NASHVILLE –  When the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Stampede Days kicked off Friday night inside Bridgestone Arena, the race to be crowned the inaugural PBR Team Series Champions intensified as the league’s top team was upset, a rising contingent won their fourth straight game and a streaky team of top talents recorded a string of qualified rides putting the entire league on notice.

In the opening game in Music City, the Ariat Texas Rattlers earned a crucial victory, upsetting the No. 1 Missouri Thunder 174.25-0.

Backed by a strong start to the game, logging back-to-back qualified rides, the Kansas City Outlaws won the second game of PBR Stampede Days, beating the Oklahoma Freedom 174.75-87.25.

In a clutch fifth-frame ride, Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) propelled the Austin Gamblers to the team’s fourth-consecutive victory, defeating the Arizona Ridge Riders 175.25-85.25.

The final game of the evening featured the hometown debut of the Nashville Stampede, the city’s newest professional sports team. Despite a quick start to the game, as both Kaique Pacheco and Thiago Salgado converted in the contingent’s opening two outs, the Stampede inevitably fell to the Carolina Cowboys 324-176.25.

In the game, the Cowboys went a near perfect 4-for-5, covering 80% of their bulls.

PBR Stampede Days continues Saturday, August 20 at 6:45 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com and PBR.com, at the Bridgestone Arena Box Office, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727.

Prior to Saturday’s event, Stampede Days will host free-to-attend, family-friendly programming at the Bridgestone Arena Plaza starting at 11:00 a.m. CT. The musical performers include: John Haywood (11: 00 a.m.), Carson Beyer (12:00 p.m.), Kimberly Kelly (1:00 p.m.), Will Jones (2:30 p.m.), Mae Estes (3:30 p.m.) and Chancie Neal (4:15 p.m.).

In addition to musical acts on Aug. 20, fan fest patrons will be able to take part in three line-dancing lessons (2:00 p.m., 3:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.) under the instruction of Darcy Leasure, a featured professional from the Wildhorse Saloon.

PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer replays of all the PBR Team Series action from Nashville, Tennessee. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.

Carolina Cowboys: 324

Nashville Stampede: 176.25

In Friday night’s final game of PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Stampede Days, the streaky Carolina Cowboys poured on the rides to defeat hometown favorites Nashville Stampede.

Unable to keep pace with the Cowboys, who went a torrid 4-for-5, Music City’s newest professional sports team fell to Carolina 176.25-324.

As the game got underway, the teams were locked in a slugfest, each delivering scores in the first two frames of the game.

In the first round, Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas) struck first, giving the Cowboys an 83.5-point lead after he rode Light’s Out (Jane Clark/Gene Owen).

Stampede Captain and 2018 PBR World Champion Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil), however, was fast to put his team atop the scoreboard, covering Midnight Flyer (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) for 88.75 points and giving the Stampede a 5.25-point lead as the second round got underway.

Ramon de Lima (Rio Branco, Brazil) was next to ride for the Cowboys, logging his contingent’s second score when he went the distance atop Bobkat (Bob Whisnant/Shaw Cattle Co./Hilton Bull Co.) for 86.5 points.

In the bottom of the second, the Stampede again outscored their Tar Heel State rivals, as Thiago Salgado (Navirai, Brazil) rode Theodore (Lari Crane/Gene Owen) for 87.5 points. As a result, the Stampede approached the mid-point of the game with a 6.25-point lead.

The scoreboard went unchanged in the third frame as both teams registered their first buckoffs, but a momentum shift loomed. As the first team out in the fourth, the Cowboys made a business decision, opting to keep Mason Taylor’s (Maypearl, Texas) 64.25-point ride on Experiment 626 (Classic Jack Cattle/Viducic Bucking Bulls) instead of accepting a re-ride.

With Manolelito de Souza Junior (Itamira, Brazil) unsuccessful aboard Red Scorpion (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls), the Cowboys began the fifth frame with a 58-point lead.

As the first team out, reigning PBR World Champion Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York) had the chance to clinch the come-from-behind win for the Cowboys as he climbed aboard Mr. Nasty (Blake Sharp/Koe Wetzel/Cody O’Neil). Delivering under pressure, Swearingen reached the requisite 8 for a crucial 89.75 points, clinching the win for the Richard Childress Racing-operated outfit.

While the Stampede still had one rider left, three-time PBR World Champion Silvano Alves (Pilar do Sul, Brazil) bucked off in his Team Series debut, with the final scoreboard showcasing a 324-176.25 Carolina victory.

When PBR Stampede Days continues, the Nashville Stampede (2-6) will seek their first win in their hometown when they play the Ariat Texas Rattlers (3-5), while the Carolina Cowboys (4-4) will look for their second victory in the Volunteer State when they take on the Austin Gamblers (5-3).

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media