Adriano Moraes

Adriano Silva Morães (born April 20, 1970) is a Brazilian former professional bull rider. He had been one of the leading bull riders in the world since the mid-1990s, with two titles at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR)[1] and three Professional Bull Riders (PBR) world titles[2] to his credit. Moraes is to be inducted into the Class of 2020 in the Bull Riding Hall of Fame in August.[3]

Adriano Moraes
Personal information
Birth nameAdriano Moraes
NationalityBrazilian
Born (1970-04-20) April 20, 1970
Quintana, São Paulo, Brazil
ResidenceTyler, Texas, US
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) (2018)
Weight185 lb (84 kg) (2018)
Sport
SportRodeo
Event(s)Bull riding
Turned pro17
Retired2008
Achievements and titles
World finals3x PBR World Champion Bull Rider, 2x NFR Bull Riding Average Champion
Highest world rankingPBR Heroes and Legends Celebration: Ring of Honor

Early years

Morães was born April 20, 1970, on his relatives' farm in Quintana, São Paulo, Brazil,[4][5] but grew up on the ranch his father managed in Cachoeira Paulista.[6] Moraes says he is of Portuguese, Italian and African ancestry. "Most of us, we are a big mixture of races", Moraes says, "We have in us the best of every single breed".[7]

He grew up wanting to follow in his father's footsteps, but started riding bulls when he was 15.[6] At age 17, he rode in his first professional rodeo in Brazil, and placed second in his third rodeo. Shortly after this, he quit school to ride bulls full-time.[5]

Career

Morães began his career at small rodeos throughout Brazil, eventually becoming a regular winner on that circuit. After being encouraged by a former PRCA bull riding world champion, Charles Sampson, he set a goal of riding full-time in the United States. After winning Brazilian national titles in 1992 and 1993, he moved to the United States in 1994, riding on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), Bull Riders Only (BRO) and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuits.[5]

He immediately emerged as a major star, winning the average[8] at both the Calgary Stampede and the NFR, as well as winning the year's PBR title.[5] Most notably, Moraes became only the third man ever to ride 10 out of 10 bulls at the NFR.[9]

Morães would again win the average at the NFR in 1996, and in 1997 was on track to win his second PBR world title until breaking a leg during that summer, forcing Adriano to sit out the rest of the year while Michael Gaffney overtook him for the world title. Morães did become the first man to win a second PBR world title, which he won in 2001. His success on that circuit was instrumental in the expansion of the PBR tour to include events in Brazil.[5] He went on to win a third PBR title in 2006, narrowly beating fellow Brazilian, Guilherme Marchi, despite severe back problems during the PBR Finals. Adriano was the first bull rider in the PBR to win three World Champion Bull Rider titles.[10] In that year, he won an all-time series record of $1.36 million—more than three times as much as any other rider.[11] At the end of the 2006 season, his all-time earnings on the PBR circuit were $3.37 million, also a record. Morães has been honored for his accomplishments with a life-size bronze statue of him on Little Yellow Jacket that stands at the entrance to the new PBR headquarters building in Pueblo, Colorado.[6]

Morães announced in January 2008 that the 2008 Built Ford Tough Series season would be his final season of bull riding.[12] He qualified for his last PBR Finals in October/November 2008. His last ride saw him buck off of a bull named Grey Dog, as Adriano failed to qualify for the championship round.

Morães' overall PBR career earnings at career's end total nearly $3.5 million. In 2011, he received the ultimate honour from the PBR Heroes and Legends Celebration: the Ring of Honour.[10] In 2018, Moraes was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.[13]

Morães qualified for the PBR World Finals a total of 14 times (1994 to 1998 and 2000 to 2008, though he did not compete at the 1997 Finals due to his broken leg).[14]

Personal life

Morães and his wife Flávia, married since 1989, have four children (Víctor, Jeremías, António, Pedro) and currently have homes in Tyler, Texas and Cachoeira Paulista. A devout Catholic who lists his favorite book as the Bible and the late Pope John Paul II as a personal idol,[4] he is also a member of the Cancão Nova missionary community in Brazil. He and his wife opened a Canção Nova mission in Texas.[15] He chose to ride only half of the 1998 PBR season in order to participate in a religious mission in Brazil, but nonetheless finished fourteenth in that year's PBR standings,[5] despite suffering another broken leg in the middle of the season.

Notes and references
  1. "Past World Champion Bull Riders". ProBullStats Bull Riding Compendium. www.probullstats.com. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  2. "PBR Finals Week". Professional Bull Riders. www.pbrfinalsweek.com. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
  3. "The Bull Riding Hall of Fame Class of 2020". The Bull Riding Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  4. "Profile". AdrianoMoraes.com. AdrianoMoraes.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  5. "Biography". AdrianoMoraes.com. Adriano Moraes.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  6. Flott, Anthony. "World Champion Bull Rider Is "Cowboy of God"". AdrianoMoraes.com. National Catholic Register. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  7. Wollan, Malia (May 29, 2015). "How to Ride a Bull". The New York Times. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  8. In rodeo, "the average" refers to the average score (in rough stock events) or time (in timed events) for all rounds in a competition.
  9. "Arena Records (National Finals Rodeo)". www.prorodeo.org. Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Archived from the original on November 17, 2007. Retrieved February 19, 2017. A fourth rider successfully rode all the bulls he faced in 1963, but at that time the NFR had only 8 rounds.
  10. "Professional Bull Riders – Heroes & Legends: Adriano Morães". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  11. "2006 Season Standings". Professional Bull Riders. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved April 2, 2007.
  12. "PBR Legend Adriano Moraes Announces Retirement". www.pbr.com. Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  13. "Adriano Moraes". Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  14. "Killer B's". www.pbr.com. Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  15. "Cançao Nove Community: The Canção Nova Mission in Texas". AdrianoMoraes.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
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  • (in English and Portuguese) Official site
  • Official PBR site — for information on Morães, go to "Athletes" and then go to "Riders" section and search for "Morães".

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