PUEBLO, Colo. – Slated to make its inaugural season debut in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on July 25-26, the PBR Team Series is locked and loaded with eight talented rosters comprised of the world’s most electrifying riders. The unique 5-on-5, head-to-head format offers a team-centered approach to the riding experience and creates a refreshing camaraderie among the cowboys while giving fans in markets around the U.S. a home team to support. With 10 events scheduled for each team, including one in each respective home market and neutral-site battles in Cheyenne and Anaheim, California, the ultimate victor will be crowned during the PBR Team Series Championship in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena Nov. 4-6.
In gearing up for the beginning of the entertaining series, we decided to revisit the best ride logged from each first-round selection in last month’s 2022 PBR Team Series Draft.
No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme (Austin Gamblers)
Selected first overall by the Austin Gamblers in the inaugural PBR Team Series Draft, two-time PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme recorded a 2022 Unleash the Beast season-best score of 94.75 on Feb. 11 during the Express Ranches Invitational 15/15 Bucking Battle in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Leme partnered with Ridin Solo during the first round of the event. He later logged a close 94 points riding I’m Legit Too during the third round of the PBR Express Ranches Classic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on April 16, his fifth of seven 90-point rides en route to finishing the season ranked No. 5 in the world standings.
No. 2 Kaique Pacheco (Nashville Stampede)
Drafted second overall after finishing the 2022 UTB campaign ranked No. 2, his fourth career second-place finish in the world standings, 2018 PBR World Champion Kaique Pacheco joins the Nashville Stampede after recording five 90-point rides during the 2022 UTB season. Logging a 92.75-point score at the U.S. Border Patrol Invitational in Glendale, Arizona, Pacheco rode Pookie Holler in the third round of the event for his best ride of the year on March 13.
No. 3 Daylon Swearingen (Carolina Cowboys via trade with Texas Rattlers)
Fresh off capturing the 2022 PBR World Championship, Daylon Swearingen was the third man selected off the board. Originally drafted by the Texas Rattlers but later traded to the Carolina Cowboys, Swearingen recorded a pair of 93-point scores during his Championship campaign to mark his best rides of the season. The first came on the back of I’m Legit Too at the Ty Murray Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico, while the second was via the efforts of Big Black in the second round of the PBR World Finals.
Swearingen has since appeared during the PBR Team Series preseason, going 2-for-3 in Bismarck, North Dakota, to help the Cowboys to a 2-0 record, and will look to bring the momentum of his successful UTB campaign steamrolling into Cheyenne next month.
No. 4 Dalton Kasel (Kansas City Outlaws)
After recording 11 90-point rides and finishing the season ranked sixth in the world, 2019 PBR Rookie of the Year Dalton Kasel was selected fourth overall by the Kansas City Outlaws. The 23-year-old logged a season-best score of 92 points riding Mr. Excavator in Round 5 of the World Finals. He will look to serve as the youthful yet experienced anchor rider for Kansas City after going 2-for-3 during the PBR Team Series preseason skirmish in Bismarck.
No. 5 Colten Fritzlan (Missouri Thunder)
Selected fifth overall by the Missouri Thunder, Colten Fritzlan registered five successful rides during his 2022 campaign, including a season-high 87 points riding Marquis Metal Works Draggin Up at the Cooper Tires Invitational in Billings, Montana, on April 30. The youngster finished 49th in the world rankings this year, riding in only five events, but has been present at both of his team’s preseason appearances in Bismarck and Tryon, North Carolina, contributing 86.5 points in a Round 1 ride in Bismarck. While his limited experience caused some to question his landing spot, the Thunder selected Fritzlan to mold its franchise around for good reason, as the young cowboy has earned four event wins at all levels of competition in his brief PBR career.
No. 6 Luciano de Castro (Arizona Ridge Riders)
Luciano de Castro was chosen sixth overall by Arizona. He enters season one with the Ridge Riders ranked fourth in the world, the highest of his career, after logging six 90-point rides during his 2022 UTB campaign. Castro’s best ride of the year came via the efforts of Montana Jacket during Round 2 of the World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, when he logged 91.25 points.
No. 7 Cody Jesus (Texas Rattlers via trade with Carolina Cowboys)
Involved in the blockbuster trade executed during the 2022 draft, Cody Jesus was selected with the seventh overall pick after ranking seventh in the world standings following this year’s UTB competition. Logging two 90-point scores in just 11 qualified rides, Jesus’s best rides came at the PBR World Finals, where he finished second in the event aggregate. He first scored 90.25 points with I’m Legit Too in Round 2 and then matched the score with WSM’s Nasty Wishes in Round 6. The 23-year-old cowboy is expected to be part of the Rattlers’ regular contributors once things get started next month.
No. 8 Eli Vastbinder (Oklahoma Freedom)
Coming off his second consecutive UTB season ranked ninth in the world standings, 2021 Rookie of the Year Eli Vastbinder recorded his best outing of the year, a 90.5-point score, riding Taking Chances in Round 1 of the ZipRecruiter Invitational 15/15 Bucking Battle in Nampa, Idaho, where he ended up tying fellow first-round selection Luciano de Castro for the event’s top earnings. The 31-year-old veteran has also participated in both PBR Team Series preseason events in Bismarck (87.5 points – Off Campus) and Tryon (86.25 points – Blessed), where he logged successful rides at both. This season, Vastbinder logged two 90-point rides and two event victories in 30 recorded rides.