Whitehorse finishes second at PBR World Finals

San Juan County resident Keyshawn Whitehorse placed second in the Professional Bull Riding World Finals and ended the season ranked seventh in the world after a great weekend in Arlington, TX. The local rider scored three 90-point rides over the weekend.

Scores in the PBR go as high as 100, although no rider has ever passed 96.5. There are 50 points possible for a bull and 50 possible for a rider. Scoring in the 90s is considered exceptional.

Before this weekend Whitehorse had scored a 90-point ride twice in his career, once last year in Salt Lake City and one other time on August 1 in South Dakota. Whitehorse added three more on the world’s biggest bull riding stage.

The World Finals began on Thursday, November 12. In round one Whitehorse had a short 1.76 second ride before getting bucked off, giving him no score on opening night.

Things turned around on Friday night where in round two Whitehorse scored a 91-point ride, which was the highest score of the evening.

After winning round two, Whitehorse kept on the right track scoring a 90-point ride on Saturday evening.

Sunday consisted of two rounds. In the first round Whitehorse was bucked off after 5.72 seconds which meant he was unable to score.Despite that, he was among the top 15 riders of the weekend which allowed him to advance to the final round.

In the final round Whitehorse was paired up with a bull named “Chiseled.” Over the course of the season the bulls are also scored and ranked. Chiseled was the second-best bull in the PBR in 2020.

With an incredibly difficult matchup, Whitehorse rode Chiseled for the full eight seconds and scored a whopping 93.75. The ride was the highest score in the final round, and only one ride scored higher for the entire weekend. You can watch the ride here: https://youtu.be/tDaJVR_len8?t=120

The ride helped Whitehorse land in second place overall for the weekend and moved him up 20 spots in the final world rankings from 27th to seventh.

His performance even earned him congratulations from Navajo Nation President Jonathen Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer.

“Keep working hard and thank you for being an inspiration for our Diné people,” Nez said. “It was wonderful to watch one of our own compete at the highest level. We wish Whitehorse the very best! Ahe’hee.’”

After his final ride, Keyshawn said he kept his mind clear and focused. He wanted the win for his whole family.

When asked what the three 90-point rides at the world finals meant for his career, Keyshawn responded by saying it confirmed what he already knew.

“It’s concreted in my mind that I can be the best,” he said. “I already knew it, but it’s become a reality.”

In addition to his incredible weekend, the 23-year-old McCracken Springs resident has seen some great success in his early career. Whitehorse won the 2018 Rookie of the Year award and has qualified for the World Finals three years in a row.