Published: April 30, 2007 04:47 pm      

World champion bull rider comes to Ada

ADA — Three-time PBR World Champion Adriana Moraes is coming to Ada. The bull rider will participate in the Southern Oklahoma PBR Enterprise Classic May 4-5 at the Pontotoc County Agri-plex. The arena begins at 8 each evening with some of the top bull riders in the nation riding some of the top bulls in the sport.

Adriano Moraes recently won the Ty Murray Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., adding $32,520 to his $3,369,623 in career earnings. That makes him the PBR’s all-time money leader.

Moraes first made his presence known in the United States in 1994 when he came onto the PBR scene and was crowned the organization’s first ever PBR World Champion.

In 2001, he became the first ever two-time PBR World Champion, and Moraes didn’t stop there. The stage was set for a dramatic ending and capitalize he did. Moraes was sitting in the number four position going in to the last two rounds at the 2006 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals presented by Wrangler, he was the only bull rider to cover his first four bulls, and he was poised to win the seventh round, drawing Sunshine of Page and Teague Bucking Bulls. The catch, Moraes had been suffering through back spasms since the fifth round. Moraes posted a 91.25 aboard Sunshine in round seven and went on to win the eighth and final round with a 93 point score atop Page and Teague’s Here’s Your Sign, earning himself an astounding and unprecedented third PBR World Championship.

“Today I drew two great bulls, but I knew I could ride them,” said Moraes of his final two rounds, he then added, “today I could ride Godzilla.”

Moraes continues to break records at the age of 37. As long as Moraes feels he is on top of his game mentally and physically, his fans can enjoy watching him in the years to come.

General admission is $20, arena floor general admission is $30 and reserved seating is $50. Tickets are available at Steppin’ Out Western Wear, 430 E. Main, Ada; Sharpe’s Department Store, 131 W. Main; Stillwater Milling, Davis; Bean’s Western Wear, Ardmore; and Rene & Roy’s Western War, McAlester. Steppin’ Out Western Wear in Ada will be the only store selling reserved seating. Phone (580) 332-5100 for reserved seating.