Some Top 2012 MDBBF Contenders are Emerging

We’re off to a great start on the road leading to the 2012 Million Dollar Bucking Bull Futurity. The three Champions Tour events that have taken place so far, as well as the Buck Day and BBQ Invitational, give us a snapshot view of who some of the main contenders might be for the $500,000 winners payout in December.

Champions Tour #1, which took place in Stephenville, Texas on March 10th, saw Under Par win the gold buckle and $10,000. This nice looking son of Little Yellow Jacket not only quickly established himself as a MDBBF contender, but also a bull to be reckoned with outside of Champions Tour competition. Strategically, owners Gary and Laurie Fortier, knowing they have a good one on their hands, are now looking to some marque events in which to buck Under Par. The Fortier’s returned to the winners circle as Under Par won the Buck Day and BBQ $10,000 Invitational at The Jaynes Gang Ranch on Memorial Day defeating other past Champions Tour winners Pop the Latch and Montana Gold.

Pop The Latch, one of the bulls Billy Jaynes is high on to finish on top in Las Vegas, made amends for a stumble out of the chute during Champions Tour #1 in Stephenville, putting in an outstanding performance to score an 88 and win in Las Vegas on April 14th. This bucking Last Call son out of the dam 442 Sister Willie is owned by Desert Orchid Ranch. Owner Jo Black also knows she has a good one and is looking over entry forms to pick the next best spots for this bull to buck. Pop the Latch continued his top run of consistent bucking as he finished 2nd in the Buck Day and BBQ Invitational

Longtime EG customer Bob Schaaf knew he had a good bull early on. Last October during the Vegas Shootout for pre-futurity bulls which took place prior to the Million Dollar Bucking Bull Futurity, Schaaf's Montana Gold finished 8th establishing the Last Call son as one of the early favorites to win the 2012 MDBBF. Montana Gold looked good at the first Champions Tour event in Stephenville, Texas on March 10th finishing 6th, but finally put it all together on Saturday morning, May 5th wining the Humps N’ Horns Champions Tour #3 MDBBF Futurity in the historic Cowtown Coliseum and pocketing the winners payout of $10,000. Montana Gold stayed consistent finishing a respectable 4th in the Buck Day Invitational.

While Under Par and Pop The Latch and Montana Gold by virtue of their early season wins are looking like contenders, some other bulls have distinguished themselves as forces to respect as the season moves along. Long time EG customer Larry Barker from Mesilla Park, New Mexico had the crowd in Las Vegas for Champions Tour #2 wondering why they never heard of Yellow Hair. The bull finished second behind Pop The Latch and if not for an early stumble might have won the gold buckle. Another great performance was turned in at the Cowtown Coliseum where the bull finished second.

Stryker, owned by Halderman and Beevers, who finished 6th in Ft. Worth surprised the crowd at the Jaynes Gang Ranch by finishing a very strong 3rd ahead of Montana Gold in the Buck Day Invitational.

Greg and Marty Thomas may have a MDBBF sleeper in Mo’s Magic. The Last Call son out of a Houdini daughter, placed 4th in Stephenville, 5th in Las Vegas and 5th once again in Ft. Worth. This bull should be ready shortly for a breakout performance. Some other bulls to be on the lookout for as potential Million Dollar contenders are Top Grande owned by Exclusive Genetics first customers, Tom and Tish Peterson, Closing Time owned by bull rider Kasey Hayes, the Scott Pickens bull College Fund and 5 Star Bucking Bulls bull Pucker who had a breakout effort in Ft. Worth finishing 2nd.