As the Professional Bull Riders Tour event in Greenville, South Carolina, got underway Friday night, Ezekiel Mitchell rode supreme, to a win Round 1 of PBR Greenville.
Mitchell, who rides for the Austin Gamblers in the separate PBR Teams league, was tasked with riding Bossed Up (Blake Sharp) in the opening round.
Nodding with confidence, Mitchell burst from the chutes remaining in perfect time with the bull. He reached the requisite 8 seconds, the Texan was awarded an unrivaled 87 points as the crowd erupted in raucous cheer.
The Round 1 win not only catapulted Mithcell to the top of the event leaderboard, but also netted him a crucial 28 Velocity Global points.
Michael Lane of Virginia was second, garnering 18 Velocity Global points. The veteran rider secured the runner-up finish in the opening round courtesy of an 86-point ride aboard bull Walk It Out (Davis Rodeo Ranch).
Local rider Cam Delano of Liberty also posted a score in Round 1. He rode "Busch Lightning" (C Check Bucking Bulls) for 60 points. Concluding the opening round tenth.
Action for PBR Greenville will conclude with Round 2 and the championship round on Saturday, Jan. 27. Action gets underway at 6:45 PM.