Outlaw opened his weekend with 86 points on The Sandman and then followed with 87.75 points on Smooth Over in Round 2 in order to earn the first pick in the Championship Round bull draft.
He had never been on Smooth Over before, which he said was one less thing to think about. Instead, he simply rode and reacted jump for jump.
What he didn’t know was the Smooth Over can be anything but smooth. However, they’re both small and as J.W. Hart explained on CBS Sports Network, “They can get it on.”
And it was indeed a great ride.
“It’s just fun,” said an unusually subdued Outlaw, who is one Monster Energy team member who is usually never at a loss for words.
He was all fight and no quit when the chute opened with him on the back of Bottoms Up.
It was a rough start coming out of the gate, but he stayed connected and fought to the whistle for 89 points and the event win. In fact, Outlaw even had an opportunity to close out the back half of the eight-seconds by opening up with his right outside foot spurring to make up for the points he might have otherwise lost when he was out of position for a second or two as Bottoms Up came out of the chute.
This was the fourth time this season he’s ridden three bulls in a single event and it’s a pivotal win for Outlaw, whose other elite televised win this season came on the opposite side of Missouri last month in St. Louis.
Outlaw made the most of the opportunity.
When it comes to winning a title, Outlaw said, “They ain’t going to give to you. You gotta take it.”
It might only be March and he might well be convincing himself he’s on the cutline, but, given the success and consistency he’s ridden with since returning to competition last October, Outlaw is a dangerous No. 1 rider if your name is not Outlaw.
“Well shoot,” he concluded, “we’ll be going at ‘em next week in Tacoma, (Washington).”
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