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The Unleash The Beast is back – and so are the fans! – and it wasted no time getting straight into the rank action we’re all here for. Colten Jesse made a world title race statement, an unstoppable force met an immovable object and Smooth Operator reminded us all that he ain’t done just yet. Miss a moment of the action this weekend? Here’s what happened around the PBR.
On the Unleash The Beast…
Colten Jesse, welcome to the world title race. With his 3-for-3 performance in Bismarck, he won the first Unleash The Beast event of his career, climbing to No. 4 in the world standings and putting the heavy hitters officially on notice.
2019 champ Smooth Operator spent the first half of the season playing catchup in the YETI World Champion Bull race, and in Bismarck he decided he’d had enough of that – his 46.75-point bull score puts him back into the lead.
What’s better than one 90-point ride in a championship round? How about FOUR 90-point rides in a championship round? Colten Jesse, Joao Ricardo Vieira, Cooper Davis and Ezekiel Mitchell showed up and showed out.
Lucas Divino is the only bull rider not named Jose Vitor Leme that has won more than one premier series event this season, and he kept his momentum going with the Round 1 win in Bismarck.
Speaking of Jose Vitor Leme, the world No. 1 bull rider faced off against the previously unridden Good Night Robicheaux in a bounty bull matchup for $10,000. And, well, “previously unridden” probably gives you a clue as to the outcome.
Bismarck also saw the return of J.B. Mauney and, while it may not have gone as planned, the GOAT anticipates sticking around for another season in 2021.
While the premier series isn’t the same without Fabiano Vieira, his wife reports that he’s making great strides in his rehab.
Through the lens with Andy Watson and BullStockMedia
Check out the best photos from day one and day two in Bismarck.
Social spotlight
A positive update from the Vieiras!
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A post shared by Fabiano Vieira (@fvieirapbr) on Aug 7, 2020 at 11:25am PDT
The bromance we deserve.
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“A good friend knows all your best stories, but a best friend had lived them with you!”
A post shared by Keyshawn Whitehorse (@keyshawnwhitehorse) on Aug 7, 2020 at 5:19pm PDT
Learning from the best.
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A post shared by Andrew Alvidrez (@andrew.alvidrez) on Aug 9, 2020 at 8:35pm PDT
Looking ahead
The Unleash The Beast next heads to Guthrie, Oklahoma, for PBR Bullnanza on Aug. 14-15 (RidePass on Aug. 14 at 8:45 p.m. ET and Aug. 15 at 12:45 p.m. ET; CBS Sports Network on Aug. 16 at 6 p.m. ET).
The WCRA will also be in Guthrie for its Stampede at the E on Aug. 15 (RidePass at 9 p.m. ET).
Stay tuned to PBR.com for the latest information and updates on where to catch the action in the coming weeks.