SCORE BULLETINS

No. 8 Nashville Stampede Continues Cinderella Run at PBR Team Series Championship in Upsetting the No. 1 Austin Gamblers to Advance to the Tournament’s Semifinals

Nashville Stampede: 265

Austin Gamblers: 175.25

Photos (Courtesy Bull Stock Media): Click here to download.

B-Roll (Courtesy PBR): Click here to download.

LAS VEGAS – The Nashville Stampede continued their Cinderella run through the inaugural PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series Championship Saturday evening, upsetting the league No. 1 Austin Gamblers to punch their ticket to the tournament’s Semifinals. Leading from the first out, the Stampede defeated the Gamblers by 89.75 points, winning the five-vs.-five game 265-175.25. In the first frame, Joao Henrique Lucas (Bastos, Brazil) struck in the lead-off position for the Stampede, conquering Black Ice (BMC Bucking Bulls/Jenkins Cattle Co.) for a commanding 88.5 points. Competing for the first time inside T-Mobile Arena after earning a first-round bye, the Gamblers looked to 2019 PBR Rookie of the Year Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas) to give the team their first points. Kasel, however, was upended by Manaba (Joe & Nina Webb/Julian/D&H Cattle Co.) in a swift 2.48 seconds. As the second got underway, the Stampede failed to add to their lead as Ryan Dirteater (Hulbert, Oklahoma) was dispatched by JAG Metals Grand Theft (D&H Cattle Co./Philip Elkins) in 4.29 seconds. With the door open, the Gamblers pulled within 0.75 points of the lead in the bottom of the frame when Ramon de Lima (Rio Branco, Brazil) covered Chief (Blake Sharp/Michael Floyd) for 87.75 points. Following a scoreless third, the Stampede’s order shuffled when initial fourth-frame rider Silvano Alves’ (Pilar do Sul, Brazil) bull was unruly in the chutes. As a result, closer and 2018 PBR World Champion Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) moved up in the order. Poised, the Ice Man rose to the occasion, conquering Gangster Time (Classic Jack Cattle/Viducic Bucking Bulls) for a monstrous 90.25 points to put Nashville up by 91 points. The Gamblers wasted no time in responding. Erupting from the chute and remaining in total control, Lucas Divino (Nova Crixas, Brazil) bested Whip (Obernagel/Sho-Me Rodeo) for 87.5 points to put the Gamblers within 3.5 points of the lead. With the shuffled order, three-time PBR World Champion Alves found himself in the closing position for the Stampede. Matching Game Over (Cooper/Scruggs/Bishop) jump-for-jump, Alves reached the whistle as the crowd erupted in raucous cheer. Awarded 86.25 points, Nashville pulled ahead by 89.75 points with just one Gambler out remaining. Needing a score of 90 points or more to win the game, two-time PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) readied to climb aboard Show Me Homie (Jo-Z Bucking Bulls/K-C/Spark-lin Acres). After appearing in control, Leme was uncentered past the 7-second mark, thrust to the ground before the whistle and subsequently trounced by Show Me Homie after he was slow to his feet. Gamblers Head Coach Michael Gaffney quickly challenged the call. After careful review, Leme was deemed to have lost contact with his rope at a heartbreaking 7.62 seconds, cementing the Nashville Stampede victory. The No. 8 Nashville Stampede earned the first of four berths to the inaugural PBR Team Series Championship Semifinals and will play the No. 2 Texas Rattlers on Sunday, November 8. The Austin Gamblers returned to the locker room to refocus ahead of the tournament’s final Last Chance Game.

No. 5 Arizona Ridge Riders Deliver Second Perfect Game in League History to Defeat No. 2 Texas Rattlers and Advance to Semifinals of Inaugural PBR Team Series Championship

Arizona Ridge Riders: 425.25

Texas Rattlers: 178.75

Photos (Courtesy Bull Stock Media): Click here to download.

B-Roll (Courtesy PBR): Click here to download.

LAS VEGAS – Delivering just the second perfect game in league history, the No. 5 Arizona Ridge Riders walloped the No. 2 Texas Rattlers during Round 2 of the inaugural PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series Championship, 425.25-178.75, to advance to the Semifinals of the progressive elimination tournament. Riding in the lead-off position for Arizona, Alisson De Souza (Taubate, Brazil) put an early 70.25 points on the board when he covered Crossover (Shuler Bucking Bulls). While Souza was offered a re-ride, Technical Coach Paulo Crimber quickly declined the opportunity, opting to keep the score. In the bottom of the frame, the Rattlers were unable to answer, with Arizona carrying a 70.25-point lead into the second. The Ridge Riders’ momentum continued to roll as Eduardo Aparecido (Gouvelandia, Brazil) covered Black Tie (Platinum Bull Company) for 88.75 points. With the team’s lead swelling to 159 points, Texas looked to Cody Jesus (Window Rock, Arizona) to deliver the squad’s first points. Answering the call, Jesus matched Harold’s Genuine Risk (M Rafter E Bucking Bulls) jump-for-jump en route to the whistle, awarded a crucial 88 points. Courtesy of the score, the Rattlers pulled within 71 points of the lead. Riding in seemingly unstoppable form, Vitor Losnake (Bauru, Brazil) delivered the Ridge Riders’ third consecutive score in the top of the third when he bested Mike’s Effect (Blake Sharp/Michael Floyd/High Voltage Cattle) for 89.25 points, increasing his team’s lead to 160.25 points. Determined to remain ride-for-ride with Arizona, the Rattlers’ Rafael Jose de Brito (Potirendaba, Brazil) went to work against Tested’s Viper (Hookin’ W/LeFlore Bucking Bulls). While Brito initially appeared to have made the 8, a PBR official threw a yellow flag, sending the trip into review. After careful scrutiny, Brito was deemed to have slapped the bull at a heartbreaking 7.97 seconds, resulting in no score. Up by two scores, 2018 PBR Rookie of the Year Keyshawn Whitehorse (McCracken Spring, Utah) had the chance to clinch the win early for Arizona with Texas having just two outs remaining. Erupting from the chutes, Whitehorse was a near picture of perfection atop Cold Creek (Young Cattle Co./Rocking A/Crooked Crown), reaching the whistle as the raucous crowd inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas went wild. As the Ridge Riders celebrated, Whitehorse was awarded a monstrous 90-point score, putting Arizona up by 250.25 points and clinching the team’s victory. While the Rattlers were unable to make a comeback, in the bottom of the fourth, Brady Oleson (Blackfoot, Idaho) delivered a trip to lift the mood of the Rattlers bench, scored a mammoth 90.75 points aboard Kid Knapper (Phillips/Cooper/Scruggs Bucking Bulls). The score allowed Texas to diminish Arizona’s lead to 159.5 points. In the top of the fifth, the Ridge Riders completed their perfect game when Luciano De Castro (Guzolandia, Brazil) rode War Dress (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) for 87 points. After the Rattlers’ closer Daniel Keeping (Gorman, Texas) bucked off in the bottom of the frame, the Ridge Riders won the game by 246.5 points as the final scoreboard read 425.25-178.75. Courtesy of the win, the No. 5 Arizona Ridge Riders earned the second berth to the Semifinals of the first-ever PBR Team Series Championship, scheduled to play the No. 3 Oklahoma Freedom on Sunday, November 5, while the Texas Rattlers returned to the locker room to prepare for the Last Chance Game.

No. 3 Oklahoma Freedom Ride Red-Hot in Round 2 of PBR Team Series Championship, Defeating the No. 4 Carolina Cowboys to Advance to Tournament’s Semifinals

Oklahoma Freedom: 267.25

Carolina Cowboys: 265

Photos (Courtesy Bull Stock Media): Click here to download.

B-Roll (Courtesy PBR): Click here to download.

LAS VEGAS – After riding their way back into the inaugural PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series Championship Friday evening via the Last Chance Game, the No. 3 Oklahoma Freedom continued to ride red-hot inside T-Mobile Arena, beating the No. 4 Carolina Cowboys by a mere 2.25 points to advance to the Semifinals of the league’s inaugural title battle. After an electric start to the game, including five consecutive rides, the final scoreboard read a 267.25-265 Freedom victory. When the game got underway, 2016 PBR World Champion and the Carolina Cowboys’ lead-off rider Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas) danced with Express Lane (Classic Jack Cattle/Viducic Bucking Bulls) for a mammoth 90.25 points to set an early tone for what would be a ride-for-ride battle. Quick to respond, the Oklahoma Freedom also converted in the first. In the bottom of the frame, Chase Outlaw (Hamburg, Arkansas) conquered Homegrown (Chad Reese) for a critical 89 points to bring Oklahoma within 1.25 points of the lead. In the second, Carolina looked to Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas) while Oklahoma tapped Trevor Kastner (Ardmore, Oklahoma). Taylor delivered Carolina’s second consecutive score when he reached the whistle atop Midnight Flyer (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) for 87.5 points. Courtesy of the score, Carolina’s lead briefly grew to 88.75 points. In the very next out, Oklahoma claimed their first lead of the game. Snapping the powerful animal athlete’s unridden streak, Kastner rode Sneaky Situation (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger) for a monstrous 90.25 points to put Oklahoma in front of Carolina by 1.5 points. The slugfest continued in the third. In the opening out of the frame, reigning PBR Challenger Series Championship event winner Sandro Batista (Pedra Preta, Brazil) bested Safety Meeting (Hruby/Kainz/Clay Struve/Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger) for 87.25 points to give the Cowboys back an 85.75-point lead. The impressive five-out ride streak, however, came to an abrupt end in the bottom of the third when the Freedom’s Trevor Reiste (Linden, Iowa) bucked off The Right Stuff (Diamond Willow/Clay Struve/Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger) in a swift 2.52 seconds. In the top of the fourth, despite an official review, the Carolina Cowboys sustained their first buckoff when Marco Eguchi (Poa, Brazil) was upended in a heartbreaking 7.77 seconds by Pookie Holler (Dakota Rodeo/Brian & Ashley Pintar/Clay Struve/Chad Berger). Eager to rebound, first-round draft pick and 2021 PBR Rookie of the Year Eli Vastbinder (Statesville, North Carolina) settled in aboard Prime Tested (Blake Sharp/Travis Austin/Koe Wetzel). In what would prove to be the game-winning out, Vastbinder matched the bull jump-for-jump en route to the whistle as his team burst into celebration on the back of the chutes. Needing 86 points to take the lead, Vastbinder was marked 88 points to give Oklahoma a 2.25-point lead. The game then came down to the fifth with reigning PBR World Champion Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York) in the closing role for Carolina and Derek Kolbaba (Walla Walla, Washington) last out for Oklahoma. Riding first, and in a must-convert position, Swearingen appeared to be in total control atop Choc Tease (Cody Ohl/Robert & Angel Myers). However, a late direction change unseated the reserved Cowboy at 6.28 seconds, cementing the win for Oklahoma. After Kolbaba was bucked off, the Freedom won the game 267.25-265. The No. 3 Oklahoma Freedom earned the final direct berth to the Semifinals for the inaugural PBR Team Series Championship, slated to face the No. 5 Arizona Ridge Riders on Sunday, November 9. The No. 4 Carolina Cowboys quickly regrouped as they prepared for the Last Chance Game to keep their title hopes alive.

No. 2 Texas Rattlers Rebound in Last Chance Game, Defeating No. 1 Austin Gamblers and No. 4 Carolina Cowboys to Advance to the Semifinals of the PBR Team Series Championship                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Texas Rattlers: 179

Carolina Cowboys: 90

Austin Gamblers: 89.25

B-Roll (Courtesy PBR): Click here to download.

LAS VEGAS – Following their losses in Saturday’s Round 2 games for the inaugural PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series Championship, the No. 1 Austin Gamblers, No. 2 Texas Rattlers and No. 4 Carolina Cowboys squared off in the Last Chance Game that would determine the final team advancing to the Semifinals of the progressive-elimination tournament. Compliments of two ride scores, including a monstrous 90-point ride in the first frame, the Rattlers emerged the supreme team, winning the three-way game 179-90-89.25 against the Cowboys and Gamblers, respectively. Due to their losses, the Gamblers and Cowboys were eliminated from the Championship tournament. When the high-pressure game got underway, the Gamblers earned an early re-ride when Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas) was unable to get out of the chutes aboard Domino (D&H Cattle Co./Buck Cattle Co.). As the second team out in the first, the Rattlers jumped to an early lead when Daniel Keeping (Gorman, Texas) delivered what is now the high-marked ride of the PBR Team Series Championship. Matching Flapjack (Parker/OK Corralis/Gordon/D&H Cattle) jump-for-jump, Keeping reached the requisite 8 for a mammoth 93.5 points. As the last team out in the first, the Carolina Cowboys were unable to strike as Wingson Henrique da Silva (Navirai, Brazil) was upended by Cool Whip (Julian/Staci Addison/D&H/Crooked W) in 5.04 seconds. The second then got underway with back-to-back outs for the Gamblers, with Kasel attempting his re-ride following Ramon de Lima’s (Rio Branco, Brazil) out. While Lima bucked off Razzmatazz (M Rafter E/High View Cattle), Kasel put points on the board for the Gamblers when he outlasted Hurts So Good (David Wolfe) for 89.25 points. As the second continued, the scoreboard went unchanged as Rafael Jose de Brito (Potirendaba, Brazil) bucked off for the Rattlers and Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas) was unsuccessful for Carolina. Following a scoreless third, the Last Chance Game intensified in the fourth. Riding first, Austin’s Ezekiel Mitchell (Rockdale, Texas) was dispatched by Miller Time (A&E Bucking Bulls/BS Cattle Co.), unable to erase Texas’s 4.25-point lead. The Rattlers, however, added to their lead in the middle of the fourth as Braidy Randolph (Jonestown, Pennsylvania) covered Casper (Crescent City Bucking Bulls/Lari Crane/Gene Owen) for 85.5 points. The ride, however, was not without some drama. Following the out, the call was challenged by Carolina Head Coach Jerome Davis. After review, the call stood, leaving Carolina without a challenge for the remainder of the game, but Texas had the option of a re-ride. In a business decision, Rattlers Head Coach Cody Lambert elected to keep the score. Pulling two bulls ahead of a then-scoreless Carolina, reigning PBR World Champion Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York) was in a must-ride position. Erupting from the chutes, Hostage (Hale/Wood) fouled himself, keeping Carolina in the hunt for a Semifinal berth. In the top of the fifth, the Austin Gamblers’ Lucas Divino (Nova Crixas, Brazil) needed to convert or his team would be eliminated. Divino was unable to rise to the occasion, bucked off by Cherry Bomb (Flinn/D&H Cattle Co.) in 3.77 seconds. As a result, Austin was eliminated from the PBR Team Series Championship. Following the out, Carolina had back-to-back trips, with closer Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas) up first against Twisted Feather (Blake Sharp/Michael Floyd/Cain Kobert), followed by Swearingen’s re-ride attempt atop Big Heart (Leffew Bucking Bulls). In a must-ride situation, Campbell delivered a heroic out for the Cowboys, conquering his draw for a crucial 90 points. Via the score, Carolina pulled within 89 points of the lead. Eager to continue the team’s momentum, Swearingen was quick to leave the chutes on Big Heart. However, a late direction change upended the New York native in 6.59 seconds, ultimately eliminating Carolina from the tournament. With a Semifinals berth clinched, the Rattlers closed the game with Cody Jesus (Window Rock, Arizona) atop Oz (TNT Bucking Bulls). While Jesus was sent airborne at the 6.01-second mark, his team’s fate was already sealed, with the No. 2 Texas Rattlers earning the final Semifinal spot on Sunday, November 6, when they will play the No. 5 Arizona Ridge Riders.