CAJAMAR, Brazil - Winning a million is a life-changing moment. For Edevaldo Ferreira, who earned a bonus of R$1 million as PBR Brazil's national champion Sunday, it was a day he'd dreamed of since returning to his home country.

"I'm not a lover of money," said Ferreira, "but it is part of life. It is a dream of mine to win this championship, and I'm happy to accept R$1 million as well."

'It is a dream of mine to win this championship.'

His bonus is equivalent to $500,000 in U.S. currency.

Ferreira clinched the title Sunday after a season-long, back-and-forth battle with Eduardo Aparecido Silva that spanned more than 40 events.

At this time he does not plan to return to the Built Ford Tough Series.

Ferreira last competed in the U.S. in October of 2009 at a BFTS event in Columbus, Ohio. That year he rode in seven BFTS events and several Touring Pro events before returning home.

Edevaldo Ferreira takes on Big Tex in Columbus, Ohio, in 2009.

His return had less to do with his ability as a professional bull rider than with the difficulty of being separated from his family.

"I've been very dedicated and my family has always believed in me," he said in an interview Sunday. "I came back to Brazil not because I had to, but because I wanted to show what I was capable of."

'I came back to Brazil not because I had to, but because I wanted to show what I was capable of.'

Ferreira claimed the title by 1,179 points over Silva, and 1,648.25 points over third-place finisher Eneas Barbosa, who won the Brazilian Finals event.

Unlike Ferreira, Barbosa is planning to continue his career in the U.S. this coming season.

Tab Barker, who served as a translator during the last three months of the 2011 BFTS, was in Brazil providing video footage and conducting interviews. He said crowds were "out of this world" and described the energy throughout the Finals as "amazing."

He said each night "there is a huge concert and the place gets even fuller. This country truly knows how to party."