That was all it took. I just fell in love with bucking bulls. Then when I graduated from high school, my parents (Frank and Jenny Hook) surprised me and bought me a bull and a cow from Randy Shippy."

They say bulls are like potato chips. You can't have just one, and Hook can surely attest to this adage. Once full fever had set in, she was ready for more and went to her first bull sale with the intention of adding to her first two animals.

"In 2011, I decided to expand and went to my very first sale, which was at the NFR," Hook said. "I purchased two bulls. One from Humpz and Hornz Bucking Bulls and the other was just a ranch bull that had no certain blood lines. Then I started buying and raising bulls."

It didn't take Hook long to find herself a place to go. She quickly started hauling and entering open events on the west coast.

"My very first bull event was an open event in Porterville (Calif.), and I brought home two checks," she said. "I took third with my Oscar's Outlaw bull in the futurity and won the classic event with my bull Bitter Water, who scored an 89."

During her first competitive season, Hook was attending Central Arizona College. But the call of competitive bull ownership was persistent, and she decided she wanted to come home and focus on her program.

"I started realizing that I probably needed to come home, because my dad was having a hard time taking care of all my bulls by himself, so I decided to take a break and get to cracking on my program. And once I did, the bulls started doing really good, and we were bringing home checks."

Charlie Beware, co-owned by Kaley Hook, at the Cowtown Classic earlier this season.

Even though Hook took a hiatus from college, she made a promise to her family.

"I promised my family that I would eventually go back to school," she said. "And when I do, I want to study Ranch Systems Management."

For now, Hook has mostly purchased bulls to handle and haul, but her aspirations are to work on building her own herd, which will eventually produce buckers she can utilize in competition. Still, she is very aware of the demands of making this leap and has put forth much effort into preparing to do just that.

"My main goal is to start breeding my own bulls instead of buying them," Hook said, "but you have to start somewhere. I mean you have to learn the bloodlines and I think eventually raising my own will be the best way to do it."

When it comes to handling facilities, the Hook family initially purchased a portable arena, but quickly found out big bulls can wield a lot of power and do a lot of damage.

"We purchased a portable arena initially, but knew we needed something more permanent," Hook said. "As soon as we started getting bigger, older bulls around, they quickly started to bend up panels. So, at this point, my arena is not portable anymore - we will put it that way."

Hook splits her bulls between her own place and her parents place in Shandon. Her bulls between 2 and 6 years old stay in Shandon and her yearlings stay with her. As she should be, she is particularly proud of her hands-on approach and the independence she's worked hard at when it comes to her program.

"I do everything myself," she said. "I work with my bulls almost every day, putting them through the chute and handling them. Then taking them on trailer trips to town or places to get them used to hauling and exercising. I do all the chute work and chute breaking myself. I get in there and sit on them and rub on them and I flank and haul them, too."

Beyond the bulls Hook keeps in California, she also has partnership bulls out of state with various people.

"I have a 3-year-old Charlie Bullware son named Charlie Beware with Rick Wagoner, a 2-year-old named Firing Pin with Bob McBride… then I purchased a 2-year-old from Monty Samford that I just brought home after he competed at Spring Fling. He is strictly my ABBI bull and actually my friend Mkenzee Hegwood and I will be taking him to the ABBI event coming up in Boise, Idaho."

And last but not least is her latest roster addition and 2013 Back Seat Bucker bull, The Real McCoy, which she is now partnered with Gary Long on. Long won the 2012 BSB Champion title with Long Shot 2.

"I picked him at the draft in Albuquerque and ultimately ended up partnering with Gary Long on him," Hook said. "I just love Gary and Nancy Long. They are the best people. They help everybody and they put their whole heart into everything they do. I met them at an open association event on the west coast. Gary and I were competing against each other for the stock-contractor-of-the-year trailer award and I met him when I got to the finals. I was 20 points behind him in the trailer race. I wanted the trailer so bad and when it was over, I ended up winning. I was so excited and Gary was so nice to me. He told me if I ever needed any help to just call - and I do call him a lot for advice. He's just a really great man."

The week before Hook left to go to Albuquerque for the Back Seat Buckers auction, she called Long who had once told the young contractor that if she ever wanted to partner on anything, he would love to.

"Because of that, I called him to see if he wanted to partner on a Back Seat Bucker bull," Hook said, "but unfortunately, he had already partnered with somebody else. So I just went ahead with my plans. I studied all the bulls the whole week before Albuquerque and the whole drive there. I put down the ones that I liked the best and Lot 7 from Cord McCoy ended up being my lucky number.

"At the auction, I was glad to have Kent Cox to help me choose, and he and Gary are good friends. So after I picked, Gary came up to me and said, "You know, how much do you want for this bull? I will go in partners with you. It literally brought a tear to my eye. I was really excited to have the chance to be partners with the Longs."

Hook admits going into the Back Seat Bucker auction was rough on her nerves, especially because she had no idea what to expect and decided to participate in the program only weeks prior to the auction.

"I was really, really nervous at the auction," she said. "I didn't know what to expect. When it comes to bulls, you just gotta give it all you've got and jump in with both feet. And that's just what I did. I just bailed in and it turned out really well. I am very excited for the season to start."

Like so many other Back Seat Buckers owners, Hook has found the networking to be extremely enjoyable and in particular very helpful.

"I really enjoy being around all the people," she said. "You can't find better people than there are in the bull business. They are all just like a big family and they all take care of each other. The program is a great program. You get to buy a bull, you get to go to competitions and you get to watch them buck at events with a group a really great people.

What is immediately obvious about Hook, besides her striking beauty, is her sweet personality. She will be putting both to work in an upcoming pageant that has special meaning to the 19-year-old Mdewakanton Sioux.

"I am currently running for the Miss Tule River Indian Rodeo Queen contest in Porterville, Calif," Hook said. "So I will hopefully also be competing at the INFR."

Hook competed in tribal dance competitions, but since her bull enterprise is now in fast forward, she has had to make some tough decisions on what she can and can't find time to do.

"I hope to someday be a role model for other female stock contractors and I have become great friends with a young Native American contractor from Albuquerque, New Mexico, named Sho Cash Kieyoomia," Hook said. "She is 14 and it really made me feel good when she told me that I was one of the only role models that she ever had. I have been able to mentor and help her learn about cows and bulls and that has been really rewarding."

See the complete story on KMH in the Spring issue of The American Bucking Bull Magazine. The magazine can also be viewed on American Bull Inc.'s Facebook page. Visit AmericanBuckingBull.com for more info on ABBI and BackSeatBuckers.com for more info on BSB.

I have been dealing with some injuries throughout the season, but right now everything is feeling good. I have been working harder to feel better. I have to keep on working out and stretching and doing everything I have been doing. I just have to do everything I can to keep my body healthy and in shape.

Nathan Schaper attempts to ride Mick E Mouse at Last Cowboy Standing.

I sure hope the momentum from my performance at Last Cowboy Standing will carry over into the summer. I think it will. I just keep on doing the same thing all year. It's just sometimes things just start working out better and you start stringing certain rides together - and you are able to get more wind. I always feel the same. I don't get too down on myself or too high on myself. I try to stay pretty even.

Every weekend over the summer I will try to go to whatever event I can fit into my schedule. I will travel with Josh Ehlers and Zac Peterson and we will try to go to as many as we can, whatever is convenient and financially feasible.

I enjoy going to the Touring Pro events over the summer. Just to be able to drive again and be on the road versus flying every weekend. There are events that are closer to me in North Dakota and being that there are three or four of us going from around here, we can actually drive and carpool.

Besides riding over the summer, I will be helping out as much as I can on our ranch, doing things like fixing fence. I also will have a job on the side. I went to college to be an electrician, so might be doing some electrical work, probably three days out of the week.

The first half of the season has gone by fast, that's for sure. It is cool to look back on the season. We had a lot of fun and have been able to experience a lot. At the time, it seemed like every weekend was the same, but it went by so fast and now that the break is actually here, you kind of miss it. Even though you are still a little sore and you probably need a break, you are so used to going to BFTS events every weekend. I am definitely excited to come back in August and start again. 

This morning, the former PBR rider and current broadcaster was beside himself at the notion that he and his event committee members - Andrew Rottner, Calvin Jackson, Wendell Berry and the late Roy Young - had already raised enough money to double their original intentions, and are already working on raising more money to give a fifth wounded soldier a home.

According to Hart, they are only $8,000 short of the $25,000 needed to purchase a fifth home.

The homes are part of the Military Warriors organization.

"I'm pretty (darn) excited," said Hart, whose TPD event will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Saturday, June 8, in Decatur, Texas.

"It's cool to me to be able to give to such important people."

"It's not about the money, it's the fact that we're giving (five) homes to (five) very deserving people."

Hart's charitable event was profiled earlier this year on PBR.com, here.

Hart and his committee members will not select the recipients. That is taken care of by the Military Warriors foundation. However, each of the soldiers receiving a home will be in Decatur the night of the event.

Their donation of four homes valued at $1 million will be the largest single donation in PBR history.

"It's not about the money," Hart explained, "it's the fact that we're giving (five) homes to (five) very deserving people."

In the past nine years, Hart and his event committee have donated well in excess of $500,000 to charity.

In addition to the homes, like in past years, all the profits from Hart's charitable event are donated to local organizations in Decatur, which include the police and fire departments, the school system, the local chapter for the United Way, as well as the Rider Relief Fund.

Hart said if they happen to come up short of the $25,000 needed for a fifth home, whatever amount they raise would be added to the total dollar amount divided between the local organizations.

"It's a great committee and a great event," said PBR co-founder Cody Lambert, who noted the deep-seeded rodeo and bull riding roots in Decatur, as well as Wise County. "It takes lots of work and a lot of support from the community."

Hart's event regularly attracts top-ranked riders, including Decatur-native and former World Champion Mike Lee, among others, and a bull pen comparable to a Built Ford Tough Series event.

This year's event will feature Bushwacker in the championship round.

"All that keeps it afloat," said Hart, who added the chartable nature of the event has garnered county-wide support from local and regional business, as well as residents, "but, I think, the charities are what's made it take off and fly."

Fans interested in donating to the fund for a fifth home can find more information online by visiting www.militarywarriors.org/openhomes or www.1000milestillhome.com.

Information regarding Hart's event can be found at www.wcchallenger.org, or by contacting him directly on Facebook by searching "JW Hart / Hart Cattle Company.

Follow Keith Ryan Cartwright on Twitter @PBR_KRC.

However, that's not the case for professional bull riders, especially those competing in the PBR.

After a run of 17 Built Ford Tough Series events in the past 19 weeks, the elite series is taking its annual "summer break," though some riders like fan-favorite Cord McCoy ask, "What's that?" when they hear words like "break" and "vacation."

For the first time in the 20-year history of the PBR, the world standings are directly tied to points earned at not only BFTS events, but also Touring Pro Division and international events in Brazil, Canada, Australia and Mexico.

While riders can earn 100 percent of their BFTS points in the overall standings, they can carry over 25 percent of the points earned at other PBR-sanctioned events-making this year's summer schedule all the more important as riders and fans alike monitor the world standings.

In fact, a trio of Brazilian events - Jaguariuna (May 16-18), Americana (June 12-15) and Paranaiba (July 4-7) - will be worth 50 percent of the points.

The entire Brazilian contingency that has been competing in the U.S., returned home for this weekend's event. Several of them, including currently world leader Silvano Alves and Valdiron de Oliveira - have indicated they plan to travel back and forth between Brazil and the U.S., while Guilherme Marchi and Fabiano Vieira plan to stay in Brazil for the entire break.

Vieira said it's been 10 months since he's been home.

"I need to go," he added. "I miss my family."

Douglas Duncan is expected to make a short trip to Brazil in June for the Americana event and is hoping to be joined by Stormy Wing and Chase Outlaw, but all three riders are still sorting through the required paperwork to obtain the proper visa.

Brendon Clark, who announced his retirement earlier this year, is heading home to Australia to compete in three events for the last time in his home country before finishing his career out on the BFTS this fall, concluding with what he hopes will be one more appearance at the World Finals in Las Vegas.

Although plans haven't been confirmed, in all likelihood, television broadcaster Craig Hummer will be in Australia to work as the in-arena announcer for the second two of three major Australian Cup events in July.

Aaron Roy and Ty Pozzobon are two of several Canadian-born riders, who are heading north of the U.S. border to compete in a majority of the PBR Canada events this summer. Both riders are also expected to occasionally compete in the U.S., as well, especially at TPD events taking place in states that border Canada.

Because of a lack of overall event numbers in Canada, the TPD events that take place in states like Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana and Washington count toward the standings for the Canadian Finals.

Veteran Luke Snyder leads the list of PBR representatives that will be in Calgary for this year's Stampede in July.

Pool A features Duncan, J.B. Mauney, Renato Nunes, Beau Hill and 2011 Stampede winner Shane Proctor, along with Canadian representatives Tanner Byrne and Scott Schiffner, who have regularly competed at PBR events. Pozzobon and Roy are in Pool B, along with last year's winner Chad Besplug, Oliveira, L.J. Jenkins, Mike Lee, Austin Meier and Snyder.

Mauney and Proctor said they're unsure of their summer plans.

Proctor is attempting to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo for the third consecutive year. He won the PRCA title in 2011 and is in a position to win a PBR world title this year.

With Alves competing nearly every week in Brazil, along with a few events in the U.S., Proctor may have to alter his original plans after slipping from the top spot in the world standings to third. He currently trails Alves by 1,458.29 points.

Proctor's brother-in-law Mauney was hoping to relax and allow his body to heal for much of the summer. He's slated to compete at the first of several summer TPD events - Asheville, N.C. (May 31 and June 1) - in a series sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Elk Fountain.

Other than the Stampede, Mauney hasn't committed to any other events, but recently said he would likely enter events with higher payouts and rely on earning the bulk of his points at BFTS events.

Meier is on the road with Skeeter Kingsolver.

According to Meier, they're planning to compete anywhere from five to seven days a week for the next 13 weeks.

Like Proctor and others, both Meier and Kingsolver are hoping to qualify for the NFR. He said their plan is to dedicate the weekend to TPD events from one coast to the other and fill out the weekday portion of their travel schedule with pro rodeos.

"The PBR is still our top priority," Meier said.

He also said that once Ben Jones is cleared to return to competition, he'll be traveling with them as well. However, there is no confirmation that Jones will enter any pro rodeos.

PBR.com will be providing daily features and weekly previews and recaps relating to all the competition taking place this summer throughout the world.

Follow Keith Ryan Cartwright on Twitter @PBR_KRC.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., will play host to the last regular-season event of the world's premiere bull riding series Oct. 11-13, just two weeks before the 2013 Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas. It's been nearly a decade since the BFTS has visited South Florida.  In 2005, the tour visited the BB&T Center in Fort Lauderdale.

During this three-day event, fans will witness exhilarating 8-second rides, wrecks and action-packed performances as the toughest men in sports jockey for a position amid one of the most volatile title races in recent PBR history. To date, three men ― Silvano Alves, Marco Eguchi and Shane Proctor ― have stood atop the 35-man heap and swapped positions from first to third place several times. With eight events before the Florida stop, any number of top riders could emerge as the new world leader.

"By that late in the season, these men will be hyper-focused on winning all the points they can to qualify for the World Finals," said Jim Haworth, chairman and CEO of the PBR. "They will be riding with all the heart and grit of true champions, while displaying some of the most remarkable feats of toughness the sports world has ever seen. Get ready, Florida."

Bull riding begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13. Tickets for the ­­Cooper Tires Invitational start at $15 and will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. on July 1 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino box office, www.Ticketmaster.com and by telephone at (800) 745-3000. For more information visit www.pbr.com.

The nationally-televised BFTS features the Top 35 bull riders in the world and the fiercest bucking bulls in the country. Riders scheduled to compete include five former PBR World Champions ― Alves (2012, 2011), Renato Nunes (2010), Kody Lostroh (2009), Guilherme Marchi (2008) and Mike Lee (2004) - fan favorites J.B. Mauney, Luke Snyder, L.J. Jenkins, Douglas Duncan, and Proctor, as well as young guns Chase Outlaw and Jory Markiss.                                                    

This year, the PBR celebrates its 20th anniversary of competition. The season will award over $10 million, including $2.2 million at the World Finals in Las Vegas, Oct. 23-27, at the Thomas & Mack Center.

In 2001, on the opening night of an event in St. Louis, he lit up the ground around him - literally.

Shivers nodded and Palace Station Express spun around right in front of the gate, where moments earlier, flames from the rider introductions had been burning. In one of the most crowd-rousing moments in PBR history, the flames flamed up around the pair, as Shivers rode him for 90.5 points.

"They just stirred up the dirt where that fuel was and it ignited again," recalled Cody Lambert, who was judging that particular event.

Two-time World Champion Justin McBride said, "It was cool," before Lambert finished his original thought, "Every time he'd hit the dirt it would fan the flame."

McBride, a longtime admirer of Shivers' style, added, "It jacked everybody up. Everybody was whooping and hollering."

The flames, which Lambert described as cosmetic, were more like bright flashes that burned out as quickly as the 8-second ride was over with. They weren't hot - or else the bull would have run off into the arena - and neither Shivers nor Palace Station Express, formerly known as Doctor X, were even aware of the exciting show.

However, when asked what he first thought when he saw the flames, Lambert joked, "Don't get bucked off."

Shivers didn't buck off the entire event, going a perfect 3-for-3. To go along with his 90.5 points in the first round, he was 93.5 points in Round 2 and again in the championship round, on Diamond Cut and Panhandle Slim, respectively.

"There for a while, every time the gate opened, you expected him to be 90 points, or at least I did anyway."

It was quintessential Shivers in the prime of his career. Shivers will be inducted into the Ring of Honor later this year, along with fellow Louisiana native Bubba Dunn.

"Yeah, that was Chris Shivers in his prime and that's what he did," said McBride, who still marvels at one of the best events of Shivers' illustrious career.

"There for a while, every time the gate opened, you expected him to be 90 points, or at least I did anyway. He was that exciting to watch and he could make a decent bull look really good."

Lambert agreed.

He then explained, "Bulls buck better with Chris. They buck better with guys that size.

"Sure Chris looks exciting on them, but bulls buck way better with Chris than they do Adriano [Moraes]. There's no doubt about it. Think about it. There's 50 pounds difference. On race horses, three pounds makes a difference."

It came as no surprise to see Shivers atop the leader board.

His 90-point rides were just three of 11 during the St. Louis event that year.

PBR fans will have an opportunity to watch the St. Louis event from 2001 Wednesday night on RFD-TV, as part of the new series "PBR 20/20" at 8 p.m. ET.

Because of the rare hat trick completed by Shivers - it's only been done one other time by Renato Nunes - several historic rides have almost become an afterthought.

Gilbert Carrillo rode Perfect Storm for 96 points in the final round and Ty Murray covered Blueberry Wine for 93.5 points.

McBride, who rode Millennium for 93 points, had forgotten about Carrillo's ride until Lambert reminded him.

"I got on Millenium, which is about one of the nicest bulls you could ever want to get on, and Adriano got on one of the hardest bulls that you could ever want to get on - Bone Collector," McBride said. "I rode all my bulls, and I only won fourth. It was a tough event. I remember that."

Ednei Caminhas rode Clayton's Pet for 92.5 points and earlier in the event, he scored 90 points on Candyman.

Terry Don West was 92 points on Promise Land, as well Cody Hart on Moody Blues, while Mores was 90.5 points on Bone Collector.

Lambert noted that it's easy for judges to mark the top bulls when they buck riders off. However, in an event like this, where bulls are being marked 22 and 23 points in the championship round, and riders are staying on, it becomes a bit more difficult.

For instance, he said that McBride dominated Millennium, whereas Murray got into "a little trouble near the end," and yet Murray was marked a half-point higher than McBride because Blueberry Wine was harder to ride - despite not being as flashy.

"I was judging the event and it was fun because you had to use all your points. It was fun because there was something special there and they all didn't look the same."

Follow Keith Ryan Cartwright on Twitter @PBR_KRC.

Catch the top moments in PBR history every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on RFD-TV and vote for your favorite PBR moment.

While the Built Ford Tough Series begins its summer break, the Lucas Oil Touring Pro Division will visit two cities Saturday: Presho, S.D., and Hico, Texas.

The Presho Classic will begin Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and will feature North Dakota native Nathan Schaper, currently ranked 22^nd in the world, as well as Stetson Lawrence, Dusty Ephrom, and Matt Triplett.

The Cody Ohl's Steak Cook Off Chute Out will begin on Saturday in Hico at 7:30 p.m., and will showcase some of the world's top riders, including fan favorite J.B. Mauney, 2010 World Champion Renato Nunes, Austin Meier, Skeeter Kingsolver and Jordan Hupp.  

For more information about these events, please visit: http://www.pbr.com/en/tpd/schedule.aspx.

Professional Bull Riders Lucas Oil Touring Pro Series Event Results:
May 11 in San Antonio, Texas at Cowboys Dancehall
Final Results (Round 1-Total Points)

1. Nick Volden, 87.5-87.5 points, $1,683.00.

2. Damien Harden, 87-87 points, $1,275.00.

3. Matt Bohon, 85.5-85.5 points, $918.00.

4/5. Travis Briscoe, 84-84 points, $484.50.

4/5. Ralph Benson, 84-84 points, $484.50.

Top 10 Touring Pro Division Rankings

1. Troy Wilkinson, 1094.02 points.

2. Stetson Lawrence, 935.37 points.

3. Chase Outlaw, 927.12 points.

4. Skeeter Kingsolver, 894.25 points.

5. Kasey Hayes, 887.58 points.

6. Carrson Hiatt, 869.50 points.

7. Matt Triplett, 841.56 points.

8. João Ricardo Vieira, 809.04 points.

9. Zac Peterson, 787.12 points.

10. Gage Gay, 742.95 points.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PBRTouringPro

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pbrtpd

Renee as a child on the farm.

We had a grain farm, raised cattle and had a few horses. I was involved in the local 4-H club and was more into horse shows than rodeo. I did barrel race a little, but was never serious about it. I never followed rodeo or knew much about it, but my family would always attend the local rodeo. Late spring through the fall was always busy with getting the crops in and harvested. I have great memories of cooking hot lunches with mom and grandma and taking them to the field and helping harvest. In winter and early spring, it was all about the cattle. I spent lots of time with my dad and grandpa feeding. As I got older, I helped with the calving. Life was great and easy going being a farm kid. Never did I think I would be doing what I do now: being a professional bull rider's wife and traveling to a different destination every weekend.

Growing up every little girl dreams of their fairy tale, this is mine.

Dusty and Renee when the met in 2004.

Dusty and I met in late July of 2004 at my hometown's rodeo dance. He asked me to dance a few times. I finally gave in the eighth time. We lived seven hours apart, so we talked on the phone for a month and seemed to get along. By September of that year, Dusty's traveling partners were broke and getting "sour," so he asked me to be his traveling partner for the weekend. I said sure. We hit three rodeos that weekend and had a blast. We officially started dating, and I have been his traveling partner for almost nine years now.

When he asked me to marry him, it was a complete surprise. We had only been dating nine months. We were on the way to a bull riding. He looked at me and asked if I wanted to be with anyone else. The first thing that came outta my mouth was, "No! Do you?" I though he was breaking up with me. We started to argue a bit. Then, out of nowhere, Dusty slammed on the brakes, pulled over, got down on one knee in the car and said, "I am trying to ask you to marry me." Shock of my life right there, and of course I said yes. He didn't have a ring. He said he just knew the timing was right and just wanted us to always be together and he couldn't afford one at the time. He did want me to have something though. The first WalMart we saw, we stopped and I picked out a $20 ring that I wore until he could afford a real one. I still have that $20 ring. I cherish it and always will. We were married a year and a half later. He is truly my best friend and we have not been apart one day since we started dating. I have no idea what life would be like without him.

Renee and Dusty on their wedding day.

After sitting at home from September last year until February of this year, Dusty and I are very happy to be healthy and back on the road again. His first event back was at the end of March in West Plains, Mo., and we have been going every weekend since. He has been doing well and has placed at a couple of events. I am very happy to report that I am still in remission from Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I saw my oncologist last week and everything is good and I will see him again in August for another checkup. 

Follow Dusty and Renee on Twitter @DustynRenee

However, don't mention the "R" word.

He's not ready to retire or, as he's likely to do, "just stop competing one day."

"I'm still riding," McCoy said. "My gear bag is still by the front door."

McCoy said he still loves riding and hasn't gotten the sport out of his system. He's simply been busy with other aspects of his life ― namely breeding bulls and hauling them to various bull competitions, as well as hosting a weekly series on RFD-TV called "The Ride."

"Before (now), I didn't think they could have (a PBR event) without me and didn't think I could have a weekend," he said. "I didn't know what normal people did when they stayed home on Saturdays. My wife just said the other day, 'We still don't stay home any weekend. We have something scheduled every weekend.'"

This weekend, he's hauling six of his bulls to an event in Iowa, where his wife Sara Best-McCoy is from, and they plan to head early on Wednesday to visit with in-laws. He also has a speaking engagement in Des Moines, Iowa.

"I've got a little set of bulls that have been winning more money than I have, so I just get behind them like they're my kids."

According to McCoy, there are three or four associations for which he hauls bulls to events in order to get them acclimated to competing.

But it's all in preparation for two specific events.

One of those is the American Heritage, which he likened to being the Kentucky Derby for bucking bulls, and the other is the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas.

The Heritage is an ABBI event that takes place in Guthrie, Okla., June 14-15, and includes a junior futurity, futurity and a derby competition.

"I've just been hauling my bulls," McCoy said. "I've got a little set of bulls that have been winning more money than I have, so I just get behind them like they're my kids."

McCoy, however, is planning on entering the J.W. Hart Invitational as a bull rider.

Hart's annual charity event is scheduled for June 8 in Decatur, Texas, and will provide McCoy with an opportunity to compete both as a bull rider and a stock contractor, as there is an ABBI-sponsored bull competition. So McCoy will haul his bulls a couple hours south of his Tupelo, Okla., ranch.

In addition to his bucking bulls, McCoy has also been breeding his horse with champion-caliber cutting, reining and barrel racing horses.

"We have a very versatile breeding program this year with our horses, as well," McCoy said. "My focus is making deposits at the bank and you kind of have to get behind what's making those deposits."

Another important focus has been hosting "The Ride."

Each week, he visits a different ranch and while he grew up ranching in Oklahoma, McCoy explained, everyone tends to manage their operation a little differently from one ranch to another.

"I was all over it being a cowboy, like myself, and I like to travel and go and learn new things," said McCoy about being asked to host the series.

He explained, "You can tell all these ranches are trying to accomplish the exact same thing, but everybody does it so different."

The series not only documents and chronicles those subtle and not-so-subtle differences, but also touches on other aspects, like ranch history.

In a recent episode, McCoy visited the oldest ranch in Oklahoma, where they've maintained the ranching traditions that started back in the late 1800s. They've also been to Oregon to work on the Coleman ranch, which is owned and operated by the father of Ring of Honor member Ross Coleman, and the show traveled to Florida to work on a ranch where Tater Porter, another Ring of Honor member, has been working for years.

McCoy said they also ventured up to Canada, as well.

Tonight's episode features D&H Cattle Co.

"It's one of my favorite (episodes)," McCoy said. "It's just me and H.D. and his daughter, and we go out and feed some bulls and exercise a couple of them ― exercise Shepherd Hills Tested."

They also work one of the Pages' 2-year old Classic bulls that they're preparing for the American Heritage.

McCoy has a long history with the Page family and was especially excited to profile his longtime friend H.D. Page. When McCoy first started competing at PBR events, he didn't always have the money to be able to afford flying from city to city, so he'd jump in the semi with Page and hitch a ride down the road.

He drove the truck once for a couple hours down the highway en route to North Dakota and was nervous knowing they were hauling Crossfire Hurricane, Western Wishes and Mossy Oak Mudslinger. The inexperienced McCoy kept from "throwing one down back there," but ran past a few scales that Page had to contend with later on.

Those long drives influenced McCoy's newest career, and without realizing it, Page was mentoring the rider-turned-contractor.

Like McCoy now, Page was also a rider in his younger years. After his riding career ended, he and his father Dillon went on to become Stock Contractor of the Year six times in the PBR.

"At the time, it was a free ride and I built a friendship," McCoy said. "Now, looking back as a bull producer, like myself, I feel like I learned so much by just getting in and traveling and feeding and handling some of the best bulls in the world."

McCoy is now applying some of the acquired knowledge.

Earlier today, he spent the morning flushing one of his cows with Bushwacker semen, one with Asteroid semen and another one with Shepherd Hills Tested semen.

Those calves will be expected next April.

"I'm pumped," said McCoy, who is proud of the breeding program he has built with his wife. "We have the right paperwork anyway."

Follow Keith Ryan Cartwright on Twitter @PBR_KRC.

Alves smiled and shook his head yes.

He did more than win the Last Cowboy Standing, on Saturday night, in Las Vegas. In the minds of many he solidified himself as the odds-on favorite to win an unprecedented third consecutive world title when the season concludes back in Vegas this coming October.

"He's proven for the last three years in a row that he's the best guy."

One would be hard-pressed to convince Murray otherwise and the next morning, fellow PBR co-founder Cody Lambert said the 25-year-old Brazilian is the best professional bull rider in the world.

Two former World Champions - Michael Gaffney and Justin McBride - agreed.

"He was the best bull rider again tonight," said McBride, "and that ride on Smackdown that was a really good ride. For a right-handed guy that bull is no day off.

Gaffney added, "That's the first time a right-handed guy has ridden that bull."

Alves claimed the Last Cowboy Standing moniker for the second straight year with a 92.5-point effort in the fourth round after coming down off of David's Dream a round earlier, when many predicted he had a good chance to win.

However, all seven riders in Round 3 ― L.J. Jenkins, Alves, Nathan Schaper, Valdiron de Oliveira, Aaron Roy, Cody Nance and Joao Ricardo Vieira ― bucked off, so all seven were brought back for another round and that's when Alves took the competition to task.

He's the No. 1 ranked rider in the world for a reason.

He's ridden five more bulls than any other rider this year and his 51.72 percent average is the third best among the top contenders for this year's title.

The Vegas event was his second event win of 2013 and, more importantly, going into the summer break he extended his lead atop the standings to 1,319.91 points over Marcho Eguchi, while Shane Proctor slipped to third and trails by 1,358.20 points.

"What it all boils down to is staying on your bulls," said McBride, when asked about Alves' success in the progressive style format, "and he's proven for the last three years in a row that he's the best guy at that."

"He's going to ride most of them, is what I think," Gaffney said. "If you keep running them underneath him he's going to ride a majority of them. I think, he's been a little hit and miss lately, from what I hear."

That's not the case anymore.

In 17 Built Ford Tough Series events, Alves has recorded nine Top 10 finishes of which seven have been in the Top 5, including a pair of wins in Fresno, Calif., and now Las Vegas.

In the past three events, he's been in the final round competing for the event win. He finished seventh in Des Moines, Iowa, and third in Boise, Idaho, prior to his crowd-rousing victory at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

"For him, he's been off," said McBride, referring to the rare subpar 0-for-the-weekend performance he had in Louisville, Ky., "but the last couple of weeks you're starting to see-"

"A resurgence, kind of," said Gaffney, finishing McBride's thought.

BUSHWACKER SOLID AGAIN: Valdiron de Oliveira looked as though he was in position ― and perfect position at that ― to ride Bushwacker for an additional $80,000 Monster Energy bonus on top of what would have been $100,000 event win at the Last Cowboy Standing.

Instead, Bushwacker runs his all-time record-setting buckoff streak to 42.

"Almost, but not quite," said Kent Cox, who hauls and handles the 2011 World Champion Bull for owner Julio Moreno. "He had a good day, but not one of his best days."

Bushwacker was marked 47.25 points.

Cox said everything seemed as usual for Bushwacker, who loaded easy into the chutes and stood nicely as Oliveira readied his bull rope.

"He just didn't seem like he had the momentum leaving the chute like he normally does with that big raring kick and everything," said Cox, of Bushwacker, who needed 5.26 seconds to put Oliveira on the dirt.

Cox called it "a good wakeup for Bushwacker, as well to kind of get warmed up."

His next scheduled event is a Touring Pro Division event in Decatur, Texas.

In fact, both Bushwacker and Asteroid are expected to compete at the J.W. Hart Invitational on Saturday, June 8. It's an extraordinary commitment for the top World Champion Bull contenders to both commit to the same TPD event.

Asteroid is the defending World Champion Bull.

Both were tapped as Monster Energy bonus bulls worth an additional $80,000 each, in Las Vegas, if either or both riders were able to make the whistle.

Oliveira bucked off Bushwacker in Round 3, while Joao Ricardo Vieira bucked off Asteroid in 5.39 seconds in what was an equally exciting out. Asteroid was marked 46.75 points and the Top 2 bulls of the past three seasons were separated by only a half point.

EARLY START: It was an early morning for Cox, on Sunday, unlike a lot of the riders, who fly out on various flights at 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., the Texas-based contractor received a shipment of three bulls from Hawaii that were scheduled to arrive in Las Vegas between 2 and 3 a.m.

Bruce Gibson sent three bulls from his ranch in Hawaii that arrived at Los Angeles International Airport, on Saturday night, at 10 p.m. and where then loaded onto a cattle hauler and driven across the desert to Vegas, where Cox transferred them to his trailer for the long haul home to Dublin, Texas.

According to Cox, who visited Hawaii back in February, all three bulls are 5 years old.

Gibson sent the trio to the mainland for Cox to work with and he'll either buy them or seek out another potential buyer. Back in February, Cox and Gibson bucked a pen of bulls. Those were the three that showed the most promise, but Cox added, "We won't know until we get them over here and get them bucked a few times with some better guys on them" whether or not they're BFTS-caliber.

Gibson has sent bulls in the past.

He shipped Black Ivory in January 2011 and Cox coordinated that pick-up to coincide with the Anaheim, Calif., event. In 2010, Gibson also sent Speckled Ivory and prior to that Hawaiian Ivory among others.

INJURY UPDATES: Guilherme Marchi sustained a concussion and a bruised left thigh when hung his left spur in the flank strap then hit his head on the ground and was stepped on in Round 2, on Saturday night. Marchi said he was sore, but thankful he escaped serious injury.

Kody Lostroh sustained a left shoulder dislocation with a possible humeral head fracture when he landed on his elbow as he was thrown from his first round bull, in Las Vegas. He was initially listed as questionable, for Saturday, but did not compete and was replaced among the 25 riders for Round 2 by Emilio Resende.

Lostroh will undergo further evaluation this week to determine a course of action. He said that his left shoulder was already hindered by a lack of full-range-of-motion since his previous surgery. His best guess was that it was 80 percent and worries that another surgery would further affect the shoulder.

The only other reported injuries, on Friday, were Carrson Hiatt and Matt Triplett both sustained concussions when they were thrown to the ground in the opening round.

NEW ROPE: Jory Markiss used a new bull rope, in Las Vegas, that he had custom made for him by Jared Farley, who was also competing at the Last Cowboy Standing. Markiss, who got off to great start earlier in the season said he was beginning to think he would have to admit he was "in a slump" when he discovered an issue with the handle of his old rope.

Markiss noted that instead of being solid and stiff, it was breaking over on either side of his hand. He used Ty Pozzobon's rope in Round 2 at the Idaho event, while awaiting his new rope from Farley.

He got it in time to use it Wednesday night, in Stephenville, Texas, at the weekly Buck N Duck event hosted by Boyd & Floyd Bucking Bulls. Markiss rode 4-of-5 bulls the night before heading to Vegas and said he had regained his confidence coming into the progressive style format.

UFC TRAINING: Reese Cates is not headed home or to a Touring Pro Division event. Instead the Arkansas native is flying to Sacramento, Calif., to spend a second week training with Urijah Faber and Chad Mendes. Cates and Chase Outlaw previously spent a week training the UFC fighters prior to the BFTS event in Albuquerque, N.M., event in late March.

Cates has since joined an MMA gym back home, where he trains when not competing, and said he would like to continue training with Faber, Mendes and Team Alpha Male when time permits in his schedule.

OFF TO AFRICA: For the second summer in a row, Justin McBride is taking a hunting trip to Africa.

This year, he's going to be tracking a leopard. He will spend six days hunting in Zimbabwe as opposed to 17, which is the preferred time needed for tracking and harvesting a leopard.

Because his trip will be shorter ― 10 days total with two travels there and two days back to the U.S. ― he will not ship his own gun and will instead use one that will be provided. Two reasons for that have to do with the amount of paperwork that needs to be filed and this particular trip came about just last week and also his travel itinerary has him flying through Amsterdam. According to McBride, even as checked-baggage guns are not allowed.

The two-time World Champion, who retired following the 2008 season, has made several trips to Africa and said, "I'll keep going back for the rest of my life."

THIS, THAT & THE OTHER: Eduardo Aparecido's sponsor shirts from Cooper Tires were lost in the mail, so the Brazilian rookie wore a camouflaged Cooper Tires jersey belonging to Flint Rasmussen. … L.J. Jenkins, who is dealing with a shoulder issue in which it's repeatedly come out of place, is contemplating surgery. He'll spend the next couple days analyzing the world standings before making a decision one way or another. If he feels as though he has enough points to qualify for the World Finals then he might go ahead and have Dr. Tandy Freeman perform the surgery now with the expectation that he'd return for the Finals. If not, he indicated he'll continue to compete for as long as he can with the idea he'd do it a year from now. … Last week, it was Cody Nance, who spray painted his protective helmet forest green. This week, his travel partner Mike Lee painted his baby blue with silver pain along the sides. … Marco Eguchi was one of several riders sporting the Wounded Warrior Project logo on his uniform. In-arena announcer Brandon Bates astutely pointed out, "For a young man from Brazil to be supporting our troops is worth an applause." … Celebrating sightings at Last Cowboy Standing included Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, retired UFC superstar Randy Couture and the cast of "Counting Cars" from the History Channel series featuring Count's Kustoms.

Follow Keith Ryan Cartwright on Twitter @PBR_KRC.

Alves has now won the second-richest event on the Built Ford Tough Series twice ― in consecutive years ― as he moved to more than 1,319 points ahead of Marco Eguchi in the world standings.

In Round 2 on Saturday, 25 men were whittled to seven with L.J. Jenkins, from Porum, Okla., leading the way, followed by Alves. Jenkins won Round 2 with 89.5 points on Slippery Devil (Wolf Creek Cattle & Rodeo. LLC). The final seven also included Nathan Schaper (Grassy Butte, N.D.), Valdiron de Oliveira (Aparecida de Goiania, Brazil), Aaron Roy (Asquith, Canada), Cody Nance (Paris, Tenn.) and Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga,Sao Paulo, Brazil).

"I just blocked everything out, focused on this good bull and rode."

Each of the final seven riders failed to make a successful ride in Round 3, requiring a Round 4 to determine the champion. The total scores from previous rounds put Alves and Jenkins as the last riders in the round.

Smackdown was restless in the chute and challenged Alves from the moment he took his seat. After a few attempts to find his position, Alves was forced to re-pull his rope, which allowed Jenkins to ride first. 

Jenkins had drawn Shepherd Hills Trapper (Circle T Ranch & Rodeo), a bull he had seen twice before but had not successfully ridden. Jenkins fell just short of making the whistle, lasting 7.73 seconds.

A minute later, Alves settled into position aboard Smackdown and the competition was over.

"I am very happy," Alves said. "I know it was the last ride of the night and was told everyone was on their feet and cheering in anticipation, but I just blocked everything out, focused on this good bull and rode."

Monster Energy Money Bulls Bushwacker (Julio Moreno Bucking Bulls) and Asteroid (Circle T Ranch & Rodeo) made their appearance in Round 3. A successful ride on either would have been worth an $80,000 bonus. Vieira went 5.39 seconds on Asteroid, while Oliveira lasted 5.26 seconds on Bushwacker.

The buckoff extended Bushwacker's record-setting streak to 42 straight, as he was named the Pabst Blue Ribbon High Marked Bull for the sixth time this season, registering a bull score of 47.25 points. Asteroid was marked 46.75 points.

The conclusion of the Last Cowboy Standing will air on CBS Sunday at 4 p.m. ET. 

The Last Cowboy Standing is the 17^th stop of the 2013 Built Ford Tough Series and marks the beginning of the summer break for the 26-stop tour. The last nine events of the season resume beginning Aug. 16-17, in Tulsa, Okla., at the BOK Center with the Tulsa Invitational. 

Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series
Last Cowboy Standing presented by Mandalay Bay
Las Vegas - Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Round 4-Event Points)
1. Silvano Alves, 86-85.5-0-92.5-264.00 points.
2. L.J. Jenkins, 85.5-89.5-0-0-175.00 points.
3. Nathan Schaper, 86-83-0-0-169.00 points
4. Valdiron de Oliveira, 87-81.75-0-0-168.75 points.
5. Eduardo Aparecido, 88.75-0-0-0-88.75 points.
6. Aaron Roy, 0-88-0-0-88.00 points.
7. Billy Robinson, 87.75-0-0-0-87.75 points.
8. Stormy Wing, 87-0-0-0-87.00 points.
9/10. Brant Atwood, 86.5-0-0-0-86.50 points.
9/10. Luke Snyder, 86.5-0-0-0-86.50 points.
11. Marco Eguchi, 86.25-0-0-0-86.25 points.
12. Shane Proctor, 84-0-0-0-84.00 points.
13. Ty Pozzobon, 83.75-0-0-0-83.75 points.
14. Josh Faircloth, 82.25-0-0-0-82.25 points.
15/16. J.B. Mauney, 82-0-0-0-82.00 points.
15/16. Kasey Hayes, 82-0-0-0-82.00 points.
17. Cody Nance, 0-81.5-0-0-81.50 points.
18. Joao Ricardo Vieira, 0-81.25-0-0-81.25 points.
Agnaldo Cardozo, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Austin Meier, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Brendon Clark, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Caleb Sanderson, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Carrson Hiatt, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Chase Outlaw, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Cody Campbell, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Douglas Duncan, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Emilio Resende, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Fabiano Vieira, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Gage Gay, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Guilherme Marchi, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Jared Farley, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Jarrod Craig, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Jason Malone, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Jordan Hupp, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Jory Markiss, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Joseph McConnel, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Kody Lostroh, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Lachlan Richardson, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.
Markus Mariluch, 0-0-0-0-0.00 points.

2013 Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series Season Standings         
(Place, Rider, Events, Wins, Top 5's, Points, Total Winnings)
1. Silvano Alves, 17, 2, 7, 6,641.660, $305,613.68
2. Marco Eguchi, 16, 2, 6, 5,321.750, $160,956.99
3. Shane Proctor, 15, 2, 5, 5,283.370, $164,040.80
4. Joao Ricardo Vieira, 12, 3, 3, 5,145.290, $208,784.51
5. Cody Nance, 17, 1, 4, 4,663.290, $108,746.21
6. Eduardo Aparecido Silva, 13, 0, 7, 4,657.320, $60,837.18
7. J.B. Mauney, 16, 0, 5, 4,253.500, $77,632.13
8. Aaron Roy, 17, 0, 4, 4,039.500, $78,028.70
9. Douglas Duncan, 17, 0, 2, 3,910.120, $61,996.62
10. Fabiano Vieira, 12, 2, 3, 3,883.750, $106,792.00
11. Kody Lostroh, 14, 0, 3, 3,805.500, $83,678.72
12. Luke Snyder, 17, 0, 2, 3,695.750, $74,968.33
13. Jordan Hupp, 16, 0, 0, 3,686.870, $55,767.33
14. Guilherme Marchi, 17, 1, 2, 3,664.370, $78,107.70
15. Mike Lee, 17, 0, 1, 3,638.870, $66,417.12
16. L.J. Jenkins, 14, 0, 4, 3,260.910, $69,749.29
17. Chase Outlaw, 17, 0, 1, 3,231.120, $54,378.26
18. Ty Pozzobon, 16, 0, 3, 3,103.120, $65,643.30
19. Emilio Rezende, 16, 0, 2, 2,958.220, $46,258.01
20. Billy Robinson, 14, 1, 1, 2,837.750, $61,428.33
21. Brendon Clark, 16, 0, 2, 2,645.000, $34,118.54
22. Ben Jones, 15, 0, 1, 2,407.250, $35,540.11
23. Nathan Schapper, 14, 0, 1, 2,380.370, $25,046.65
24. Agnaldo Cardozo, 12, 0, 1, 2,362.870, $51,584.40
25. Brant Atwood, 11, 0, 1, 2,305.080, $38,423.44
26. Sean Willingham, 13, 1, 1, 2,296.000, $57,971.91
27. Renato Nunes, 15, 0, 1, 2,163.560, $46,252.85
28. Jory Markiss, 17, 0, 1, 2,123.370, $46,180.27
29. Stormy Wing, 10, 0, 1, 1,922.870, $33,784.52
30. Reese Cates, 11, 0, 1, 1,863.120, $32,106.37
31. Robson Palermo, 6, 1, 1, 1,847.500, $43,835.00
32. Valdiron de Oliveira, 9, 0, 2, 1,741.870, $17,128.21
33. Ryan Dirteater, 11, 0, 0, 1,632.000, $22,164.40
34. Zack Brown, 10, 0, 1, 1,541.000, $28,382.74
35. Lachlan Richardson, 15, 0, 0, 1,434.000, $27,540.98
36. Jared Farley, 9, 0, 0, 1,394.750, $31,237.95
37. Jason Malone, 6, 0, 0, 1,366.750, $19,062.90
38. Edevaldo Ferreira da Silva, 10, 0, 0, 1,300.630, $515,087.46
39. Austin Meier, 13, 1, 1, 1,226.000, $59,765.65

Kody Lostroh on 85 Jack Daniels Winter Jack:
This is a premier matchup. Winter Jack likes to go to the left, and that will be into Lostroh's hand, but he's a good enough bull that he won't allow any mistakes by the rider. They met once previously - in Des Moines, Iowa, where Lostroh came down in 3.56 seconds.

Shane Proctor on 86I Speckled Ivory:
They've met three times and Proctor won one of those. The difficulty of this bull comes largely from his lack of kick. He's always going away from the rider, and this has the effect of making riders feel like they are riding uphill. At times he can break over and have some drop, and the more he does this, the better Proctor's chances become.

Kasey Hayes on W5 Buckoff:
Hayes has a real shot at advancing to the third round on this bull. Buckoff has plenty of buck, and can turn back either way or both ways, but he's not especially fast, and he tends to telegraph every change of direction. He gives riders a lot of time to adjust to which way he's going.

Ty Pozzobon on S02 Sasquatch:
Ridden just two times in 27 career outs, Sasquatch is a serious threat to get any rider on the ground. He's faced left-handed riders 10 times, and none of them made the whistle.

Nathan Schaper on 73 Wolf Pup:
They met in Anaheim, Calif., earlier this year, and Schaper came out on top. Wolf Pup has been ridden pretty often by left-handed riders, and never by a righty.

J.B. Mauney on 701 Showboat:
Mauney had this bull in Winston-Salem, N.C., and didn't get the job done. Showboat is one of the best bulls to draw in this round, but he definitely favors spinning to the right, and Mauney will have to be near perfect away from his hand to get a score here. Showboat hasn't been ridden by a lefty since Ryan Dirteater did it in July 2011.

Aaron Roy on T70 Shameless:
Shameless likes to spin to the left, but he's smooth and even enough with his timing that most guys here should be able to handle him. He's been ridden in 4-of-7 outs at the Built Ford Tough Series level.

Stormy Wing on 78 Harlem Shuffle:
We don't know much about this bull ― he only has two outs on record, plus a third in which he fell with Brendon Clark in Albuquerque, N.M. Wing will be the first left-handed rider he's faced that we know of.

Mike Lee on 821 Super Cool Cat:
They met in Pueblo, Colo., about a year ago, and Lee stayed aboard for 7.41 seconds, and nearly became the only lefty to stay on this bull for 8 seconds. Super Cool Cat is unridden in six outs this season.

Guilherme Marchi on 805 Detailer:
This is a great little bull that is going to spin to the left ― away from Marchi's hand. He won't be coy about it, and wait to feel which way the rider is leaning. He's going to spin to the left with a vengeance and dare the guy to keep up, and it is not easy to keep up. Marchi is a good enough rider to stay on any kind of bull, but he's got a tough job here unless Detailer suddenly decides to go to the right.

Joao Ricarco Vieira on 793 RMEF Bugle II:
This bull has only been ridden once in 16 career outs, and that was by a right-handed rider. He's 9-0 on the Built Ford Tough Series this season, and he's faced some serious competition in that run. Several guys have taken him past 6 seconds this year, and all of them are left handed. If this bull messes up and spins to the left, he's going to have a hard time shaking Vieira loose.

Billy Robinson on 708 Delco:
Delco is one of the better bulls in Round 2, and he would almost fit in the next round with the best bulls going. He's been ridden more often by left-handed riders, but the last time he was ridden at all was in September of last year. Since then he's put down a long list of very good riders.

Jordan Hupp on 108 Martinez Que Miras Guey
We don't know much about this bull. He only has four career outs on record. Really no one has ridden him much past 3 seconds. Brant Atwood had him in Louisville and was down in 1.85 seconds.

Brant Atwood on 696 Cooper's Town:
Cooper's Town has been ridden just once in 16 career outs. Atwood had him at a rodeo in Laramie, Wyo., last season and came down in 3.41 seconds.

L.J. Jenkins on 801 Slippery Devil:
Jenkins had this bull in Clovis, N.M., last November and didn't stay on very long. Slippery Devil is an outstanding bull. He's likely to go to the left, away from Jenkins' hand, and he's got everything bull riders want in a bull. Speed, steady timing, doesn't really move forward that much. He's a great draw, and the type of bull guys can win a round on. Jenkins doesn't need to win the round ― he just needs to stay on.

Fabiano Vieira on 79 Red Bird:
Vieira should get a score here. We've seen this bull three times, once on the BFTS, and riders have earned two scores on him and one 7.01 second ride. He should be to the left, and he should be no problem for Vieira.

Josh Faircloth on 959 Black & Blue:
This is a very good draw in this set of bulls. He's got great, steady timing, and many of these riders should get along with him. Joao Ricardo Vieira was 87.75 points on him in Billings, Mont., last month.

Marco Eguchi on 6220 RFD HD:
RFD-HD is a very strong bull that tends to rattle guys loose. He can spin either way, has some forward movement, and a lot of power. Eguchi tried him at a Touring Pro Division event in 2011 and didn't make this whistle. This bull has been ridden just four times in 38 career outs.

Luke Snyder on 8061 Mud Wasp:
Snyder has a good draw here. Mud Wasp likes to go to the left, but can reverse it and go both ways. He's got good timing, and most guys get him started really well. Snyder is a great finisher, and he should get a score and move on.

Cody Nance on 656 New Holland Power Star:
This bull is something of a tweener. On his better days he belongs with the bulls in Round 3, and other times he's less impressive. He's only been ridden twice in 42 career outs. Nance will have his hands full here.

Douglas Duncan on 847 Western Hauler:
They met in Billings, and Western Hauler won. This bull is unridden in 27 career outs, and the top riders have tried him five times. He doesn't have great timing, and he's got a pretty tough corner to get by. He can duck into a spin very quick, like Shepherd Hills Trapper ― and if that doesn't get the rider off he's likely to gather himself up and try it again.

Valdiron de Oliveira on U816 Wolverine Construction's Ringo:
Ringo hasn't been ridden by a right-handed rider yet, but he hasn't faced a lot of them He's gotten the best of J.B. Mauney, Fabiano Vieira, and Luke Snyder this season, and that's not easy to do.

Silvano Alves on 679 Tremors:
When Alves won the Last Cowboy Standing last season, he had the advantage of a pretty good draw in the second round, and we're looking at nearly the exact same situation here, and I could describe the two bulls nearly the same way. Tremors is as rider friendly as any bull in this round, but he will be spinning away from Alves hand, and he's got some traits that make him difficult to ride. He can have a lot of drift, meaning he moves across the arena as he spins, which isn't hard in itself, but it can cause him to break his otherwise excellent timing and that does add difficulty. If he doesn't go pinwheeling across the pen, Alves will ride him easily, and if he does, Alves is still more than capable of getting the job done.

Eduardo Aparecido on 59 Whiskey's Rebel:
Last time we saw this bull on tour was at the Iron Cowboy in Arlington, Texas, where he had one of the most impressive trips of any bull this season, and caused Agnaldo Cardozo to do a one and a half flip full face plant into the arena dirt. He turned in a 45.5 point score there, and honestly that just wasn't enough. However, Whiskey's rebel is very rideable. The trick is to survive the first few jumps, or the first 2 to 3 seconds of the ride. After that, he calms down a little, but right out of the chute he can be very much like Bodacious. Jory Markiss rode him at a Touring Pro event in Stephenville, Texas, for 90.5 points in March.

Chase Outlaw on 085 Past Time:
We've seen Past Time on tour five times this season, and he's thrown off five very good riders. He's only been ridden once in 14 career outs, and that was at a rodeo in August 2012 for 91 points.

Download Saturday's day sheet here.

Follow Slade Long on Twitter @ProBullStats.

The opening round of the PBR's Last Cowboy Standing took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Friday with the world's Top 50 cowboys riding for a chance to advance to Saturday's final rounds, and the hope of winning the top prize of $100,000.

Eduardo Aparecido was the first to make the whistle on Friday with an 88.75-point effort on Flesh & Blood, the top-marked ride of Round 1. In all, 15 riders posted scores in the opening round, advancing to Saturday's rinal rounds. Ten additional riders have been be added to Saturday's draw, based on the world standings.

The elite ― J.B. Mauney, Shane Proctor, Marco Eguchi, L.J. Jenkins and previous Last Cowboy Standing champions Luke Snyder (2011) and Silvano Alves (2012) ― will take a seat in the chutes Saturday night, joined by the likes of Kasey Hayes, Valdiron de Oliviera, Stormy Wing and Brant Atwood, who had to ride three bulls Friday on his way to qualifying for the next round. 

They've all advanced, along with Douglas Duncan, Chase Outlaw and PBR World Champions Guilherme Marchi (2008), Kody Lostroh (2009) and Mike Lee (2004), among others.

The bulls were tough, dumping more than 50 percent of the evening's riders, yet they were a mere preview of those to come in Round 2 and beyond.

Round 1 of the Last Cowboy Standing airs on CBS Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Every ride, every wreck and every triumph will be captured in the two-hour broadcast, as the top riders in the world battle for the second largest payday on the 2013 Built Ford Tough Series.

The Last Cowboy Standing continues on Saturday at 6 p.m. PT, with Round 2 and the final rounds to determine the $100,000 winner. World Champion Bulls Asteroid and Bushwacker will buck in Round 3 Saturday and, as the Monster Energy Money Bulls of the event, will be worth $80,000 to the cowboys who cover them.

The final rounds of the Last Cowboy Standing, including the bonus rides and the crowning of the winner, will air on CBS Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.

Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series
Last Cowboy Standing presented by Mandalay Bay
Las Vegas, NV - Event Leaders (Round 1-Event Points)

1. Eduardo Aparecido, 88.75-88.75 points.
2. Billy Robinson, 87.75-87.75 points.
3. Stormy Wing, 87-87.00 points.
(tie). Valdiron de Oliveira, 87-87.00 points.
5. Brant Atwood, 86.5-86.50 points.
(tie). Luke Snyder, 86.5-86.50 points.
7. Marco Eguchi, 86.25-86.25 points.
8. Nathan Schaper, 86-86.00 points.
(tie). Silvano Alves, 86-86.00 points.
10. L.J. Jenkins, 85.5-85.50 points.
11. Shane Proctor, 84-84.00 points.
12. Ty Pozzobon, 83.75-83.75 points.
13. Josh Faircloth, 82.25-82.25 points.
14. J.B. Mauney, 82-82.00 points.
(tie). Kasey Hayes, 82-82.00 points.
Aaron Roy, 0-0.00 points.
Agnaldo Cardozo, 0-0.00 points.
Austin Meier, 0-0.00 points.
Brendon Clark, 0-0.00 points.
Caleb Sanderson, 0-0.00 points.
Carrson Hiatt, 0-0.00 points.
Chase Outlaw, 0-0.00 points.
Cody Campbell, 0-0.00 points.
Cody Nance, 0-0.00 points.
Douglas Duncan, 0-0.00 points.
Emilio Resende, 0-0.00 points.
Fabiano Vieira, 0-0.00 points.
Gage Gay, 0-0.00 points.
Guilherme Marchi, 0-0.00 points.
Jared Farley, 0-0.00 points.
Jarrod Craig, 0-0.00 points.
Jason Malone, 0-0.00 points.
Joao Ricardo Vieira, 0-0.00 points
Jordan Hupp, 0-0.00 points.
Jory Markiss, 0-0.00 points.
Joseph McConnel, 0-0.00 points.
Kody Lostroh, 0-0.00 points.
Lachlan Richardson, 0-0.00 points.
Markus Mariluch, 0-0.00 points.
Matt Triplett, 0-0.00 points.
Michael Lane, 0-0.00 points.
Mike Lee, 0-0.00 points.
Reese Cates, 0-0.00 points.
Renato Nunes, 0-0.00 points.
Sean Willingham, 0-0.00 points.
Skeeter Kingsolver, 0-0.00 points.
Stetson Lawrence, 0-0.00 points.
Troy Wilkinson, 0-0.00 points.
Zac Peterson, 0-0.00 points.
Zane Lambert, 0-0.00 points.

Shivers, who retired in 2012 after competing in a record 15 World Finals, earned 93 90-point rides in his career while becoming the first PBR rider to reach the $1 million, $2 million and $3 million marks in career earnings. The two-time PBR World Champion won his first title in 2000. In 2003, he became the second two-time world champ in PBR history. Shivers earned two 96.5-point rides, including his first in 2000 on Jim Jam and his second on the 2012 Brand of Honor bull, Dillinger, in 2001.

Dunn set a PBR record in 1999 when he earned 96.5 points on Promise Land en route to the event win and $23,252 in Tampa, Fla. He was Rookie of the Year in 1995 after earning $46,586, and the first - and one of two men - to successfully ride Bodacious twice. Dunn was also one of Shivers' mentors, and the two traveled together often.

The PBR Ring of Honor was created in 1996 to recognize those who have had the most profound impact on bull riding, both in and out of the arena. The 35 members share a common bond of courage, strength and victory. They have shown their dedication and support while playing a significant role in helping professional bull riding become what it is today. Honorees include the great Jim Shoulders, PBR founding fathers Ty Murray and Cody Lambert, three-time PBR World Champion Adriano Moraes, two-time PBR World Champion Justin McBride, as well as PBR World Champions Troy Dunn and Michael Gaffney. The Ring of Honor, the PBR's equivalent of a Hall of Fame, is more than a fellowship: Each inductee is presented with a ring handcrafted of diamonds and gold bearing the PBR logo, the recipient's name and the year he was honored.

The Brand of Honor and the Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award were each presented for the first time in 2011. The Brand of Honor is awarded to a bull for his exemplary performance throughout his career. This year, the award will be given to Red Wolf. Cotton Rosser will receive the Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award that recognizes a non-bull rider who has made a significant contribution to the sport.

Owned by Herrington Cattle Co., Red Wolf placed second in 1997 for PBR Bull of the Finals and PBR Bull of the Year. He had one of the longest careers of any high-level bucking bull, being born in 1988 and not retiring until the age of 12 in 2000. The 2000 PBR World Finals, where Red Wolf made his last out, marked his sixth consecutive appearance at the Finals. Red Wolf had a career buckoff percentage of 58.97 percent in Built Ford Tough Series events. He was ridden 16 times in 39 outs, including seven round wins, and his average bull score was 45.54 points. Red Wolf is among the Top 20 bulls in PBR history in terms of both average bull score and average ride score, as well as Top 10 in number of 90-point rides produced.

Rosser, a legendary stock contractor and rodeo event producer, has supplied bulls to the PBR during its entire history. He has been a strong supporter of PBR and in the past, he has credited the PBR with making rodeo better. Rosser also owns the famous Flying U Ranch in California, which has produced great bulls such as Reindeer Dippin', the sire of Bushwacker, Whitewater Skoal, Werewolf, and more recently, Hawaiian Ivory, Bring It and Curve Ball.

Created by the PBR Board of Directors in 2009 to honor women who have made a difference in the life of a bull rider and contributed to the sport, the Sharon Shoulders Award honors its namesake for her support and encouragement of her late husband, Jim Shoulders, the celebrated cowboy and bull rider who was inducted as a member of the first class in the PBR Ring of Honor in 1996. This year, Flavia Moraes, wife of three-time PBR World Champion Adriano Moraes, will be honored by the PBR. Not only is Flavia a supportive wife, she took it into her own hands to guide Adriano's career outside of the arena and made him an international star.

PBR Legends Reunion ticket packages are now available for $175, a savings of $150. The package includes tickets to the PBR Heroes & Legends Reception, the PBR Heroes & Legends Celebration, the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals Kickoff Party, the PBR World Champions Forum, the PBR Ultimate Meet & Greet, as well as tickets to Wednesday and Thursday night of the PBR World Finals. The Legends Reunion Add-on Package is also available for $100, for fans who have already purchased their tickets but are interested in attending the Legends Reunion festivities.

South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa is the Official Host Hotel of the PBR Legends Reunion. The special event Oct. 22-23 will again officially begin the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals. Fans will have an opportunity to meet their favorite riders, as every rider who has competed since the PBR began has been invited to Las Vegas.

2013 PBR Legends Reunion Schedule:

Legends Reunion ticket packages can be purchased now at the Thomas & Mack Center box office, www.UNLVTickets.com, and by telephone at (866) PBR-SHOW.

The World Finals are where the PBR World Champion will be crowned and awarded the coveted championship buckle and a $1 million bonus. The richest bull riding event in the world, the World Finals has a total purse of more than $2 million.

The World Finals are Oct. 23-27 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Bull riding begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available now at the Thomas & Mack Center box office, www.UNLVTickets.com, and by telephone at (866) PBR-SHOW.

South Point is offering special room rates of $65 and $105 until Aug. 31. To redeem the special rate, please telephone (866) 791-7626 and use the code FAN1023, or visit www.reunion.pbr.com.

Odds on Favorites:

Based on what we've seen this season, these are the guys with the best chance to win this event. Just about every man here is capable of riding any bull here, but these are the guys who are getting it done regularly this season, and more importantly, getting it done on the better bulls. To win this event, someone is probably going to have to make the whistle on two short round caliber bulls.

Fabiano Vieira on 66 JD:
Vieira is at the top of the favorites list for a reason. No one has a better riding percentage this year, and no one is even close to his numbers against the better bulls. His biggest problem is going to be avoiding an upset in the first round, because this bull doesn't seem to fit anyone. JD is working on a streak of 31 straight buckoffs, and he's faced plenty of good riders. The video we have available on him shows he likes to spin to the left, and that would be into Vieira's hand.

Joao Ricardo Vieira on 88 Jack Wagon:
Vieira number two has a very respectable record this season against every level of bull he's faced. He's done a lot of winning on bulls that spin into his hand, and here he's facing a bull that is probably going to go away from his hand, and is a pretty tough bull for left-handers to get by.

Eduardo Aparecido on 718 Flesh & Blood:
Of the top three favorites for this event, Aparecido definitely has the best draw. This bull has gone against six right-handed riders, and four of them made the whistle.

Shane Proctor on U803 Running M's Rambo:
Proctor has been on Rambo twice, and has one ride to show for it. He was 85.75 points in Anaheim, Calif., back in February. Rambo was ridden twice at Anaheim, and we haven't seen him on tour since.

Cody Nance on K14 Yellow Jacket Jr.:
Nance has quietly put together pretty good numbers this season so far. He's done well against the best bulls, and he should be considered among the favorites to do well here. He doesn't have an easy path out of the first round, because Yellow Jacket Jr., is a tough bull to get by. But, any left- handed rider has a chance against him, and he's been ridden in each of his last two outs.

Marco Eguchi on 22 Muddy Smile:
Muddy Smile has been ridden three out of four times by right-handed riders, and Eguchi should get a score here. He may struggle in the following rounds, because he hasn't done well against the top bulls in his career, and he's 0-for-7 against them this season. Eguchi will have to change that to win this event.

Silvano Alves on H84 Dirty Deal:
Alves won this event last season. His numbers this year aren't what we've come to expect from him, but he's ridden six of his last seven, and he's starting to ride like the two-time World Champion he is. Alves is good on every kind of bull, even the best ones. He's got something of an unknown bull here. Dirty Deal is unridden in the four outs we have on record, but Alves has been the first man to ride a lot of new bulls. He'll be the best rider this bull has faced.

Guilherme Marchi on 87 Magic Man:
This is a debut bull we know nothing about, but we know enough about Marchi to make a serious case for him being the best rider in PBR history. He and Justin McBride are very close in terms of their career numbers, and Marchi is a little stronger than McBride on the best bulls. His riding percentage in championship rounds is better than anyone in PBR history as well.

J.B. Mauney on 120 Junior Jacket:
Mauney should get a score and move on to the second round here, and in the second and third round he'll have something of an advantage in that he's among the best at riding the best bulls. That hasn't been the case this season, as he's 0-for-12 on them, and among those 12 are more than a few anyone would bet on him being able to twist.

The Rest of the Field:

Aaron Roy on W14 Buck Naked:
Roy has a good draw here. Buck Naked isn't easy, but he's been good to the top riders, and he's the kind of bull that a bigger rider should get along with. Roy's riding percentage is off this year compared to 2012, but he's capable of winning this.

Carrson Hiatt on 62 Mr. Bull:
Hiatt is making his Built Ford Tough Series debut here. He's ridden nearly 50 percent of his bulls at the Touring Pro Division level, but he hasn't faced any of the top-tier bulls. The bull he has here is no piece of cake, but he should spin into Hiatt's hand, and he's a great draw at this level. We could see Hiatt step up and earn his way into Round 2.

Josh Faircloth on 6 The Game Changer:
Game Changer has been ridden in six of his last seven outs, mainly because he has a very steady rhythm and bucks with great timing. It's not because he's weak. He has plenty of buck, plenty of kick, and he tends to spin right in the gate. Faircloth won't get away with any big mistakes here, but he's got a great chance to get a score and move on.

Matt Triplett on D05 Flint:
Flint has only been ridden by right-handed riders, and that will be into Triplett's hand. Triplett is coming off a Touring Pro Division win in New Town N.D., where he rode Buck Wild ― one of the best bulls in the PBR.

Reese Cates on 694 Dark Shadow:
Cates has ridden this bull before ― at a Touring Pro Division event in Clovis, N.M. last November. Dark Shadow is one of the better draws in this round. He's ridden equally often by right-handed and left-handed riders which is always an indication of a bull that has great timing.

Jason Malone on K613 Whirlwind:
This is a good draw for any rider here. He's been ridden three times in six outs this season, and for good scores. He doesn't get a lot of quick buckoffs ― almost every rider gets started pretty well on him.

Caleb Sanderson on 901 Crazy Love:
We haven't seen Sanderson on tour since February, and we haven't seen this bull very much at all, but we do know that he's faced four right-handed riders and three of them earned a score on him.

Follow Slade Long on Twitter @ProBullStats

For an event like this to be fair, each round must be stocked with bulls that are very similar in performance and difficulty, and PBR Livestock Director Cody Lambert has plenty of bulls available. 

"Aside from the World Title and the PBR World Finals event, the Last Cowboy Standing is the biggest title a rider can win, and it should mean the most to the riders," Lambert said. "Because this is a showcase event, a lot of contractors wanted to come to Vegas. I've had to turn some down, and not just ordinary bulls, but bulls that would fit into the second or third rounds here." 

In Friday's round one, the riders will face a group of long round caliber bulls, led by Moreno / Chadwick's Charlie Bullware, and Chad Berger's D05 Flint and K14 Yellowjacket Jr. 

In Round 2, the bull power ramps up to the level of bulls we normally see in championship rounds, including Circle T's 85 Jack Daniels Winter Jack, and Jeff Robinson's 793 RMEF Bugle II and 656 New Holland Power Star.

"The bulls in Round 2 are short round type bulls that you can be 88 to 90 points on," Lambert said. "They are the kind of bulls you would expect to see ridden in short rounds, or the ones that are picked first in drafts. They're still pretty tough. We'll have at least 25 riders in Round 2, and I expect around eight to 10 of those guys to make a qualified ride and move on to Round 3."

The riders who do reach Round 3 will be paired up with a pen of the best bulls in the world. Bushwacker, Asteroid, and 19 others have been set aside for the third round, and as a group they are a formidable set. We'll see the top two bulls from the past three events, including a newcomer - Hadley & Weber's T74 Hang Time - who made his debut in the short round in Boise.

"I'd seen several videos of Hang Time before Boise, and even one where he was ridden 4 or 5 seconds, and he just got better the further he went," said Lambert. "As good as he was in Boise, I think we may see him get a little better. Jeff Robinson's I'm a Gangster Too outscored him by a little bit in Boise, and I think the judges got that right - he was just a little better."

Bushwacker and Asteroid will square off in the same round for the fourth time this season, and so far Bushwacker has been the highest marked bull at every event he's been to, but Lambert isn't counting Asteroid out yet.

"Bushwacker sure seems to be better this year than he was last year," Lambert said. "It seems weird to me to say that he's the best bull I've ever seen, because he's still right in his prime. I have seen other bulls that have been as good as Bushwacker, but maybe just on their best day, or once or twice in their career. Bushwacker brings it pretty much every time. But to show how good Asteroid can be, he beat Bushwacker at the World Finals, and he's capable of doing it again. The trip he had with Douglas Duncan in Des Moines - that was the kind of trip that shows he can hang with Bushwacker, and if either of them slack up even a little bit, the other one is going to win it."

Follow Slade Long on Twitter @ProBullStats

ON DECK - The Built Ford Tough Series will take its annual summer break following this event, returning to action Aug. 17-18, in Tulsa, Okla., for the Tulsa Invitational at the BOK Center.

PAST LAST COWBOY STANDING EVENT WINNERS - Silvano Alves won the Last Cowboy Standing title last year in Detroit. Luke Snyder won the inaugural LCS in front of a sellout crowd at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas in 2011

FORMAT - The Last Cowboy Standing is a progressive-elimination format competition. Each of the Top 50 bull riders in the world will ride one bull in Round 1. Riders who reach 8 seconds in Round 1 will advance to the next round, where they will each ride another bull. The elimination format continues until there is only one cowboy left. There will be a maximum of five rounds. The total purse is more than $300,000 with the winner taking home $100,000 and both Monster Energy Money Bulls, Asteroid and Bushwacker, being worth $80,000 each if successfully ridden. If two riders reach 8 seconds on five bulls, the winner will be determined by total score from the five rounds.

POSSIBLE POINTS - There are a maximum of 1,400 possible points available during Last Cowboy Standing. The winner of each round will receive 100 points plus the ride score with a maximum of five rounds. The event winner will receive 400 points.

PROVIDING PROTECTION - The Dickies® DuraBullfighters protecting the riders this weekend are Jesse Byrne of Okotoks, Alberta; Shorty Gorham of Cotulla, Texas; and Frank Newsom of Paoli, Okla.

TELEVISION BROADCAST - Round 1 of Last Cowboy Standing will be broadcast on CBS Network Television Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Day 2 of the event will air on the CBS Network Television Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.

BONUS BULL/MONSTER ENERGY MONEY BULL - This weekend two riders will have the chance to earn $80,000 each if they successfully ride Monster Energy Money Bulls Asteroid and Bushwacker. Bonus points of 100 for a successful ride plus the ride score will be awarded to each rider.

FOR ALL LAST COWBOY STANDING GAME NOTES IN PDF FORMAT CLICK HERE 

"I just want more of the same," said Moreno, and with good reason.

Moreno owns Bushwacker, who hasn't scored less than 46 points since September 2011. In fact, in his past five outs he's been marked between 47 and 48.25 points, which is well over his already impressive career average of 46.284 points.

"I hope they break any record there is."

No one has managed to make the whistle on him since October 2009 and includes an overall streak of 54 buckoffs, including a Built Ford Tough Series record of 41.

"I do get nervous and, yes, I do have a bad ass bull," said Moreno, who, like Kent Cox, who hauls and handles the bull, hasn't forgotten the injuries to his back legs that sidelined him for the start of the 2012 season, "but I'm just doing my best to hope that he can stay healthy all year and let him do his thing.

"It's the greatest feeling there is to have him. His last trip in Kentucky was awesome and I just hope he keeps on right now."

Bushwacker, who was the World Champion Bull in 2011, and the reigning World Champion Bull Asteroid will be out in Round 3 of the Last Cowboy Standing.

Both have been tabbed as Monster Energy bonus bulls worth an additional $80,000 if either rider who draws them on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Event Center can make the whistle.

Bushwacker has bucked off the likes of World Champions Silvano Alves and Mike Lee as well as World Finals event winners Robson Palermo and J.B. Mauney, who has failed to make the whistle eight times.

"I think so," said Moreno, when asked if anyone will eventually make the whistle.

"Somebody on the top of their game and Bushwacker just has a good outing and they get by those two or three jumps then, I think, they can ride him.

He was marked 48.25 points in last outing, which took place in Louisville, Ky., and that was the second time he was marked 48 points this year. His career best was 48.5 points in October 2011 when he bucked off Cord McCoy in the third round of the World Finals in just 3.39 seconds.

If he were to be marked between 47 and 48 points again this weekend, in Las Vegas, the score would be on par to set a new all-time PBR record, which is currently 96.5 points.

"They're going to have to get him on that," said Moreno, referring to the high-marks Bushwacker has been receiving. "Kent (Cox) has done a real good job. He's got him in shape."

If whichever rider draws him is able to "rise to the occasion," Moreno concluded, "I hope they break any record there is."

Follow Keith Ryan Cartwright on Twitter @PBR_KRC.

This weekend, Mandalay Bay Events Center welcomes the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) to Las Vegas, May 10-11 for the third annual Last Cowboy Standing. It's the bull riding event where the only thing that matters is riding for 8 seconds. The format is simple: if a rider stays on his bull until the 8-second buzzer, he moves on. If he gets bucked off, he's done. At the end of the two-day event, one man will rise to the top of the heap and be named the Last Cowboy Standing.

For the first time ever a PBR event will air on network television on back-to-back days. On Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12, the Last Cowboy Standing will be broadcast from 4-6 p.m. ET on CBS Network Television. Virtually every ride from the Top 50 bull riders in the world will be featured as they attempt to master the fiercest bucking bulls in the country. Fans can enjoy exhilarating 8-second rides and heart-stopping wrecks as these men risk it all to make a qualified ride on their 2,000-pound opponents during this action-packed event.

Tickets for the Last Cowboy Standing are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000. They range in price from $20 to $125.

Luke Snyder returns to the Events Center where he captured the first Last Cowboy Standing event title in 2011. After outlasting his competitors through three consecutive rides, he was awarded the $100,000 top prize.

"It was tough," Snyder said. "I didn't know how many rides I would have to make that day in order to win, but I was determined to give it everything I had to stay on my bulls. I wanted that title and this year I want to reclaim it. Only one man can be the last cowboy standing and I intend to be in the running."

In 2012, Silvano Alves won the title at the Detroit Last Cowboy Standing event.

The Last Cowboy Standing begins Friday, May 10 at 8 p.m. PT and, for the first time in PBR history, features the Top 50 bull riders in the world including Snyder, current No. 1 and two-time reigning PBR World Champion Silvano Alves; 2013 Iron Cowboy Austin Meier; four additional former PBR World Champions: Renato Nunes (2010), Kody Lostroh (2009), Guilherme Marchi (2008) and Mike Lee (2004); fan favorites J.B. Mauney, L.J. Jenkins and Shane Proctor; and young guns Chase Outlaw, Ryan Dirteater and Jory Markiss.

It's the best-of-the-best facing the best bulls in the world.

During Friday night's Round 1 event, Alves, who recaptured the top position in the PBR World Standings in Nampa, Idaho, two weeks ago, faces Paige Stout Bucking Bulls' Dirty Deals. Dirty Deals has bucked twice during the 2013 Built Ford Tough Series, meeting both Sean Willingham and Stormy Wing in Des Moines, Iowa, last month. The 1,500-pound bull dumped both men in less than three seconds. Alves will have to hang on tight to advance to Saturday's Round 2 and defend his Last Cowboy Standing title.

Snyder will need to get by Iron Horse (Do or Die Pro Rodeo) on Friday to advance and have a chance at reclaiming the title. Iron Horse has been attempted by some of the PBR's most talented riders - Marchi, Valdiron de Oliveira, Brendon Clark, Colby Yates and Robson Palermo, but has been ridden by only two. Yates recorded an 89.25 and Palermo received 87.50 points when the 1,500-pound bull last bucked on the BFTS in 2011.

Running M's Rambo (Cody Ohl/David Markley/Beach City) awaits current No. 2 rider Proctor in the first round. Proctor now sits more than 640 points behind Alves in the standings and looks to regain some of that ground this weekend. He met Running M's Rambo in Anaheim, Calif., earlier this year and covered the bull for 85.75 points on his way to that event's title. The bull was also managed by Nathan Schaper at the same event for 82 points. If the trend continues, Proctor may find himself in the running on Saturday.

Iron Cowboy Meier hopes that Bikini (Wolf Creek Cattle &Rodeo Co.) is his answer this weekend. Meier has struggled a bit this season, but put on a great show in Arlington, Texas, earlier this year to capture the Iron Cowboy title. He looks to do the same this weekend. Bikini has been attempted by six previous riders in BFTS competition, but only Markus Mariluch has been successful, producing an 85.25 ride in New York to start the 2013 BFTS season.

Always a contender, Mauney is ready to take on Jr. Jacket (Mann Creek Buck N Bulls) on Friday. In his sole BFTS out, Jr. Jacket took care of Caleb Sanderson in 4.77 seconds at the PBR Nampa event in 2012.

Challenging the riders in the second elimination round on Saturday will be PBR World Champion Bulls Bushwacker (2011) and Asteroid (2012), the Monster Energy Money Bulls of the event. Two riders will have to make it through the terrible twosome to claim the event title and could earn an additional $80,000 bonus for overpowering either of these foes. With Bushwacker holding the PBR record for his buckoff streak at 41 cowboys, and Asteroid as the reigning PBR World Champion, this feat will be anything but easy.

At $10,000 per second, these men will fight hard to win the Monster Energy Money Bull bonus of $80,000. Adding that to the $100,000 purse for the overall event winner, nearly $200,000 awaits one resilient cowboy.

The Last Cowboy Standing is the 17^th of 26 events taking place in 18 states on the Built Ford Tough Series this season. It also marks the end of the first half of the 2013 season. The series will resume August 16-17, in Tulsa, Okla., at the BOK Center for the Tulsa Invitational.

The series returns to Las Vegas in October for the last event of the season. The PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals take place October 23-27 at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center. The Top 35 bull riders will compete to claim the ultimate prize, the PBR World Champion's title, a $1 million bonus, a new Ford truck from the series' title sponsor and the coveted PBR World Champion buckle.

The PBR is celebrating 20 years of competition in 2013. Its Built Ford Tough Series is televised every week on CBS, CBS Sports Network and networks around the world. BFTS telecasts are produced for the PBR under a multi-year agreement with David Neal Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company led by 34-time Emmy® Award winner and Peabody Award winner David Neal, who serves as executive producer.

Las Vegas is always a fun one, I always love going to Vegas. I will have two bulls this weekend at Last Cowboy Standing, Jack Wagon and Dirty Deals.

Paige looks on as Silvano Alves rides Jack Wagon.

The bulls had to leave on Tuesday morning, my dad had to drive them out to Las Vegas because I am super swamped with finals coming up in school so I can't even fly out until tonight. This weekend's event is going to be a lot of fun, I can't wait, it's going to be exciting. I think the atmosphere of Vegas and the fans there, traveling from all over the world, it's going to bring a lot of excitement to the event - it's going to be a blast.

My mom and I and a couple of friends from home are flying out tonight - I have a bunch of people that are coming out to watch. I don't think my friends really understood what I was doing until I started on the Built Ford Tough Series tour.  Now that they see me on TV, they are more than happy for me and they are excited to be able to go and support me.

Follow Paige on Twitter @stoutpaige