MARCHI WINS PBR TITLE IN K.C.

The reigning world champion in the Built Ford Tough Series earned $36,642 by winning the Kansas City Invitational.

Marchi finished third in round one after scoring 87.5 points on Velvet Elvis, owned by Diamond S Bucking Bulls. He followed that up with a second-place finish by scoring 89.5 points on Boyd/Floyd Bull Company’s Stiffler.

Marchi drafted Big Iron of Diamond S Bucking Bulls for the final round and totaled 90 points to clinch the title and win the championship round.

Oregon’s Ross Coleman took second place after riding his three bulls for 263 points, while Brazilian Robson Palermo placed third.

The PBR competes Saturday and Sunday in Birmingham, Ala.

INJURY REPORT

Skeeter Kingsolver (McLouth, Kan.) suffered a shoulder strain and is probable for this weekend’s BFTS event in Birmingham.

Ednei Caminhas (Sao Paulo, Brazil) suffered a concussion after bucking off in the second round. He is probable for next weekend’s competition.

Mike White (De Kalb, Texas) received a concussion after bucking off in the first round. He did not compete in the next round.

Cody Ford (Stanfield, Ore.) suffered a concussion and a laceration to the head in the first round. He competed during the second round of the Kansas City Invitational.

Kasey Hayes (Liberal, Kan.) suffered a high ankle sprain during round one in Kansas City. He did not ride Sunday.

Luke Snyder (Raymore, Mo.) aggravated a strained shoulder he suffered during last weekend’s event in St. Louis. He did not ride in round two of the Kansas City Invitational.

OVERALL EVENT STANDINGS

1) Guilherme Marchi (Sao Paulo, Brazil) 267 points, $36,642.50; 2) Ross Coleman (Molalla, Ore.) 263 points, $15,320.50; 3) Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil) 261.75 points, $10,664.50; 4) Wiley Petersen (Fort Hall, Idaho) 247.5 points, $6,472.50; 5) McKennon Wimberly (Cool, Texas) 171.75 points, $4,506.

BUILT FORD TOUGH WORLD STANDINGS

1) Kody Lostroh (Longmont, Colo.) 4,914.25 points, $163,646; 2) J.B. Mauney (Mooresville, N.C.) 4,496.5 points, $119,579; 3) Guilherme Marchi (Sao Paulo, Brazil) 4,026.75 points, $94,077; 4) Wiley Petersen (Fort Hall, Idaho) 3,873.5 points, $60,359; 5) Austin Meier (Kinta, Okla.) 3,583 points, $52,240; 6) Robson Palermo (Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil) 3,554.5 points, $56,497; 7) Ryan Dirteater (Hulbert, Okla.) 3,481 points, $103,042; 8) Zack Brown (Santa Fe, Texas) 3,250.5 points, $78,126; 9) Ross Coleman (Molalla, Ore.) 2,989.75 points, $29,489; 10) Cody Ford (Stanfield, Ore.) 2,801.75 points, $83,356.

(The PBR World Champion is based on total Built Ford Tough Series points earned through the season.)

BIG BUCKS HOUSTON RODEO RUNS THROUGH SUNDAY

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo — RodeoHouston — is back for its 77th year at Reliant Park Stadium and continues through Sunday with $1.3 million in prize money and the best cowboys in the world looking for a shortcut to a world championship.

Since Houston switched to its SuperSeries format and began paying out $50,000 to its champions in 2007 ($27,500 apiece in team roping), no one who has earned a RodeoHouston buckle has failed to qualify into the National Finals Rodeo.

A year ago, the $50,000 paydays helped steer wrestler Wade Sumpter and barrel racer Lindsay Sears of Nanton, Alberta, set regular-season earnings records.

BEAVER WINS THIRD TUCSON ALL-AROUND TITLE

The 84th annual La Fiesta de los Vaqueros in Tucson ended March 1 with seven contestants clinching championships before a sellout crowd of 11,000 fans and a celebrated veteran cowboy taking home the all-around championship buckle for a third time.

Calf and team roper Joe Beaver of Huntsville, Texas, won the Lynn Beutler Award as this year’s all-around champion with $2,144 in earnings. The all-around champion title is awarded to the contestant who earns the most money in two or more events. The ProRodeo Hall of Famer previously won the all-around in Tucson 1997 and 2000.

Brian Curtis of Belle Fourche, S.D. closed the show with a 92-point ride on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Tokyo Drift — one point shy of the arena record set by Dustin Elliott in 2006. Combined with his 84-point effort on a re-ride Saturday, Curtis finished first in the average with 176 points and earned $6,278.

Canadian Davey Shields continued his winter hot streak by winning the bareback riding title at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds. Shields tied for sixth place in the first round with an 84-point ride, then came back with a 90-pointer on the Wrangler NFR horse South Point from the Beutler & Son string.

The other champions at Tucson were steer wrestler Cole Edge (17.6 seconds on three head), team ropers Kelsey Parchman and York Gill (19.0 seconds on three head), saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell (170 points on two head), tie-down roper Jeff Chapman (26.9 seconds on three head) and barrel racer Brittany Pozzi-Pharr (52.71 seconds on three runs).