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To claim the cash prize, Sharp had to get by Herrington Cattle Co.'s famed bull Dillinger - the two-time and defending PBR Bull of the Year - for eight seconds. Sharp did just that. He rode Dillinger for 95.5 points to become the first Mossy Oak Shootout winner since last October when Ross Coleman claimed the $100,000 Mossy Oak Shootout on Jerry Nelson's bull Copenhagen Tuff E Nuff in Columbus, Ohio. The spotlight and the pressure were on Sharp during Sunday's competition in Fort Worth, which included Round Two and the Built Ford Tough Championship Round. Sharp matched Bad Company's bull Abracadabra in Round Two for 87.5 points, which put the Texas talent in the No. 1 position with 181 points heading into the 15-man Built Ford Tough Championship Round. A $10,000 Ford Truck Moment of Truth bonus was up for grabs if Sharp could maintain his lead and win the overall event title. Sharp answered the challenge with a 94-point effort on the legendary bull Cripple Creek Promise Land of the Terry Williams bucking bull herd. The ride clinched Sharp the $10,000 Ford Truck Moment of Truth bonus and the 2002 Tuff Hedeman Championship Challenge title. "I got on some bulls this weekend that I've been wanting to get on for a long time, and I scored in the 90s three times," said Sharp. "That's a big confidence booster. To score so high on those great bulls - it's a great feeling." Sharp's current domination of PBR's 2002 Bud Light Cup Series season has the veteran bull rider itching to own this year's PBR gold buckle, the ultimate prize in professional bull riding. Sharp attached his name to championship titles in 1988 and 1990 when he won the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association bull riding titles, but he admits that winning a PBR Bud Light Cup world title would be more rewarding. "I think about it (winning the PBR title) everyday," said the 36-year-old Sharp. "I've been hanging out a lot with (23-year-old) Ross Coleman and (22-year-old) Justin McBride. Being around those guys has motivated me and made me hungry to win again. All they care about is having fun and riding great bulls. It reminds me of 10 years ago when Tuff (Hedeman) and I were traveling together and competing. I'm enjoying riding a lot right now and I have a lot of confidence in myself this year." Coleman of Redmond, Ore., finished second to Sharp at the Tuff Hedeman Championship Challenge. He earned $14,880 and remains in second place in the Bud Light Cup points standings with 3,899.5 points. Sharp's and Coleman's one-two finish knocked last week's standings' leader, Brazil's Ednei Caminhas, down to third place with 3,791 points.
1 Jim Sharp - $120,720 Want to see some good bull ridin'? ... Check out this Photo Gallery!
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