No bull: Practicing or performing, Lostroh loves to ride

Any bull ride can leave a rider bruised, battered and bloodied. Even if he makes the eight-second buzzer, he still has to dismount safely, and bulls seem to get angrier when they unload their passenger.

Most of the top competitors in the Professional Bull Riders series prefer to ride only in competition.

Practice? You must be nuts.

Three-time world champion Adriano Moraes says, "A practice pen exposes you to the same injuries as when you're competing." And, he adds, you can't make money in practice.

The added risk doesn't deter Kody Lostroh from getting on competitive bulls at his ranch in Loveland, Colo., where there are no cheering crowds, no judging and no paycheck.

"If I was worried about getting hurt, I probably wouldn't be riding bulls for a living," he said. "I ride at home when I'm not at an event. I get on them to stay sharp and because I just love riding bulls."

Lostroh, 23, has competed in 32 events this year on the PBR's premier Built Ford Tough circuit and also placed fourth on the secondary Copenhagen Challenger Tour.

The fourth-year pro and former Colorado high school champion has completed rides on 59 percent of 88 bulls in the Ford series.

Entering Friday's first round, Lostroh was ranked third in the PBR and had 2008 earnings of $273,963. He maintained his spot and padded his earnings on the first of seven guaranteed rides.

He picked Cat Man Do in the "bull draft" and scored 90.25 points to tie for third. Round winner J.B. Mauney scored 92.25 on Ricky Bobby.

Lostroh has ridden Cat Man Do three times and scored at least 90 each time. He won the PBR regular-season finale two weeks ago at Uncasville, Conn., his only win this year. He earned $40,375 to become the PBR's 16th millionaire rider.

Points leader Guilherme Marchi, who tied for third with 90.25 points on Scaredy Cat, has a commanding lead over the field. But point values are increased during the Finals, and the leading rider in the seven-day event receives a 2,500-point bonus.

Marchi, from Brazil, has completed an astounding 74 percent of his rides after being runner-up for the championship the past three years.

"I'm one of a few guys with a chance to catch (Marchi). But he'll have to do bad and we'll have to do really good," Lostroh said.

• BLOG -- Go to LVRJ.com/rodeo for more coverage.