PUEBLO, Colo. – Team USA Eagles head coach Ross Coleman did not exactly plan to select a roster featuring five riders all 23 years or younger for the 2022 PBR Global Cup USA, presented by Monster Energy.
Yet what ensued this past Saturday at AT&T Stadium was quite a showcase of what the future may be like for fans of the red, white and blue as a new wave of up-and-coming American bull riding stars appears to be emerging.
It may be hard to determine if any of the five riders on the gold medal-winning Eagles – Daylon Swearingen, Mason Taylor, Stetson Wright, Dalton Kasel and Chase Dougherty – will be able to end defending World Champion Jose Vitor Leme’s two-year reign of terror come the 2022 PBR World Finals (May 13-22 in Fort Worth, Texas). But the young Americans showed that no moment was too big for them and that they are to be viewed as an international bull riding power.
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The Eagles went a near-perfect 6-for-7 to win their second consecutive PBR Global Cup, making the United States the all-time leader in Global Cup/World Cup victories with five.
“The best part about it is they’re young, strong, athletic, coachable guys,” Coleman said. “And when we all get together, and we all can feed off each other, and be positive and have a good attitude and good effort, that’s all it takes. I mean, I remember when I was at the peak of my career, I was that same age. Early 20s. And I just love everything about it. I love it. I would love to have Cooper Davis on the team, because he’s like having a Tom Brady in the huddle. And that’s bull riding. Injuries happen.”
Brazilian riders have won three of the past four PBR World Championships, with Leme’s back-to-back run and Kaique Pacheco claiming the 2018 world title.
However, before the Brazilians’ recent run, the PBR saw three consecutive American-born champions with J.B. Mauney (2015), Davis (2016) and Jess Lockwood (2017). It had been a decade since America had three straight World Champions – Chris Shivers (2003), Mike Lee (2004) and Justin McBride (2004).
Davis is out for the remainder of the spring recovering from reconstructive left shoulder surgery. Lockwood is currently out with a left shoulder injury, and lately, he has not been the same caliber rider who became the youngest two-time World Champion in PBR history.
Could a new young wave of American talent be ready to take the gold-buckle throne this year?
Leme may be the defending World Champion, but the current world No. 1 bull rider is Swearingen, and the 22-year-old was outstanding inside AT&T Stadium.
Swearingen got the Americans fired up by opening the scoring at the Global Cup with 90.5 points on Body Count. Swearingen then put the nail in the Brazilian coffin with a 91.5-point ride on Diddy Wa Diddy in the Bonus Round.
“We are a young team,” Swearingen said on Saturday night. “We’re all the same age, and we all could really relate to each other. We’ve all grown up together, pushing each other through all the ranks. It’s really cool.”
Leme and Pacheco commended the Americans for a close-to-flawless victory.
“They did what they come to do,” said Leme. “They did a great job. They rode some of the rankest bulls. They deserve that win, clearly.”
Pacheco added, “I’m really happy for those guys, the U.S. team, the Eagles team. They ride really, really good. They ride their rank bulls, too.”
The No. 3-ranked bull rider in the world is Kyler Oliver, who is also 22 years old, but was not on Team USA. World No. 6 Stetson Lawrence was a member of the Team USA Wolves, and No. 7 Eli Vastbinder was in Arlington as an unofficial alternate all week just in case a rider had gotten hurt at any of The American Semifinals/Contender rounds.
Meanwhile, 2019 Rookie of the Year Dalton Kasel is healthy this season. He will head into the upcoming PBR U.S. Border Patrol Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires, in Glendale, Arizona, on Saturday and Sunday ranked 10th in the world standings.
Kasel’s talent was on full display inside AT&T Stadium when he set a PBR Global Cup record by riding Moonlight Party for 92 points to put the Eagles into the lead for good.
“I bucked off him once, and I knew he was going to feel good,” Kasel said. “I just had my head up my butt last time, and this time I got my head out of my butt. This ride is huge. It is a team deal, and the more points we get, the better off we are. I had a little motivation to stay on.”
Coleman called Kasel’s ride one of the biggest turning points in the event, and he compared the 23-year-old’s effort to one of the most legendary cowboys of all time.
“My man Dalton was no joke,” Coleman said. “That ride was seriously real deal cowboy stuff. And I’m telling you, that bull was no day off, and he blows, and he’s droppy, and he’s strong, and he’s wild. And I’m telling you what, away from his hand, he did the Ty Murray whip on him. He whipped him just like Ty Murray would’ve. And that’s what it takes. You’ve got to have that Ty Murray cowboy grit and try.
“I was so proud of all of them today. All of them did great. Every one of them.”
Reigning PRCA all-around champion Stetson Wright is only 22 years old and is in the process of putting together his own legendary rodeo career. This weekend, though, he teamed up with a different group of bull riders than he usually would be with on the rodeo circuit, and he left AT&T Stadium impressed and proud of the team.
“They pump me up,” Wright said. “That is why I rode the last one I got on (Young Man’s Blues for 81.75 points). Shoot, we are all the same age. Their rookie year in the PBR was my rookie year in the PRCA. It is just so awesome to ride with a bunch of young guys like this, and for them to show out like this is insane.
“I dang sure am proud to be an American, and I am proud we got some damn good bull riders.”
PBR co-founder Cody Lambert was in Fort Worth this weekend to help introduce the Ariat Texas Rattlers to the local public for the PBR Team Series (coming this summer). The Rattlers’ head coach also attended the PBR Global Cup on Saturday night at AT&T Stadium.
Lambert stood on the back of the bucking chutes and proudly looked over at the young men wearing the red, white and blue jerseys who were preparing to cheer on Swearingen as he would clinch them a Global Cup victory.
“I am very proud of them,” Lambert said. “Being a part of this team just made these guys better, and this is what the future looks like.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media