ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – As night one of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast (UTB) Ty Murray Invitational came to a close on Friday night in Albuquerque, 39 of the top bull riders in the world were no match for John Crimber (Decatur, Texas).

The 18-year-old, who captured his very first premier series event win on the UTB several weeks ago in Jacksonville, Florida, was paired with Whiskey Trip (Lari Crane /Gene Owen). Launching from the chutes aboard his bovine matchup, Crimber was one of only 13 men out of a field of 40 to record a qualified ride as the animal athletes had their extreme power on full display in Duke City. His standout 90-point ride earned his fifth round win of the 2024 season.

“I’m very blessed to be riding good,” he said from the floor of The Pit following the win. “I can’t thank the good Lord enough for giving me the ability to do this every day and the fans for coming out to see us.  I like getting on bulls, and we’re gonna keep it rolling.”

Now sitting 374.5 points behind world leader Cassio Dias (Sao F. de Sales, Brazil), Crimber held tight to the No. 2 spot in the standings after earning 39 Unleash The Beast points on Friday night.

Dias’s night ended abruptly when Mahan (Jane Clark/ Gene Owen) tossed him to the ground after 3.32 seconds.

The three-day event at The Pit marks the 26^th time the elite tour has visited the city and is the last of three majors in the 2024 UTB season where added points and payouts are on the line. The draw features 40 riders competing in Rounds 1 and 2. Every contestant who has a qualified ride in the first two rounds will then be eligible to compete in Round 3 on Sunday. The 12 bull riders with the top combined ride scores following Rounds 1, 2, and 3 will then advance to the championship round Sunday afternoon.

After going 2-for-3 to finish within the Top 5 last weekend in Little Rock, veteran rider Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil) hit the gas in New Mexico, capturing second place in Round 1.

Vieira, who rides for the Texas Rattlers in PBR Teams, fired from the chutes aboard Sky’s The Limit (Jane Clark/ Gene Owen) for 89.25 points.

For his runner-up finish, the 39-year-old Brazilian earned 28 Unleash The Beast points to climb one spot in the standings from No. 8 to No. 7.

Albuquerque fan-favorite Keyshawn Whitehorse (McCracken Spring, Utah) also moved up one spot in the standings after a third-place finish.

Climbing aboard Norse God (Jane Clark/ Gene Owen), the 2023 Arizona Ridge Riders’ athlete was ranked No. 23 in the world.

After flying through the air aboard the bovine as fans reached a deafening level of cheers, his 87.5-point ride earned 22 Unleash The Beast points and moved him to No. 22 in the standings.

The Nashville Stampede’s Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas) ended his Friday night as the No. 4 man on Albuquerque’s leaderboard.

Climbing aboard Renegade (Hale/Vella/Ogden/Hart) as his opponent of the night, he clung to the muscular animal as the clock wound down to record a satisfying 87-point score.

The 20 Unleash The Beast points Taylor collected moved him to No. 39.

The Missouri Thunder’s Felipe Furlan (Sales Oliveira, Brazil) rounded out the Top 5 on the opening night.

Having gone 1-for-3 in Little Rock last week to finish within the Top 10, Furlan was matched with Mr. Nasty (Blake Sharp/ Koe Wetzel/ Cody O’Neil) for his first partner of the weekend.

For his solid 86.25-point score, Furlan netted 19 Unleash The Beast points, to climb from No. 21 to No. 18 in the Unleash The Beast standings.

Two-time PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) made his return in Duke City after missing the past four events. In his last showing in Los Angeles, California, Leme went 1-for-2 and finished sixth. Despite competing in just four events this season, he has held a spot inside the Top 35 for the entire year by placing Top 15 in all four events, highlighted by his perfect 3-for-3 performance in Tucson, Arizona, to begin the year, where he finished fourth.

Originally paired with Big Worm for Round 1, he was given a re-ride when his preparations in the chutes were made difficult by his animal athlete opponent.

Readjusting aboard Bubba G (Dakota Rodeo/ Brian & Ashley Pintar/ Clay Struve/Chad Berger), he showcased perfect form after catapulting from the chutes. His 84-point score tied for 10^th place in the round and earned 10.5 Unleash The Beast Points.

Leme holds tight to the No. 27 spot in the standings.

On sight to scout his opponent for their mid-May showdown at the 2024 World Finals: Unleash The Beast, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone watched on Friday night as Andrew Alvidrez went head-to-head with Dana White’s Twisted Steel just two months before the UFC Hall of Famer prepares to challenge the very same bull. Dispatching Alvidrez in a brief 3.09 seconds, the revered animal athlete earned a 44.5-point bull score as he continues to round into shape ahead of the duo’s highly anticipated out.

The PBR Ty Murray Invitational- Unleash The Beast Major continues with Round 2 on Saturday, March 23, at 6:45 p.m. MT. Round 3 and the championship round will take place on Sunday, March 24, at 1:45 p.m. MT.

PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer re-airs and on-demand replays of every PBR Unleash The Beast event. PBR RidePass is available on desktops, laptops and mobile devices via www.pluto.tv. Click here for on-demand PBR programming.