Power rankings: The World Cup
Experience and consistency beat drama
LAS VEGAS (March 19, 2010) - The world standings represent how well each individual bull rider has performed over the course of an entire Built Ford Tough Series. But that’s not always a true indication of how well each is riding at the present time, which is where the new unofficial Power Rankings come into play.
There is no tried-and-true formula to figuring it out. It’s a subjective look at the top riders in the world. So too are the rankings of NCAA football, basketball and every other college sport, including the Coaches’ poll, the AP poll, the BCS and every other poll or Power Ranking available online or in print.
The monthly Power Rankings typically represent individual riders. This month, the power rankings represent the 2010 World Cup participants.
1. United States - Austin Meier, McKennon Wimberly, J.B. Mauney, Kody Lostroh and Jordan Hupp: For the first time in four years, the United States team is the unanimous favorite to win what would be its third consecutive Cup event. Seven of the Top 10 riders in the world are Americans. The only quandary for captain J.W. Hart is coming up with a replacement for Lostroh if he’s unable to compete because of injuries. Hart said his pool is so deep, he could cut all five riders, replace them with five different riders, and feel just as confident. At this time, the most likely replacement candidate has to be Jody Newberry.
2. Canada - Aaron Roy, Scott Schiffner, Devon Mezei, Tyler Thomson and Tanner Girletz: After back-to-back second-place finishes, the Canadians were disappointed to leave Brazil with a third-place finish last year. Cody Snyder, who has captained all four Canadian teams, said that 2009 left a bitter taste in his mouth. He’s a master at motivating riders, and that may be why this year’s roster is almost unchanged from a year ago – he intends to use that experience as a means of getting more out of his team.
3. Brazil - Robson Palermo, Guilherme Marchi, Fabiano Vieira, Silvano Alves and Edimundo Gomes: It was a huge blow to have to replace Valdiron de Oliveira; the second-ranked rider in the world is out with a broken bone in his shoulder. Renato Nunes’ exclusion because of a “negative attitude” indicates that all is not well with Team Brazil. Team captain Adriano Moraes said in an interview that Nunes was back on board, but then, an hour later, told the PBR to keep his original roster as it was.
4. Australia - Pete Farley, Jared Farley, Ben Jones, David Kennedy and Rhys Angland: Troy Dunn, who will again captain the Aussies, is without a doubt one of the great bull riders of all time. But he’s yet to get much from his team. Perhaps adding Ben Jones to this year’s roster (in place of Brendon Clark) will add a little enthusiasm to an otherwise vanilla cast of characters, who have never seemed outwardly motivated to win the World Cup.
5. Mexico - Rocky McDonald, Gustavo Pedrero, Francisco Morales, Nile Lebaron and Lorenzo Rios: It was believed that with two captains – Amando Aguirre, President of the Mexican Federation of Rodeo, and Ruben Mujica, President of Cuernos Chuecos, a Mexican bull riding league – and a coach, Gerardo Venegas, Team Mexico could turn things around. However, it’s been widely reported the two captains don’t like one another, and McDonald was named to the team without ever having been contacted. Rios was a late addition after Hugo Pedrero declined the offer to compete.
Early Prediction: The top three countries are clearly better than the other two. But Canada won’t face the same pressure or expectations as the United States, and they certainly don’t have the stress and drama of the Brazilians. In an event that comes down to the final ride, Canada edges the United States to finally win its first World Cup title.
—by Keith Ryan Cartwright
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when do we find out which bulls get invited to the world cup?
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Kra-z Kowgurl
March 24, 2010yall, im rootin for team USA and team MEXICO. i just cant wait to see how JB performs this year. hopefully a replay of last year and im prayin that kody lostroh is healthy enough to go out there, since we didnt get to see him last year because of that darn elbow. jody would be a good replacment, but not at all kody and i want to see him ride them bulls out there. austin and mckennon are great also. i hope we can get the job done again. Good luck TEAM USA & MEXICO!! -
TNcwgrl
March 24, 2010Hey everyone sorry about misspellings but this new keyboard doesn't like double letters unless you type real slow so good became god before I saw it.. -
TNcwgrl
March 24, 2010Bullrider 724 You are so right about Jody but I sure do not consider the CBR as a lower level !@#ociation.Younger than the PBR but....I saw and interviewed Jody there and at NABA events.He blew all of our minds coming back so soon from the injuries.Jody got a lot of unfair calls and I sure didn't blame him one bit when he opted to ride everywhere else.
Littlegal is a god person and a diehard fan but unlike us she id not up on what happens behind the scenes.She may have missed that rear drop down.That was a junk bull and like you said anyone would have bucked off him.That or a front shoulder dropped usually is a buck-off.
Jody is loaded with talent and true grit.Most riders would not have come back.
As for the way they made it sound when Zack Brown made it back they also made it sound like Zack had not ridden till then but in fact he was riding CBR and PRCA after his "retirement." -
dianaintoronto
March 24, 2010Love the early prediction, but even if Canada wins, Canadians won't see any of it. Still no PBR on tv here unless it's on NBC. And I used to hate their coverage... -
amandanewberry
March 24, 2010Thanks Bullrider724. Very Well Said. :-) -
steve99
March 22, 2010I just posted an article and a few photos about the World Cup and Renato Nunes. Check it out if you wish at www.thebullridingexperience.com. No charge to look.
Thank you. -
petunia
March 22, 2010I agree that there is to much drama about the world cup. It would be cool if lj got to replace
kody if he was to hurt to ride for the world cup. i hope kody gets better soon.
i also agree that the brazilan team sounds like a soap opera.
great for nunes that he is on the team. -
chadro
March 22, 2010Team Mexico!! get your crap together!! You have the talent, now go show the world what you can do. Why does anyone know or even care if these two guys, Aguirre and Mujica, like each other? Is that gonna affect the outcome of the world cup, whether they get along or not?? If it is, they need to figure out the pecking order, right now! Forget about captains, the coach needs to tell these guys to go get on every single bull at the world cup and try their freakin guts out! -
FaireyGirls
March 21, 2010I agree with sparty and Bullrider2, I think it would be smarter to remove McKennon and replace him with someone like L.J....
And as far as Kody being injured and may not being able to ride, I think a good choice would be Jody, or even Ryan McConnel... When Ryan rides he does really well, and I think last night proved he is back on a roll. Or even Shane Proctor... And what about the roll Mike Lee and Ross Coleman is on right now?
However if I were hoping for favorite to be put on the team I'd be asking for Pistol to be added :) haha -
babber
March 21, 2010Is anyone else getting a BAD HEADACHE with all this World Cup drama???????????? -
pbrfan??
March 20, 2010who's replacing Kody on teamUSA?,.. some names to looks @ Newberry, Proctor, Lee, Elliot,..or maybe like Leah almost said," TEAM USA", when she was talking to Ranato,... if Adriano doesn't want NUNES we can take Ranato, yes?,..j/k.. he deserve to be on teamBRAZIL. -
pbrfan??
March 20, 2010who's replacing Kody on teamUSA?,.. some names to looks @ Newberry, Proctor, Lee, Elliot,..or maybe like Leah almost said," TEAM USA", when she was talking to Ranato,... if Adriano doesn't want we can take Ranato, yes?,..j/k.. he deserve to be on teamBRAZIL. -
pbrfan??
March 20, 2010I don't care, I have Versus on Dish,..have both Dish and Direct, why?,.. because I watch versus and encore movies, HDnet, MAVtv and HDTHR on Dish wish less charges,..where as Direct have some channels I like to watch, but with a bit higher price,... maybe Direct brought back versus because they were losing customers fast. -
King Ranch
March 20, 2010DirecTV and Versus reach deal!!!! PBR back on DirecTV again this weekend. Way to go PBR fans -
alade3746
March 20, 2010Bullrider724: While I've been a TeamPBR member for over 10 years now I'm kinda new at doing these posts. Excuse me if I dont' recognize your handle. Are you a rider? You talk like you're someone who is behind the scenes and not "just a fan" like myself. I enjoy hearing from family members, riders, etc., who have more inside knowledge about how the PBR works both good and maybe not so good!. Regardless, Jody is a great rider and I welcome him back and wish him well. -
Bullrider2
March 20, 2010I agree with bullrider 724 (no relation LOL). I remember the controversy with Jody, there was definately two sides to the story. Jody went to great lengths to prove that he was not catching knots and all that did was infuriate the PBR. At the time, it would have been like saying that Valdiron is catching knots now.(Only an example based on riding style and popularity) Jody was that popular and that good. All of the bullriders have to play by the rules but in Jody's case it snowballed into a grudge match. Jody is a great person and I am glad to see him back. With injuries at the top and even with his late start he will play a role in the world champion race. -
Bullrider724
March 20, 2010littlegal: You are stirring a pot that you DO NOT want to get yourself into. Bringing up the controversy regarding Newberry hooking his knots?? Really?? There is a lot more to that controversy than you know about. Stuff behind the scenes, that you fans never hear about. For good reasons (protecting the PBR's image). If you only knew the TRUE facts about that controversy.
As for Jody's riding right now. He's just fine. You say that he was fresh and been off for 2 years? Not so much darling. Just after TWO MONTHS of resting from his LIFE THREATENING injury, Jody was getting back on bulls at lower level events. He didn't want to go back to the BFT Tour....for reasons stated above I'm sure. Did you not listen to his interviews that he done with Leah and KRC???
The bull he got on last night was a crappy "jump kicker"... that prolly no one could've ridden just because those kind of bulls are too awkward. When the bull came out of the gate it immediately dropped its butt, and practically drug it the entire time. It never completely fell down, therefore there wasn't any kind of chance for a re-ride. I mean, the bull score was 35.5 for cryin out loud!
Jody definitely deserves to be on the World Cup team. He has always been one of the best riders in the world ever since winning Rookie of the Year in 2003. But, J.W. does have a huge pool to choose from. It'll be interesting to see who he chooses if Kody can't go. -
alade3746
March 20, 2010Jody Newberry rode "a couple bulls" ?? Last count that I heard it was "a couple" more than that!!And what does a disqualification several years ago (intentional or otherwise) have to do with right here and now? And like the story said, JW has quite a few riders to chose from and when the time comes it will be his call. -
redskid43
March 20, 2010if kody has to be replaced jody is the one to go for if kody can go jody should at least be the alternate. -
littlegal
March 20, 2010
Personally I don't think Jody Newberry is riding that great. Yes when he came back he rode a couple bulls, but he was fresh and had been off a couple years. Also don't forget when he was
disqualified for several rides, including the Championship in Vegas for having his spurs in the
rope before leaving the chute.
I still think Mike Lee or Chris Shivers would be great, when the chips are down they will ride. -
Bullrider2
March 20, 2010I think Sparty is on the right track. I would not eliminate Mckennon, but I would be considering L.J. to replace Lostroh. Jody Newberry appararently fell of a jump kicker last night (from what I could gather on the event center) and Josh K has been struggling. LJ seems to have the hot hand right now. I would love to see Jody on the world cup team personally, I think JW will look at who is riding the best right up until the final minute he is allowed to make changes before deciding who he will choose if Lostroh is not able to compete. Jody started off strong, but LJ is doing well now. Both are good choices no matter what. -
sparty601
March 19, 2010Why Mckennon over Jenkins. Strange but we will see -
Shannon K
March 19, 2010Rocky was named to the World Cup team without ever having been contacted? Wow!
Interesting power rankings, though. Team Brazil is starting to sound like a really bad soap opera, but I'm sure that Robson, Guilherme, and Renato (if he's given a chance) will ride their hearts out regardless. I'll be glad when all the hype is over and the World Cup actually happens. -
Bullrider724
March 19, 2010I hate that Kody is hurt and by the way it sounds will not be competing in the world cup.
The obvious person to replace him would be Jody Newberry like you said, Keith.
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March 30, 2010