WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Competing in front of a home crowd for the first time, the Carolina Cowboys delivered a 2-1 performance in game play, while also winning the Bonus Round, at PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Cowboy Days, to conclude the Team Series event in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as the No. 1-ranked team in the league.
Beginning the event No. 3 in the league standings, the Cowboys rose to No. 2 following their commanding Friday night win against the Missouri Thunder. Backed by key scores from Mason Taylor, Cooper Davis and Wingson Henrique da Silva, the Cowboys won 261.5-0.
The Cowboys then overtook the No. 1 spot with a walk-off win against the Arizona Ridge Riders Saturday night. Courtesy of an evening-best, 87.75-point score from Daylon Swearingen atop Jailhouse Cat (Clark View Farms/Phillips), the Cowboys completed the come-from-behind victory to beat the Ridge Riders 265.5-169.5.
On Championship Sunday, however, the Cowboys’ six-game win streak came to an end in a thriller, when they were narrowly beaten by the Nashville Stampede by 1.5 points, falling 257.75-259.25.
In true cowboy fashion, Carolina rebounded in the Bonus Round. For the fifth time this season, the Cowboys dominated, collecting a maximum 8 Bonus points, courtesy of Taylor’s massive 89.75-point trip atop Duke (Sho-Me Rodeo).
The Carolina Cowboys concluded their inaugural homestand second, having gone 2-1 in game play and earning 8 bonus points. They are No. 1 in the league with a 10-6 record and 46 combined bonus points and lead the No. 2 Austin Gamblers, who also hold a 10-6 record, by 9.5 bonus points.
No team in Winston-Salem, however, rivaled the Oklahoma Freedom, who went a perfect 3-0 in game play and finished second in the Bonus Round to win their first PBR Team Series event at PBR Cowboy Days.
The Oklahoma Freedom began the event with a bang, knocking off the Nashville Stampede 261-0 compliments of a lead-off 90-point ride from third-round draft pick Chase Outlaw.
In just his second event, Outlaw faced a familiar opponent in Big Black (K-C Bucking Bulls/Joe & Nina Webb). Having met five times prior, Outlaw entered the slugfest with a perfect record, marked 90 points or more in each out. Keeping the streak alive, Outlaw logged just the fifth 90-point ride in PBR Team Series history, dominating the powerful animal athlete for 90.25 points. The score is tied for third best in the league and ties the Freedom with the Carolina Cowboys for most 90-point scores by one team, each with two.
The Oklahoma Freedom remained red-hot as competition continued Saturday, upsetting the Austin Gamblers 86.75-83.25.
Keen to remain perfect in game play with their inaugural homestand just days away, the Freedom faced the Kansas City Outlaws on Championship Sunday. Both teams entered the showdown with a 2-0 record at PBR Cowboy Days.
Backed by crucial scores from both Briggs Madsen and Captain Eli Vastbinder, the Freedom defeated the Outlaws by one ride score, 170.75-87.
As the only team to go a perfect 3-0 in game play, the Freedom entered the Bonus Round with the event win already clinched. Seeking crucial bonus points, Freedom Head Coach Cord McCoy elected to have Derek Kolbaba go head-to-head with Jeremiah (Martinez Bucking Bulls, LLC).
In a decision which proved dividends, Kolbaba conquered the animal athlete for 88.75 points, the second-best score of the Bonus Round, garnering the team 7 Bonus points.
Courtesy of the 3-0 performance, and their 7 Bonus points, the Freedom rose to No. 5 in the league standings, now with an 8-8 record and a combined 22 Bonus points.
The PBR Team Series will next travel to Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for the fifth team-hosted homestand as the Oklahoma Freedom welcome the league for PBR Freedom Fest. The event will be on Friday, September 16 at 7:45 p.m. CT, Saturday, September 17 at 6:45 p.m. CT and Sunday, September 18 at 1:45 p.m. CT.
The game matchups for the opening night of competition in Oklahoma City on September 16 are:
Nashville Stampede @ Missouri Thunder
Arizona Ridge Riders @ Carolina Cowboys
Kansas City Outlaws @ Texas Rattlers
Austin Gamblers @ Oklahoma Freedom
PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer replays of all the PBR Team Series action from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.
Oklahoma Freedom: 170.75
Kansas City Outlaws: 87
The Oklahoma Freedom continued their white-hot momentum Sunday afternoon, completing their perfect 3-0 sweep of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series event in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, defeating the Kansas City Outlaws 170.75-87.
Both teams began the game with a perfect 2-0 record. After a scoreless first, the game intensity ratcheted up in the second. Riding in the top of the frame, Briggs Madsen (Tremonton, Utah) put the Freedom on the board first, riding Happy Gambler (Sho-Me Rodeo) for 86.75 points.
Oklahoma’s lead, however, was short lived as the Outlaws converted in the very next out. Marcus Mast (Middlebury, Indiana) conquered High Country Hitman (High Country Solutions/JR Phillips) for 87 points, to put the Outlaws ahead by a mere 0.25 points.
After the scoreboard remain unchanged through the third, Freedom Captain Eli Vastbinder (Statesville, North Carolina) delivered the go-ahead score in the top of the fourth.
Paired with Left Eye Lopez (Dustin Denning), Vastbinder reached the requisite 8 for a crucial 84 points to put the Freedom back on top by 83.75 points.
Keen to answer, the Outlaws were unable to keep pace as second-round draft pick Kyler Oliver (Roy, Utah) was brought down by The Undertaker (Cornwell Bucking Bulls/Riley Bucking Bulls/PCP Bucking Bulls) in a close 5.23 seconds.
As the fifth got underway, Derek Kolbaba (Walla Walla, Washington) had the chance to clinch the victory early for the Freedom. Kolbaba, however, erred in his showdown with Rocky Malcoma (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls), sent to the ground in a quick 2.58 seconds.
Via the buckoff, the door was opened for Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas) to win the game for the Outlaws in walk-off fashion. Kasel, however, was no match for Whip (Obernagel/Sho-Me Rodeo), bested in 4.36 seconds.
As a result, the Freedom won the game 170.75-87, and improved to 3-0 at PBR Cowboy Days and 8-8 throughout the 2022 PBR Team Series season. The Outlaws, however, fell to 2-1 at PBR Cowboy Days and 7-9 this season.
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media