KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ariat Texas Rattlers coach Cody Lambert had just seen 2002 World Champion Ednei Caminhas become the oldest qualifier in PBR history at the 2022 PBR World Finals this past May, but even he was still skeptical at first when Caminhas told him this spring he was interested in riding during the PBR Team Series.
Lambert has known Caminhas for decades, but could a 47-year-old truly have an impact for the Texas Rattlers?
The head coach decided he would at least show his respect to Caminhas and invite him to training camp in Bowie, Texas, to get a closer look.
“I didn’t think he was interested enough to make the team, but I thought he’d make the practice squad, and I wanted him at training camp just to see, just to hang out with him a little bit, because we’ve been friends a long time,” Lambert admitted. “I could see at the end of our training camp that he was kind of serious about it, and I talked to him about it. He got off a couple bulls one day when we were practicing, and I said, ‘I don’t really know how to tell you this, but at your age, and I don’t really get why you’re still doing it, but there’s some kind of fire there, and I know you still want to do it.’”
Lambert then paused.
The 60-year-old coach knew what he was about to tell Caminhas – one of only 20 men to win a World Championship in PBR history – could be hard for Caminhas to hear.
“’If you want to make this team, you’ve got to lose 10 pounds,’” Lambert explained. “That’s hard for me to tell a World Champion, especially a guy that was World Champion 20 years ago who just turned 47.
“He said, ‘Yes sir. Thank you for telling me that,’ and he went to work. He works as hard as anybody we’ve got on the team.”
Caminhas earned himself a spot on the Rattlers, losing 14 pounds since that conversation, and he put the nail in the coffin on Saturday night at Outlaw Days as the Rattlers picked up their first win in PBR Team Series competition 257.25-0 over the Carolina Cowboys (2-2, Outlaw Days 1-1).
Caminhas put the game officially out of reach when he converted on Dr. Campbell for 83.25 points inside T-Mobile Center. The Rattlers poured it on against Carolina early in the game with 87-point rides from Rafael Brito (Little Voodoo Jacket) and Cody Jesus (Lone Survivor).
“We felt like we were close in all the games we lost,” Lambert said. “We didn’t want to make a habit out of it, and we talked about it. Winning beats the hell out of losing.”
Caminhas received a massive bear hug from Texas General Manager Mark George outside of the locker room.
“Today I feel like an 18-year-old with no bumps in my head, I just want to ride the bull,” Caminhas said. “The message I give the young guys is to be aggressive and be hungry to ride the bulls. It don’t matter what age you are, but you need to do it.”
Caminhas credits not only the Rattlers workout program, but also a diet plan a family friend in Brazil made for him that consists of only fish, chicken and vegetables. The Brazilian native also no longer eats rice or consumes carbs.
When Caminhas won the PBR world title in 2002, he weighed 168 pounds. Caminhas says his plan is to lose six more pounds so that he will once again be the same weight that he was 20 years ago when he walked out of the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas with that precious gold buckle.
“That’s my goal,” Caminhas said. “I’m not really surprised (to be doing well), but I was expected to not make the team because he said ‘come train with us first and will see.’”
Caminhas maybe was not part of the original plan, but Lambert said the old campaigner has a spot on his Rattlers squad moving forward, including Sunday when they take on the Austin Gamblers (1-3, Outlaw Days 0-2).
“He’s an inspiration for the younger guys,” Lambert said. “He goes to a lot of Challenger events. He rides a lot, and he rides a lot of horses, and he’s stayed active, and he’s a freak at 47 years old, but I didn’t plan on him making the squad, and making the (lineup) and things like that. But he’s going to be here.
“He’s got a home here.”
SUNDAY GAME SCHEDULE (1 P.M. ET CBS SPORTS NETWORK)
Oklahoma Freedom (1-3, Outlaw Days 1-1) @ Carolina Cowboys (2-2, Outlaw Days 1-1)
Austin Gamblers (1-3, Outlaw Days 0-2) @ Ariat Texas Rattlers (1-3, Outlaw Days 1-1)
Nashville Stampede (2-2, Outlaw Days 1-1) @ Arizona Ridge Riders (3-1, Outlaw Days 2-0)
Missouri Thunder (3-1, Outlaw Days 1-1) @ Kansas City Outlaws (1-3, Outlaw Days 0-2)
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media