By Lincoln Shryack

After being voted the 2017 PRCA Bull of the Year this week, SweetPro’s Bruiser has an excellent shot to stake his claim as one of the best in history. The 6-year-old bovine will defend his title at the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals next week in Las Vegas. If victorious, he would become just the second bull in history to sweep the PBR and PRCA honors in the same season. ProRodeo Hall of Famer Bodacious accomplished the feat in 1995. Bruiser currently sits second in the PBR standings, a mere .04 points behind top-ranked Pearl Harbor.

The PRCA riders voted Bruiser their bull of the year in a season that has seen just two cowboys convert on the bull. Those cowboys — Roscoe Jarboe and Cole Melancon — each walked away with 90-point rides as a result of conquering Bruiser. During his 2017 PBR campaign, Bruiser has averaged a career-high 45.95 score per out and has allowed only four total rides in the Built Ford Tough Series regular season.

If Bruiser can take home his second-consecutive PBR title, he would not only join Bodacious in the record books, but he would also be just the fourth bull to win back-to-back PBR World Finals.

“It will be a huge accomplishment,” PBR director of livestock Cody Lambert told PBR.com, speaking of Bruiser’s shot to sweep PRCA and PBR honors. “Bruiser is no doubt the best bull in the PRCA.”

The title of PBR World Champion goes to the bull with the highest average of 10 outs between the regular season and the PBR World Finals. Eight outs are pulled from the regular season, with the bull’s top two outs from the Las Vegas finale contributing to their final score. To the winner goes the $100,000 spoils, which owner H.D. Page of D&H Cattle Company isn’t afraid of already counting as his.

“I almost expect him to win both deals,” Page told PBR of the PRCA and PBR honors. “I don’t want to sound too prideful or whatever, but anything short of him winning it, I would be disappointed.”

The PBR Built Ford Tough Finals begin November 1 in Las Vegas.