GUYMON, Okla. – Fabiano Vieira is the No. 2 bull rider on the Professional Bull Riders tour, and he proved just why Saturday night.
Vieira was the only cowboy to ride two bulls during the inaugural Kasey Hayes & Stormy Wing Invitational PBR Touring Pro event at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena, winning the championship and adding $7,367 to his already-hefty bank account – so far this season, the Brazilian has earned nearly $193,000 riding bulls.
“Fabiano is a phenomenal bull rider, and he did what he does,” said Hayes, a six-time PBR World Finals qualifier from Liberal, Kan. “He’s a machine. He rides the bulls he gets on, and he wins. I was glad to see Fabiano win it. He’s a world-class competitor, and he came to Guymon, Oklahoma, and won.”
Vieira was the first cowboy to earn a qualified ride in the first round, posting an 80-point ride on D&H Cattle’s Co Jack. He placed fifth in the round, but most importantly, qualified for the championship round. That’s where he showed his championship form, matching moves with D&H’s Wiggin Out for 86.5 points, the highest marked ride of the event.
There were just seven qualified rides Saturday night, but that was an indication of the bull power that was part of the festivities. Only five cowboys made qualified rides in the first round, with New Yorker Sevi Torturo winning with an 86 on Mike White’s KOL. Torturo finished second in the aggregate, pocketing $5,322.
“The bull riders were telling us it was an excellent event,” said Wing, a five-time World Finals qualifier from Dalhart, Texas.
By winning the title, Vieira earned the right for a match ride on the bounty bull, D&H’s Stone Sober. Vieira was unable to stay aboard the athletic bull for more than a couple of seconds and failed to collect the bounty.
“Me and Fabiano are good friends, and it means a lot to me to have him come to this event even though it’s not a Built Ford Tough event,” Hayes said, referring to the PBR’s premier tour. I wish he would’ve ridden that bounty bull for $10,000, but that is one bucking sucker.
“This was just the ground floor for the future. I think the fans liked it. I hope it was everything they expected and more.”
Kasey Hayes and Stormy Wing Invitational
Guymon, Okla., July 26, 2014
First round: 1. Sevi Torturo, 86 points on Mike White’s KOL, $1,326; 2. Simoa Da Silva, 83.5, $885; 3. (tie) Ryan McConnel and Josh Frihauf, 82, $497 each. Championship round: 1. Fabiano Vieira, 86.5 points on D&H Cattle’s Wiggin Out, $1,823; 2. Robson Aragao, 84, $1,492. Average: 1. Fabiano Vieira, 166.5 points on two rides, $5,543; 2. Sevi Torturo, 86 points on one ride, $3,996; 3. Robson Aragao, 84, $2,449; 4. Simoa Da Silva, 83.5, $1,676; 5. (tie) Ryan McConnel and Josh Frihauf, 82, $902 each.