08.28.22 - Teams
Arizona Ridge Riders take victory with one ride over scoreless Kansas City Outlaws at Gambler Days
The Ridge Riders went a perfect 3-0 in Austin to retain the No. 2 spot in the season standings.
By Rachel Tighe
AUSTIN, Texas – The Austin Gamblers started off the inaugural PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series Gambler Days with a bang – winning on Friday and Saturday – but on Sunday afternoon, their eight-game winning streak was brought to an end by the Carolina Cowboys in a tense game that went down to the final out. Recording a 2-1 record at their inaugural homestand, the Gamblers finished third in the event and remain in the No. 1 spot of the 2022 season standings.
Ready to impress the vociferous hometown crowd, the Austin Gamblers were the stars of the show Friday night, winning their seventh consecutive game by defeating the Nashville Stampede, 260.75-87.25.
On Saturday, the Gamblers again looked virtually unstoppable in putting up three qualified rides to outlast the No. 7 Ariat Texas Rattlers, 252.75-168.5.
Sunday’s final game for the Gamblers came down to the world’s top two bull riders, and the Carolina Cowboys prevailed, beating the Gamblers by one bull, 174-84.25.
In the bonus round, the Carolina Cowboys’ Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York), who earlier had knocked down a crucial fifth-frame ride to cement Sunday’s win over the Gamblers, was the sole rider to receive a score. He rode JAG Metals Grand Theft (D&H Cattle Co./Philip Elkins) for 89.25 points, taking first place in the bonus round. The Austin Gamblers’ Head Coach Michael Gaffney selected Lucas Divino (Nova Crixas, Brazil) to take on Mike’s Magic (Five Star Ranch/BS Cattle), bucked off at 6.87 seconds. The Austin Gamblers finished second in the bonus round, earning 7 bonus points.
The PBR Team Series will next travel to the LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for the fourth team-hosted homestand as the Carolina Cowboys welcome the league for PBR Cowboy Days. The event will be on Friday, Sept. 9 at 7:45 p.m. ET, Saturday, Sept. 10 at 6:45 p.m. ET and Sunday, Sept. 11 at 1:45 p.m. ET.
The game matchups for the opening night of competition in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Sept. 9 are:
PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer replays of all the PBR Team Series action from Austin. For a behind-the-scenes look at the creation and launch of the new league, tune in to PBR Team Series: Getting the Job Done, presented by ZipRecruiter, Thursdays on PBR RidePass on Pluto TV at 8:30 p.m. ET, starting Sept. 1. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.
Arizona Ridge Riders: 84.75
Kansas City Outlaws: 0
After knocking down eight qualified rides in their first two games in Austin, the Arizona Ridge Riders needed only one ride by Paulo Ferreira Lima (Bezerros, Brazil) to beat the Kansas City Outlaws in game three of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series Gambler Days on Sunday.
To open the competition, the Ridge Riders’ Alisson De Souza (Taubate, Brazil) attempted Kid Knapper (Phillips/Cooper/Scruggs Bucking Bulls) and apparently made the requisite 8. However, upon immediate review, it was determined that the Brazilian cowboy touched the bull at 7.75 seconds, turning his efforts into a no-score. Meanwhile, the Outlaws looked to get the first score on the board, but Sam Woodall (Heywood, Australia) came down in a quick 2.04 seconds after Game Over (Cooper/Scruggs Bucking Bulls) lunged forward out of the chute, violently throwing the Australian to the dirt.
As the second out for the Ridge Riders and only qualified ride of the game, Ferreira, who had been unsuccessful in four outs this Teams season, got stronger as the seconds ticked by aboard Bobkat (Bob Whisnant/Shaw Cattle Co/Hilton Bull Co) for 84.75 points.
Next up for the Outlaws was Kyler Oliver (Roy, Utah) to face Shakira (JR Phillips), who was not cooperative in the chute, giving Oliver a second ride opportunity later on in the game. He would be whipsawed down early and stepped on, unable to break the ice for the Outlaws.
Two scoreless frames later, the Outlaws were still searching for their first score. With one ride remaining, the Kansas City contingent, down 84.75 – 0, looked to Rafael Henrique dos Santos (Sebastianopolis, Brazil) for one last chance against 14-0 Kingdom (D&H Cattle Co./Futrell). The Brazilian could not convert, summarily dumped onto the dirt after a brief 1.91 seconds.
With that, the Arizona Ridge Riders (9-4) notched a 3-0 record on the weekend, while the Kansas City Outlaws (5-8) dropped to 1-2 in Austin.