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:
- Kansas City Outlaws @ Austin Gamblers
- Nashville Stampede @ Oklahoma Freedom
- Arizona Ridge Riders @ Ariat Texas Rattlers
- Missouri Thunder @ Carolina Cowboys
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.
Carolina Cowboys: 174
Austin Gamblers: 84.25
In a Championship Sunday showdown between two undefeated PBR (Professional Bull Riders) teams in Austin, the Carolina Cowboys registered a fifth-frame ride to steal the victory against the No. 1-ranked Austin Gamblers during the final game of Gambler Days.
Closing out a tense game that came down to the top two bull riders in the world – the Gamblers’ Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) and the Cowboys’ Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York) – Swearingen rode his bull while Leme was deemed to have touched his bull for no score, ending the Gamblers’ eight-game winning streak.
The Cowboys’ Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas) started the final game off strong with an 86.5-point score as he rode Thor (M Rafter E Bucking Bulls). Leading off once again for the Gamblers, Ezekiel Mitchell (Rockdale, Texas) moved in perfect rhythm with opponent Big Pokey (Cooper/Scruggs Bucking Bulls) for a solid 84.25 points, the undrafted rider’s sixth consecutive leadoff ride.
Attempting to put the Cowboys up a bull, Wingson Henrique da Silva (Navirai, Brazil) could not meet the requisite 8 and was bucked off by Otis (M Rafter E / High View Cattle) at 5.11 seconds. Turning to the Gamblers, Austin Richardson (Dallas, Texas) faced Miller Time (A&E Bucking Bulls/BS Cattle Co) and was forcefully yanked down in a quick 1.8 seconds and then stepped on by the bull.
The Cowboys looked to Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas) to further secure the early lead aboard Medicine Man (TNT Bucking Bulls), but the powerful bovine kept working Taylor forward, and he came down at 5.23 seconds. The Gamblers were still trailing 86.5 – 84.25 when Dakota Louis (Browning, Montana) faced a tough opponent in unridden Concho (M Rafter E Bucking Bulls). Louis, who had been 2-for-6 on the season, was no exception and was bucked off after 2.8 seconds. Although the ride was challenged, the judges ruled there would be no re-ride option.
Looking for their second score of the night, in the top of the fourth, the Cowboys’ Ramon de Lima (Rio Branco, Brazil) came hot out of the chute but was bested by Perch Trap (Blake Sharp/Henry Wilson) at 3.73 seconds. To close the fourth frame, Gamblers’ Griffin Smeltzer (Claresholm, Alberta, Canada) went to take on Bread Basket (TNT Bucking Bulls), but as the chute clock ran down, he lost his bull rope and was ultimately disqualified.
The Austin crowd exploded as the game would be decided in a ride-off between the two superstar closers. 2022 PBR World Champion Daylon Swearingen, first up for the Carolina Cowboys, put on an outstanding performance, covering Tijuana Two-Step (M Rafter E Bucking Bulls) for 87.5 points, and the Cowboys went up 174 – 84.25. The Gamblers would need a 90-point ride from two-time PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) for a come-from-behind win. For the must-ride situation, the league’s No. 1 draft pick faced off against fresh-faced Blazer (Universal Pro Rodeo/Rachel & Dustin Powell). While Leme seemed to make the 8, the challenge button was hit, and it was ruled that the Gamblers’ captain’s free hand touched the bull, resulting in a no-score.
With that call, the Carolina Cowboys beat the Austin Gamblers 174-84.25.
The Austin Gamblers (9-4) finished the PBR Team Series Gambler Days weekend first in the season standings, while the Carolina Cowboys (8-5) are third in the season standings.
