Las Vegas Weekly

November 10, 2008 · 12:15 PM

McBride wins final round of PBR World Finals, but the new world champion is …

By Robin Leach

Justin McBride competes in the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas.

Photo: PBR

Former UNLV cowboy hero Justin McBride didn’t retire without a fight.

In fact, in Round 7 of the 2008 Professional Bull Riders World Finals here yesterday, he had the satisfaction of knowing he claimed the No. 1 slot with a 93.50 score riding Pearl Snap, beating Guilherme Marchi, who placed second overall in the World Finals event but is the new overall world champion -- winning the $1 million bonus.

Brazilian superstar Guilherme was officially crowned the 2008 PBR world champion after eight rounds of competition. He rode seven of eight bulls and finished second overall in the World Finals competition. Three times previously, he’d nipped at the heels of the overall season winners -- always in the runner-up position. But not this time around.

“I feel great right now. I still don’t believe it. I know how much I worked these past four years and still don’t believe it,” he said. “I'm proud of this year. Everybody has had strong bulls and a long season, and I had a fantastic World Finals and picked good bulls. I realized my American dream.”

The world’s best bull riders electrified the sold-out Thomas & Mack Center crowds over two weekends of the 10-day event. Yesterday marked the final rides of retiring legends Adriano Moraes, Guilherme and Justin, who now lives and works at a ranch in Elk City, Okla.

Photographer and sports writer Rick Rosen told me: “Chronicling Adriano Moraes’ final ride for me at least was as big as it gets. Moraes, the three-time PBR world champ, is as amazing an athlete as I’ve ever witnessed. To say that the PBR will have a difficult time replacing Moraes’ is like saying that the Chicago Bulls have had a difficult time replacing Michael Jordan.

“There is and always will be only one Adriano Moraes, and it has been a pleasure and an honor to cover some of his PBR career. Not once in a while nor once in a lifetime nor ever will we see his likes again.”

I found it amusing that former L.A. Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda watched the riders on their angry bulls -- and then went right off to Michael Mina’s Stripsteak at Mandalay Bay to eat them!

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