Triplett takes fifth at World Finals

Matt Triplett had a great finish at the Professional Bullriders Built Ford Series World Championships last week, taking fifth overall.

After the five-day finals in Las Vegas, Nev., Triplett, 23, finished ranked third in the world with $258,025 in earnings. The Columbia Falls bullrider took fifth overall at the finals with a final score of 268.25 and $119,000 in prize money.

Triplett took fourth in the first round with a 87.25 riding Pearl Harbor. He won the second round when he rode Walk Off for a high score of 92 points.

“This is something I’ve dreamed of my entire life, and what better way is there to live my dream?” Triplett said after the second round. “This is pretty awesome. I’m just going to try to stay positive and go jump for jump and have fun.”

But in the third round, Shepherd Hills Stockman got the best of the young rider and bucked him off in 6.59 seconds. Triplett suffered a bruised throat when the bull’s horn hit him in the neck.

Triplett responded with the second-best ride in Round 4 with 89 points on Delco, moving him to third in the event with a combined 268.25 points. But the championship rounds didn’t go his way, and he failed to have a scoring ride on Sunday.

The circuit takes two months off, with competition starting again in January. Triplett worked out in a Nike training facility in Texas to prepare for the competition. He was also practicing yoga.