CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Arizona Ridge Riders technical coach Paulo Crimber playfully slapped Luciano de Castro on the cheek and said to the team’s first-round draft choice, “I told you so!”
Castro had just ridden Bentley for 85 points to clinch Arizona (1-0) an inaugural 171.5-89 victory over the Austin Gamblers (0-1) Monday night at Cheyenne Frontier Days in a matchup that Castro was initially skeptical about.
“I didn’t think that was the right selection when they put me on that bull,” Castro admitted with a smile before wrapping his arm around his coach. “I thought I should have had the other bull, and Paulo told me, ‘Just trust me. That’s your bull.’ And I just want to thank my coaches (Crimber and Colby Yates) for believing in me and doing a great job with it.”
Castro was the Ridge Riders’ first-round pick (No. 6 overall) during the 2022 PBR Team Series Draft, presented by ZipRecruiter, following a career-best No. 4 finish in the 2022 world standings.
It was a huge bounce-back performance from Castro after he finished No. 46 in back-to-back seasons.
But could he lead a team victory in the PBR Team Series?
Castro has openly admitted he has struggled in the past with his self-confidence and has often received encouragement from Crimber to believe in himself.
Some may have thought the Ridge Riders made the wrong selection in taking the 2015 PBR Brazil champion, but Castro showed he was ready for the big moment on Monday night. He put the Ridge Riders ahead by two scores and prevented two-time World Champion Jose Vitor Leme from any last-ride heroics. Leme ended the game with an 89-point ride on The Right Stuff.
“It’s amazing,” Castro said. “It’s a different kind of pressure from when I got here first, because now it’s all the team cheering for you. It’s not just the pressure. It’s just a bond between the teammates, and you feel that energy. And I kind of recognized it.”
2018 PBR World Finals event winner Marco Eguchi got things started for Arizona with 86.5 points on Surprise Package. The 32-year-old is one of the veteran riders Crimber expects to help lead the Ridge Riders to a PBR Team Series Championship.
Eguchi was one of the best riders during the Monster Energy Team Challenge two years ago in Las Vegas, pushing Team Pendleton Whisky to the championship game. He also helped lead Team Brazil to a Global Cup victory on American soil in 2019.
The 10-time PBR World Finals qualifier thrives in team competition, and he believes Castro is ready to take the next step in his career and is more than capable of being a leader for Arizona.
“I am very happy for us to get the win in our first game,” Eguchi said. “That is part of the game. We see young guys get confidence built up and do a great job like Luciano is doing. That makes me work my ass off too. That is great.”
Arizona had a scare on Monday night when Eduardo Aparecido sustained a riding hand/wrist injury in the bucking chute attempting to get out aboard Norse God. The good news, per team manager Colby Yates, is that Aparecido did not break anything and should be good for Outlaw Days on Aug. 5-7.
2018 Rookie of the Year Keyshawn Whitehorse will draw into the lineup for the Ridge Riders on Tuesday for their game against Carolina (0-1) live on CBS Sports Network (10 p.m. ET).
Castro considers Eguchi and Aparecido mentors, and he knows he will have two stout veterans in his corner alongside the Arizona coaching staff and leadership team.
“It’s an amazing experience just to know those two guys, being veterans, and to be able to ride with them,” Castro concluded. “It’s just good teammates and good energy, and to learn from what they’ve done and just take everything they’ve got to give me to help me get through this has just been amazing.”
TUESDAY GAME SCHEDULE
Arizona Ridge Riders (1-0) vs. Carolina Cowboys (0-1)
Nashville Stampede (1-0) vs. Missouri Thunder (1-0)
Ariat Texas Rattlers (0-1) vs. Kansas City Outlaws (0-0-1)
Austin Gamblers (0-1) vs. Oklahoma Freedom (0-0-1)
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media