LAS VEGAS – Adriano Salgado walked past the rider out gate inside the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center and pointed directly at the sticker in memory of Amadeu Campos Silva on the center of his riding vest.
Salgado had just ridden The Bandit for 88.5 points during Round 1 of the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals to help him take another step toward potentially qualifying for his first PBR World Finals in just a few days, but it was his late friend who was at the top of his mind.
“First of all, I want to thank Amadeu Silva,” Salgado said with the help of John Crimber translating. “This was for him, because he always wanted to be here, dreamed to be here, and that was for him.”
Fresno was also Salgado’s first career victory on the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour. That win combined with his third-place finish in Round 1 on Saturday night has him in contention for the 2021 Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour championship and its accompanying $50,000 bonus.
Salgado is sitting fourth in the Velocity Tour standings heading into his Round 2 matchup against Blow Torch (1-1) on Sunday. He is 26.5 points behind injured No. 1 Michael Lane (broken thumb).
Fans can watch the conclusion of the 2021 Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals exclusively on RidePass on Pluto TV beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.
“It’s really important,” Salgado said in Lincoln, Nebraska, with the help of Paulo Crimber. “It’s the third year I’ve been here, and this year is the first year I’ve got a shot for it. The title is real big, important, and winning the title can make myself guaranteed for the Top 30. That’s something I’m going to look forward to.”
Salgado is the highest-ranking rider in the VT standings with a qualified ride heading into Championship Sunday.
Other riders in the Top 10 of the standings who picked up a ride in Round 1 include No. 5 Keyshawn Whitehorse (83 points on Big Sky Country), No. 6 Austin Richardson (85 points on Johnny Greyback), No. 7 Lane Nobles (86 points on Dazed & Confused) and No. 10 Eli Vastbinder (83 points on Torres).
Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Standings
1. Michael Lane (120 points)
2. Manoelito de Souza Junior (-12 points)
3. Conner Halverson (-22 points)
4. Adriano Salgado (-26.5 points)
5. Keyshawn Whitehorse (-27 points)
6. Austin Richardson (-34.5 points)
7. Lane Nobles (-40.5 points)
8. Grayson Cole (-41.67 points)
9. Paulo Ferreira Lima (-43.17 points)
10. Eli Vastbinder (-47.5 points)
Salgado is currently 38th in the PBR world standings, but he is still in a tremendous position to qualify for the 2021 PBR World Finals.
First, Salgado is only one point behind No. 37 Taylor Toves for the final World Finals qualification spot available via the world standings after earning seven world points on Saturday night.
If Salgado fails to qualify for the World Finals via the world standings, he could also make it to T-Mobile Arena as the international wild card winner. Salgado and Alvaro Aguilar Alvarez are the only two riders competing at the Velocity Tour Finals eligible for the international berth, and Alvarez was bucked off by Wilson in 5 seconds in Round 1. If Alvarez bucks off in Round 2 on Sunday, that would clinch Salgado a spot at the World Finals, at least via the international wild card berth.
Salgado could also then qualify for the World Finals via the Velocity Tour standings if he somehow fails to crack the Top 37 and Alvarez leapfrogs him in the event standings.
“First, I want to thank God and all the family and friends that helped me come all this way,” Salgado said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to ride here, especially with my brother.”
Salgado’s brother, Thiago Salgado, is sitting 36th in the world standings and is 21 world points ahead of No. 39 Fernando Henrique Novais.
Thiago, though, was bucked off by War Department in 1.63 seconds, while Novais, the 2018 PBR Brazil champion, rode Above & Beyond for 85.5 points.
Adriano is hopeful both he and his brother will get the job done on Sunday, and both share in the moment of qualifying for their first World Finals together.
“We already kind of prepared ourselves for that kind of situation to come in and compete together,” Salgado said in Lincoln, Nebraska, with the help of Paulo Crimber. “We worked hard to be here, and I’m really proud for both of us to be able to ride at this level. We’re working hard to get both of us qualified for it, but if something happens and just one of us qualifies for it, either way, it’s going to be both of us riding. Either me or my brother, it’s going to be both of us riding for the other no matter what.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andre Silva/Bull Stock Media