PBR Memphis Invitational At the FedEx Forum By Tommy Brannon The PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Memphis Invitational Built Ford Tough Series was held in Memphis, TN August 20 and 21. Fast and furious is one way to describe the action, with the top riders and top bulls in the series coming to the FedEx Forum. The home state’s favorite Rookie of the Year, Cody Nance of Paris, Tennessee did not disappoint the crowd in Friday night’s Round 1. Fresh from a win in San Antonio, Texas, Nance won Round 1 riding “Bad Medicine” (owned by Teague Bucking Bulls) the full eight seconds with a score of 88.25 points. Nance’s reaction to the win was customarily reverent. He said that he felt very blessed to be close to home with friends and family there at the event. Unfortunately, Nance went scoreless in Round 2 on Saturday night. The overall winner of the PBR Memphis Invitational was Silvano Alves of Pilar do Sul, Brazil. At the end of Round 1, Alves had a score of 87 points riding “Segs The Juice” (owned by Jeff Robinson Bucking Bulls), and was tied for fifth place with Austin Meier of Kinta, Oklahoma, who rode “Blue Cheese” (owned by Kooper Branum & Gene Baker). Alves then scored 85.25 points in Round 2 on “Chance” (owned by Teague Bucking Bulls). He finished third in the Championship Round, and went home with total winnings of $27,710 for his efforts. Not bad pay for a total of 16 seconds of bull riding! The Memphis Invitational is one of 30 bull riding events in the Built Ford Tough Series, held across North America by PBR, where bulls and cowboys accumulate points to qualify for the Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada October 20-24, 2010. For more information on PBR and to see video of the rides, visit: http://www.pbr.com.