TRYON, N.C. – At the final PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series Preseason event of the year in Tryon, North Carolina, no team was more dominant than the Arizona Ridge Riders. Rebounding from a dismal 0-2 showing at the first preseason event in Bismarck, North Dakota, the Ridge Riders were a picture of perfection at the PBR Tryon Chute Out, winning both of their games and posting the lone qualified ride of the Bonus Round.

“Well, we just wrapped up the big win here in Tryon at the last preseason,” said Arizona Ridge Riders Technical Coach Paulo Crimber. “Alisson de Souza was one of our heavy hitters. He’s going to be on the team going to Cheyenne for sure, and he pulled the weight. He led the way for the younger guys and showed them it’s possible to win, no matter what you’ve got. If you do what you’re supposed to do, it still works. I’m very proud. We’re going back to TR9 to get our camp going and get them guys more ready for Cheyenne.”

As action got underway at the Tryon International Equestrian Center Friday evening, the Arizona Ridge Riders earned the team’s first victory when they beat the Nashville Stampede, 170-86. Continuing their momentum Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd, the Ridge Riders won their second consecutive game, defeating the Oklahoma Freedom 255.5-86.

The Ridge Riders clinched the event win as the only team to be flawless in gameplay in Tryon.

With the Bonus Round remaining, the Ridge Riders used their first pick in the draft to have Alisson de Souza (Taubate, Brazil) take on Mike’s Motive (Blake Sharp/High Voltage Cattle/American Spirits/Koe Wetzel). As the only team to reach the requisite 8, Souza punctuated the Ridge Riders’ dominant showing with an 89.5-point ride. 

In the overall preseason standings, the Arizona Ridge Riders finished third, going 2-2 in gameplay and amassing 509.25 aggregate and 11 Bonus Round points.

The regular season for the 2022 PBR Team Series will begin July 25-26 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, held during the iconic Cheyenne Frontier Days. Action will begin nightly at 6:45 p.m. MT. CBS Sports Network will carry the action LIVE at 10 p.m. ET.

The game matchups for the first day of the regular season on July 25 are:

• Texas Rattlers vs. Missouri Thunder
• Carolina Cowboys vs. Nashville Stampede
• Oklahoma Freedom vs. Kansas City Outlaws
• Austin Gamblers vs. Arizona Ridge Riders

PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer re-airs and on-demand replays of all the PBR Team Series action. PBR RidePass is available on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices via www.pluto.tv. Tune to channel 720 for the latest programming schedule.

Nashville Stampede: 84.25
Carolina Cowboys: 0.00

In the final game of the evening, the North Carolina crowd got the showdown it awaited all evening as the local favorite Carolina Cowboys readied to take on the Nashville Stampede during the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series Preseason event in Tryon. Eager to rebound from a shutout loss dealt to them Friday by the Oklahoma Freedom, the Cowboys were unable to right the ship and were again blanked, this time by the Nashville Stampede. After Fernando Henrique Novais (Pereira Barreto, Brazil) and Nathan Hatchel (Hennessey, Oklahoma) bucked off for the Stampede and Cowboys, respectively, the second duo of cowboys readied to climb aboard their draws. Striking first, young gun Mason Moody (Letcher, South Dakota) was a force atop Bolo (Richardson Lane & Cattle Co.) for a crucial 84.25 points. Unable to answer, Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas) failed to add points for the Cowboys, bucked off by Big Mac (Shuler Bucking Bulls) in 2.3 seconds.

After both teams were shut out in the subsequent two sections, the game came down to Novais for the Stampede and Cody Casper (Newport, Washington) for the Cowboys. As Novais bucked off Eager Snake (Triple C/Barrett Bucking Stock) in 3.89 seconds, Casper had the opportunity to clinch the Cowboys’ first win in their home state in a walk-off. However, Casper was brought down in a heartbreaking 2.89 seconds by Not Yet (Team Alaska). As a result of the buckoff, the Nashville Stampede improved to 1-1 with the 84.25-0 win. The Carolina Cowboys, following two wins in Bismarck, North Dakota, last weekend to start the PBR Team Series preseason, concluded the league’s final preseason event winless, going 0-2 through gameplay at the Tryon International Equestrian Center.

“Well, the thing about this format, it doesn’t matter how you do it. Someone is going to win, and somebody is going to lose,” said Nashville Stampede Head Coach Justin McBride. “It was an ugly game, I would say, but we luckily got the win.”