CHEYENNE, Wyo. – At the first-ever PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series event in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the Missouri Thunder were dominant, going a perfect 2-0 in gameplay to be crowned the event champions and surge to an early lead in the PBR Team Series standings.
“Amazing day,” said Missouri Thunder Co-Head Coach Ross Coleman moments after the win. “I love everything about the teams. Great cowboys.”
As action got underway at the world’s largest outdoor rodeo on Monday evening, the Thunder earned the first-ever game win in PBR Team Series history, shutting out the Ariat Texas Rattlers 89.25-0.
In another first achieved by the Thunder, the squad’s Adriano Salgado recorded the first qualified ride in the new league, earning the historic score atop American Gangster.
The Missouri Thunder then clinched the event win early in the competition on Tuesday night.
As one of three winning teams from Monday, following an Arizona Ridge Riders (1-1) loss to the Carolina Cowboys (1-1) in the first game on Tuesday evening, the title of PBR Team Series: Cheyenne event winner came down to the contest between the Thunder and Nashville Stampede.
Compliments of a crucial score from Andrew Alvidrez, the Thunder bested the Stampede by one ride score, becoming the lone team at the Daddy of ‘em All to go a perfect 2-0 in gameplay.
When the bonus round got underway, Thunder co-Head Coaches Coleman and Luke Snyder elected to give Australian sensation Callum Miller a chance to compete after not starting in either game.
Matched up with Alakazam, Miller could not reach the 8; however, the Thunder’s 2-0 record in gameplay was unmatched and clinched the victory.
In the overall PBR Team Series standings, the Thunder hold the early No. 1 rank, having amassed 263.5 aggregate points and one bonus round point. They are one game ahead of the No. 2 Carolina Cowboys.
With five teams advancing to the bonus round with 1-1 records, the final eight outs were crucial to set the remainder of the standings.
Daylon Swearingen delivered what is now the highest-marked ride of the PBR Team Series, riding I’m Legit Too (Hale Cattle Co.) for 92.5 points, cementing the Cowboys’ No. 2 rank in the standings.
Two-time PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme also delivered a mammoth 90-point bonus round ride for the Austin Gamblers, riding Montana Jacket (Berg/Coleman/Ogden) for 90.75 points. Earlier on Tuesday night, Leme knocked down a clutch ride in the bottom of the fifth frame of the Gamblers’ game against the Oklahoma Freedom to propel the Gamblers to a dramatic come-from-behind-win and leave Cheyenne No. 3 in the standings.
The PBR Team Series will next travel to T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, for Outlaw Days, the first of eight three-day team homestands in the 2022 season. The event will be on Friday, August 5 at 7:45 p.m. CT, Saturday, August 6 at 6:45 p.m. CT and Sunday, August 7 at 11 a.m. CT.
The game matchups for the opening night of competition for Outlaw Days on August 5 are:
CBS Sports will air a one-hour highlight show from the season-launch PBR Team Series event in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on Sunday, July 31 at 1 p.m. ET.
PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer replays of all the PBR Team Series action from Cheyenne. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.
Carolina Cowboys: 177.25
Arizona Ridge Riders: 81.25
After an exhilarating opening-night game on Monday in which they logged three qualified rides but went down in heartbreaking defeat, the Carolina Cowboys reversed their fortunes Tuesday evening, winning their first PBR Team Series game in historic fashion. Backed by the first-ever 90-point ride in the PBR Team Series, the Cowboys defeated the Arizona Ridge Riders 177.25-81.25.
The Cowboys jumped to a commanding 177.25-0 lead as the contingent delivered unanswered scores in their first two outs. Reigning PBR World Champion Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York) set the tone immediately, converting in the first out of the game for 87.25 points aboard Oilfield Outlaw’s Yellow Feather (Chad Berger/Oilfield Outlaw’s Bucking Bulls). Following a buckoff from Ridge Riders’ Marco Eguchi (Poa, Brazil), the Cowboys’ Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas) reached the 8 for a monstrous 90 points on Dr. Campbell (Nancy Haverty/Clay Struve/Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger) as the raucous Cheyenne Frontier Days crowd erupted in cheer.
The Ridge Riders remained scoreless as Paulo Lima (Bezerros, Brazil) hit the ground short of the 8 during his trip with Milk Mustache (Ty Rinaldo TZ Bucking Bulls). However, the Cowboys left the door open in the next round of outs when suffering their first buckoff, with Wingson da Silva (Navirai, Brazil) unable to cover Experiment 626 (Classic Jack Cattle/Viducic Bucking Bulls). The Ridge Riders seized the moment as preseason standout Alisson de Souza (Taubate, Brazil) put Arizona’s first points on the board, riding Smokestack (Sharp/Wilson/American Spirits/C-M) for 81.25 points.
After each team was unable to cover in their next set of outs, the game came down to Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas) for the Cowboys and Luciano de Castro (Guzolandia, Brazil) for the Ridge Riders. After Taylor was awarded a re-ride, Castro needed a score above 96 points atop Bubba G (Dakota Rodeo/Brian & Ashley Pintar/Clay Struve/Chad Berger) to clinch the win. Despite a gritty effort, Castro came down in an ever-close 7.52 seconds, handing the Cowboys the win.
When the dust settled, the Carolina Cowboys (1-1) defeated the Arizona Ridge Riders (1-1) by 96 points.
“We’re pretty excited right now. Our guys stepped up to the plate,” said Carolina Cowboys Head Coach Jerome Davis. “After last night, we rebounded pretty good, so we’re feeling good going into the bonus round.”
“Carolina Cowboys – we’re all a team, we’re all together and we’re solid,” said the Carolina Cowboys’ Boudreaux Campbell. “Every one of us rides good, and we all have the talent to win the world title. We’re going to be in the Championship at the end of the year.”