Bulls dominate first round of Denver Chute-Out

DENVER — When action kicked off at the Denver Chute-Out on Monday night, bull riding fans at the National Western Stock Show Rodeo were anticipating a night of great rides, a few wrecks and some quick buck offs.

They were not disappointed. Paulo Ferreira Lima took the early lead with and 87.5-point ride on 4L & Diamond S Rodeo Company's Foolish and Cruel. Lima, from Bezerros, Brazil, was the first successful rider of the night and maintained his edge through nearly 30 bull riders.

The Denver Chute-Out is part of the Professional Bull Riders Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour. It is traditionally an opportunity for bull riding's rising stars to compete against the world's best.

Out of the 45 bull riders that competed on Monday night, only eight of them got scores. There are 45 more that will attempt to last eight seconds here on Tuesday night. The third and final night of PBR action here will see 30 riders advancing out of Monday and Tuesday night's performances. Then the 15 with the highest total scores after two rides will vie for the championship in the Denver Coliseum on Wednesday.

A Professional Bull Riders sanctioned event has been part of the National Western Stock Show for the past 20 years building a dedicated fan base. Many of those fans will be in the seats on Tuesday night with action getting underway at 7 p.m.