Bull riding champ is dethroned

Monday, Oct. 14, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Owen Washburn of Lordsburg, N.M., edged 1995 champion Tuff Hedeman for this year's points title on the Professional Bull Riders tour.

Washburn won when Hedeman hit the dirt just short of the whistle in the top-15 fifth and final round of the competition in the Bud Light Cup World Finals at the MGM Grand Garden on Sunday night.

Washburn, 24, finished the season with 6,310 points to 5,556 for runner-up Hedeman.

Tour rookie Ronny Kitchens, 20, earned the $100,000 prize for top average at the PBR Finals. Kitchens, from Kemp, Texas, earned 421 points on five bulls.

Adriano Moraes, a native of Brazil who now lives in Keller, Texas, had 93.5 points in the last round, the high-marked ride of the finals, to finish second in the average.

Gilbert Carillo finished second in the short round with 90 points.

Cody Lambert, who is retiring, rode for the last time, earning 81.5 points on Don Kish Rodeo's Mr. Two Jacks.

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