Brazil wins 2010 PBR World Cup in Las Vegas

By Case Keefer (contact)

Sunday, April 18, 2010 | 4:58 p.m.

Renato Nunes saved the best back flip for last.

Nunes, a professional bull rider for Team Brazil in the PBR World Cup, routinely caps off a successful ride by taking a back flip off the chute. Sunday afternoon at the Thomas & Mack Center, Nunes displayed both the most significant ride and flip of his career.

Nunes clinched victory for Team Brazil when he rode a bull named Sooner Shaker for 89.5 points in the final round of the World Cup.

“It made me feel good,” Nunes said. “It made me look good.”

Brazil finished the 2010 PBR World Cup -- which pits the top five countries in bull riding against each other in a team competition -- with 1330.25 points, far ahead of the second-place United States, which scored 972.

It was the second time Brazil had won the fourth annual competition and it snapped a two-year reign by the U.S.

Guilherme Marchi, the 2008 PBR World Champion, took home the individual honors for Brazil by successfully riding five of six bulls throughout the weekend. To notch an official ride, the rider must stay on for eight seconds.

“I tried my best this week to help my friends and my brothers,” Marchi said. “I’m just blessed to be able to ride bulls.”

The most valuable rider of Sunday’s festivities, however, was America’s Travis Briscoe. Down nearly 400 points entering the final day, the United States needed close to a miracle to win the event.

Briscoe did all he could. He accounted for two of the top three rides of the day for a combined score of 179.5. The U.S. actually out-scored Brazil on Sunday, but it was too late.

“When you don’t win, you’re obviously disappointed,” said J.W. Hart, the U.S. captain. “But I couldn’t be more proud of my guys. If we had to start over tomorrow, I’d bring the same exact five guys.”

Although Brazil had already won the title, the last ride was the most anticipated of the day. Brazil’s Silvano Alves rode one of PBR’s most prolific bulls, Big Tex, and scored the highest of the day with 90.5 points.

A bull named Yellow Jacket Jr. bucked off America’s McKennon Wimberly in the second-to-last ride that matched top performers.

“It’s bull riding,” Hart said. “You can take the very best guys and put them on the very best bulls week-in and week-out and sometimes, you’re going to get bucked off.”

Australia finished the World Cup in third, followed by Canada and Mexico, respectively.

It’s now back to individual competition for PBR, which will once again finish its season with the PBR World Finals in October at the Thomas & Mack Center. Perhaps an American will finish on top at that championship, as Austin Meier is currently ranked as the No. 1 rider in the PBR.

Although the United States could not win the World Cup, Hart said he has no regrets.

“We stood up and showed that the red, white and blue won’t roll over for anybody,” he said.