AUSTIN, Texas – Riding a six-game winning streak as they headed into their hometown for Gambler Days, the Austin Gamblers continued to look virtually unstoppable on Friday night at Moody Center in Austin, Texas, winning their seventh consecutive game in the PBR Team Series.  

Riding the momentum of leadoff rider Ezekiel Mitchell scoring on his fourth bull in the leadoff spot this season, the Gamblers dominated the Nashville Stampede (3-8), 260.75-87.25, in the final game of night 1 of the three-day event, the fifth of the new PBR Team Series season. The Gamblers are now 8-3 and remain in first place in the new league. 

Previously, in the opening five-on-five bull riding game in Austin, the Carolina Cowboys (6-5) defeated the Kansas City Outlaws (4-7), 173-84.75. 

In the second game of the night, the Oklahoma Freedom (4-7) put up three qualified rides and beat the Ariat Texas Rattlers (3-8) by one bull, 253-166.50. 

The third game of the night, a showdown between No. 2 Missouri Thunder (7-4) and No. 3 Arizona Ridge Riders (7-4), resulted in a shootout in which the Ridge Riders prevailed, 340.50-260.75. 

PBR Gambler Days continues Saturday, August 27 at 6:45 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com and PBR.com, at the Moody Center Box Office, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727. 

Before Saturday’s event, Gambler Days will host a free-to-attend fan fest at Stubbs Bar-B-Q starting at 11 a.m. CT. The musical performers include Calder Allen (11:10 a.m.), Kelley James (1 p.m.), Kyle Park (3 p.m.), and Push & Shove (4:30 p.m.). 

In addition to the fan fest, there will be an after party at Stubbs Bar-B-Q, with musical performer Jesse Dayton (9:15 p.m.) and The Band of Heathens (10:30 p.m.). 

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 September 1. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.

Arizona Ridge Riders: 340.5
Missouri Thunder: 260.75

In Friday night’s third game of PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Gambler Days, the Arizona Ridge outlasted the Missouri Thunder in an intense round of rides, 340.5-260.75.

The slugfest between the league’s No. 2 and No. 3 teams began with qualified rides for both teams in the first three frames. Adriano Salgado (Batatais, Brazil) struck first for the Missouri Thunder after he rode Perch Trap (Blake Sharp) for 87.25 points, his fourth ride this season. Alisson De Souza (Taubate, Brazil) was quick to put the Arizona Ridge Riders on the board with an 87.25-point ride aboard the majestic white bull Game Over (Cooper/Scruggs/Bishop).

The Thunder’s Cody Teel (College Station, Texas) then recorded a textbook ride on Chanler’s Mule (Universal Pro Rodeo) for 87.25 points, putting the Thunder back in the lead. The Ridge Riders’ Eduardo Aprecido (Gouvelandia, Brazil) made the 8, covering Big Pokey (Cooper/Scruggs Bucking Bulls) for 85 points to narrow the score to 174.5-171.75 in favor of Missouri.

Going head-to-head, the two teams entered the third frame, where Andrew Alvidrez (Seminole, Texas), who came into the game riding at a sizzling 57%, was thrown off hard-bucking Hunter (Dozier Cattle Co/Martinez Bucking Bulls) at 5.14 seconds. With the pressure on to secure a third ride for the Ridge Riders, Sandro Batista (Pedra Petra, Brazil) put up 83.75 points against Big Bank (Universal Pro Rodeo).

In the fourth frame, the Thunder’s Clayton Sellars (Fruitland Park, Florida) was then unable to get any points on the board, bucked off by Day Late (Universal Pro Rodeo) at 4.89 seconds.

After a scoreless fourth and a re-ride earned by Colten Fritzlan (Rifle, Colorado), Luciano De Castro (Guzolandia, Brazil), the closer in all of the Ridge Riders’ games this season, had the opportunity to clinch. He successfully rode Try This (D&H Cattle Company) for 85 points, which held up after a challenge for a slap. That score put the Ridge Riders up 340-174.5, and the game was out of reach.

As the last out of the game, down two bulls, Fritzlan rode Chiseled (Flinn/D&H Cattle Co) for 86.25 points, making the final score closer but one in which the Arizona Ridge Riders came out the dominant team, 340.5-260.75.

When PBR Gambler Days continues, the Arizona Ridge Riders (7-4) will look to continue the momentum when they play the Nashville Stampede (3-8), while the Missouri Thunder (7-4) will look for their first victory of the weekend against the Kansas City Outlaws (4-7).