One of the largest crowds in the history of the North Texas Fair and Rodeo saw an action-packed performance during the final night of the 2014 Bull Blowout and Cowboy Protection Bullfighting match.
The bulls had the upper hand all night with several riders making it close to the 8-second whistle, but falling short, sometimes as close as a few tenths of a second.
The 21-and-under bull riding champion from earlier in the week, Tye Chandler, made the best of his draw and posted an 85 score for the event win and his second gold buckle of the week.
Aubrey’s Matt Ward was right on Chandler’s heels, with his score of 84 locking up his claim on second place.
San Antonio’s Ryan Estrada picked up a third-place finish. Stephenville’s Bryce Barrios covered his bull for a 76 and fourth place.
The cowboy protection bullfighting match came down to the wire with Team RDL taking the top spot with a total of 186. Second place went to Team Farm Bureau, close behind with a 185.
Third place was Team Trailer Storage with their total of 178.
In the overall three-night competition, Team RDL, Nathan Harp and Colby Klumb, finished on top with a three-night aggregate score of 553. In addition, Harp’s fellow competitors voted him as the event MVP.
Placing second overall was Team Miller Lite, Weston Rutkowski and Zach Arthur, with a three-night total of 545.
Finishing in third place overall was the Darr Equipment/Cat team of Jake King and Daniel Dysion with a three-night total of 539.