Dirteater gets a win in OKC
Hulbert bull rider Ryan Dirteater finally got a win in Oklahoma City.
Nine years after nearly winning the PBR’s Express Employment Professionals Invitation in his just his second season on the tour, Dirteater captured the event Sunday by scoring a 93.25 on the Oklahoma bull, SweetPro’s Bruiser, in the championship round.
SweetPro’s Bruiser is the two-time PBR world champion bull of the D&H Cattle Company in Dickson. Dirteater’s ride on SweetPro’s Bruiser before the home state crowd at Chesapeake Energy Arena was the highest score of the young PBR season.
Oklahoma City was the third stop on the 2018 tour. It was Dirteater’s first PBR victory in his home state.
In 2009, a 19-year-old Dirteater was just a second and a half away from winning the PBR Express Classic in Oklahoma City when he was bucked off the bull, Chance, 6.5 seconds into
Express Employment Professionals Invitational At Chesapeake Energy Arena Final Results (Round scores and aggregate)
1, Ryan Dirteater, 86.5-86.25-93.25-266; 2, Dener Barbosa, 87-76-88.5-251.50; 3, Stetson Lawrence, 0-88-92.25-180.25; 4, Dakota Buttar, 85.25-88.5-0173.75; 5, Jess Lockwood, 85.25-0-88.5-173.75.
the ride.
Dirteater, 28, finished third in 2009 as a result and Brazilian bull rider Ednei Caminhas won the event.
This weekend, Dirteater was three for three on bulls, scoring an 86.5 on the Oklahoma bull Blue Crush (owned by McCoy Ranches of Tupelo) on Saturday night and was fourth entering Sunday’s action.
On Sunday, Dirteater scored an 86.25 on Struttin Stuff in round two before selecting SweetPro’s Bruiser with the fourth pick of the championship round. Bruiser would provide Dirteater with the ride that would seal his victory and send the home state crowd into a frenzy.
“The older you get, the stronger your mental game gets,” Dirteater said after Saturday night’s first round. “That is really what I believe. I am just maturing and I love these home state events. The crowd is outstanding. I love riding here.
“All of these events, the crowd and energy is outstanding, but there is something special about these events.”
With the victory, Dirteater earned $36,700 and is now ranked No. 4 in the PBR world standings for 2018, rising 17 positions from No. 21 entering the event.