Luxe Life Blog

2012 PBR World Finals photos: Silvano Alves, Robson Palermo repeat wins

Posted October 29, 2012 • 10:34 a.m.

2012 Professional Bull Riders world champion Silvano Alves, who is from Brazil and resides in Decatur, Texas, at the Thomas & Mack Center on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012. Alves also is the 2011 world champion, making him PBR's first back-to-back world champion.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/DonoghuePhotography.com

Old records were shattered and new records set for the history books in a 1-2 punch by the Boys of Brazil as they swept the 2012 PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals at the Thomas & Mack Center on Sunday.

It was the appropriately named bull High Octane Hurricane that Silvano Alves conquered to cinch his overall champion title and the $1 million bonus payday for the highest combined points total for the year.

He made history being the first cowboy to win back-to-back glory; with the bonus, his earnings are $1,464,475 this season.

Robson Palermo also was a hero for the second consecutive year as the winner of the world finals in Las Vegas; it earned him a payday of $250,000. He stayed atop Pawnbroker for the mandatory 8 seconds and with those winnings could be visiting Chumlee and the Old Man today!

It was Robson’s third career world finals title here. Here’s the YouTube video of Sunday’s winning ride cheered on by 15,360 fans. All told, 70,000 fans have attended the five days of PBR events at UNLV.

Our thanks to contributing photographer Tom Donoghue, who captured the excitement ringside for today’s great photo galleries, including the big money and prized belt buckle presentations for Silvano.

It also was the day that two-time world champion Chris Shivers took his final ride on Smackdown, but the enraged bull ensured that there wouldn’t be a Hollywood hero ending, as Chris was bucked off into retirement. Chris, however, won two rounds (2 and 3) here.

Silvano, who lives in Decatur, Texas, now has career earnings of $3,248,019, and he surpassed the $3 million mark faster than any bull rider in history in 76 events in 28 months. He also reached $2 million (23 months and 58 events) and $1 million (18 months and 47 events) faster than any rider ever.

“The first title was great, but the second one is even better,” Silvano said. “Every bull rider dreams of winning the world championship, and to do it twice is very special.”

Robson also entered the record books, becoming the first rider to win the world finals event title three times, and also the first to win it in back-to-back seasons. Robson, who earned $304,333, won the event finals in 2008 and 2011 and has earned $2,339,783 in his career.

2008 world champion Guilherme Marchi finished 2nd in the season standings after a 4th-place finish in the world finals. It is the fourth time that Guilherme has finished 2nd and the eighth consecutive year that he has finished in the Top Seven. L.J. Jenkins finished 3rd for the season, Valdiron de Oliveira 4th and Austin Meier 5th.

The PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals is the richest bull-riding event with a purse of $2.2 million. Here are the final wrap-up PBR interviews by Matt West with the champions Silvano and Robson and PBR CEO Jim Haworth.

PBR has renewed its contract with Las Vegas and will remain here at least through 2015.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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