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LAS VEGAS — When the order of the riders went wrong, skipping Justin McBride, Adriano Moraes, and J.B. Mauney, something seemed suspicious.

First, Mauney rode Boogie Board for 87.75 points and $5,000 in a specially sponsored nightly Enterprise Rent-a-Car "Ride with the best" event.

A special intermission dedicated to honoring retiring veterans Moraes and McBride included a video montage comparing and contrasting the lives and careers of the two riders all the way back to their childhoods growing up on a farm.

"Someday when we speak to our grandchildren of greatness and whisper their names," came the bass-toned rasp of the narrators disembodied voice, "we'll be able to say we were there."

And then came the rides.

McBride was picture perfect on Gonzales Black, going 90.5. And, while Moraes was bucked off Smash Hit in six seconds, that was likely due to his covering the previous two bulls and having a higher draw than McBride.

Money bulls

Fast Cash lived up to his name for Mike White, who raised the animal before selling it because, he said, it was too mean as a practice bull.

The 32-year-old from De Kalb, Texas, got slung off a bull named Billionaire in Round 2, falling from a tie for fourth to 14th. His score of 86 on Fast Cash — a bull he'd never ridden in competition — cured those ills. He's now seventh in the World Finals standings.

Out of the Chute

Merchandising certainly plays a big role at the PBR World Finals. New pickup trucks are given away, western wear and cowboy lifestyle brands adorn the walls of the arena. PBR funnyman Flint Rasmussen hawks an action figure of himself on a nightly basis. And, this year, the PBR merchandising machine has a PBR video game set up in the press room called Pro Bull Riders: Out of the Chute.

The dramatic introduction includes video clips of riders like Justin McBride talking about the thrill and dangers of being a professional bull rider.

"I'm not afraid of dying," says one rider obscured by shadows. "I'm afraid of losing."

The game allows the player to choose from a roster of top PBR stars, to compete in single events or to go on tour for a full season leading up to the PBR World Finals, and to play as the rider or as the bull.

Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 and Playstation all carry the game, published by Crave Entertainment, on their consoles.

Hands on Bullriding
For a group of children, Round Three of the PBR World Finals was a very special night. The kids from "Hands on Bullriding" got the chance to meet their favorite bull riders, leave their marks on chaps, and even participate in the opening ceremony.

The "Believe In Tomorrow" foundation supports the program and has partnered with the PBR to bring critically ill children for VIP treatment and behind the scenes access at many PBR events.

"These are kids who are thinking about today's treatment or yesterday's treatment," said President Brian Morrison. "Getting them out, we hope, will create an inspirational moment." As compared to the previous two nights' ceremonies, this one was relatively tame. And, when the riders came into the arena, many of them came out holding hands with or carrying children. Some of the kids still had paint on their hands from marking the riders' chaps and various other surfaces, including a camera lens, and all of them stood next to their riders as they were introduced.

"The important part is turning them on to following the riders," said Morrison. "We believe that focusing on the future is one step in the healing process."

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