KOUNTZE — A man from Kountze beat competitors both from Texas and Australia in a Nashville bull riding competition.
The competition, Unleash the Beast Music City Knockout, held the night of August 18, marked Cody Teel’s first major Professional Bull Rider (PBR) win.
This is Teel’s second year to advance to the championship round, according to a news release. Teel, 26, outlasted Colten Jesse of Konawa, Oklahoma, earning $116,000 and 905 world points, putting him number 12 world wide. Teel was also the 2012 PRCA Champion.
Teel said he is glad he persisted.
“Getting on that many bulls, and of that caliber, can mentally and physically wear you down,” he said in a statement. “You have to regroup between bulls and start over. It’s a challenge for sure.”
Teel is also a new father.
“I plan on buying a lot of diapers with this check,” he said.
Teel advanced to round four of the championship when his third round opponent, Nathan Burtenshaw, from Coonamble in New South Wales, Australia, sustained an injury after the bull Soup In A Group (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Wilks Ranch) fell on him.
Teel rode Big Black Cat (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Heal Pro Bulls), scorinig 78.5 points beating Valdiron de Oliveira, of Brazil, entering the final four.
In the Final Four, Teel knocked out fellow Southeast Texan and 2016 PRB World Champion Cooper Davis of Buna on buckoff time.
Teel reached 2.46 seconds on Bottoms Up (TNT Bucking Bulls/Hart Cattle Co.), outlasting Jesse’s 1.83 seconds on Livin’ Large (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Staci Wilks/N Bar Ranch).
Teel ranked number 12 in world rankings, entered the Top 10, and is now number six, just 665.84 points behind Kaique Pacheco of Brazil. Pacheco did not record a qualified ride and earn world points in Nashville.