10 survive qualifying; Now the real riding begins
45 bull riders set to go in $1 million event

By Ed Godfrey

Published: February 16, 2007

Behind the bull chutes Wednesday night at the Lazy E Arena, Davey Dyke and Ned Cross shook hands and congratulated each other for doing the improbable.

They are two of the 10 bull riders from a field of 225 who made it through the qualifying rounds of the $1 million U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Challenger Championship.

Now, beginning tonight at the Ford Center, they will compete against the best riders on the Professional Bull Riders Inc., for the second richest purse in PBR history.

Thirty-five bull riders — the top 10 from the PBR's 2006 world standings and the top 25 from its 2006 Challenger Tour — automatically gained a spot at the Ford Center.

Every other bull rider had to compete for one of the final 10 spots in the Ford Center by getting on five bulls in three days this week at the Lazy E Arena.

Dyke, of Fremont, Iowa, entered Wednesday's final day of riding at the Lazy E in 26th place, but not only did he make it in the top 10, he also won the average and $21,222.

"It's a dream come true to come in here and win this deal, and not even thinking I had a shot to win it,” Dyke said Wednesday night.

Cross, of Midland, Ore., was getting ready to pack his bags and head to the next town Wednesday when a little good luck came his way at the expense of two other cowboys.

Only the top 15 riders were brought back for Wednesday night's short round. Cross was 17th in the standings, but Asher's Cody Whitney and Canada's Ty Elliott had to withdraw from the short round because of injuries.

That put Cross in the championship round and he made the most of it, scoring a 90.5 on the bull James Bond to win the short round and finish second in the average.

Cross and Dyke were the only cowboys to have successful rides in Wednesday night's short round. The other 13 hit the dirt.

"I got lucky,” Cross said. "There was another kid that was tied with me (for 17th) and it could have been me or him (advancing to the short round), so it went to the back judge and the back judge said me.

"He had the same average as me, just one of my bull rides was just a little bit better. So I felt a little bad for him, but in this sport, you got to take what you can get.”

Dyke, 26, has primarily competed on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association circuit during his career. He made the National Finals Rodeo in 2005 and decided to focus on the PBR this year.

Cross, 21, has been riding on the PBR tour since 2004. Both cowboys had the biggest paydays of their careers Wednesday at the Lazy E, with Cross earning $14,998 during the three days of bull riding.

Now, they get a chance to ride for really big money. The total purse at the Ford Center is $1 million and the winner of each round will earn $50,000. The average champion will pocket $200,000.

"It will be the biggest paying bull riding I have ever dreamed of competing at,” Cross said. "Each round (at the Ford Center) is paying more than the rounds at the (PBR) finals.”

The field includes 2005 PBR champion Justin McBride of Sayre and last year's champion, Adriano Moraes of Brazil, a three-time PBR world champ. The 35 automatic qualifiers will be more rested than the 10 cowboys who had to fight through the qualifying, but both Dyke and Cross said that shouldn't matter.

"I am a little sore after this and they are coming in fresh,” Dyke said, "but sore or not, I'm feeling so good I think I can go down there and compete.”

Said Cross: "Every bull rider has got to ride being sore. I'm used to it.”