Austin Gamblers: 86.5 / Arizona Ridge Riders: 85.25

GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Austin Gamblers won their third game of the weekend, beating the host Arizona Ridge Riders by 1.25 points, 86.5-85.25, at the final PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series regular-season event in Glendale, Arizona.

The Gamblers finished the season 16-12 with 57.5 bonus points, winning four of their final five games. Austin was 3-0 in Glendale, clinching the No.1 seed at the upcoming PBR Team Series Championship in Las Vegas (Nov. 4-6).

After a scoreless first frame, the battle began as Ezekiel Mitchell (Rockdale, Texas) took on Born to Sin (Logan Clancey/ Dakota Rodeo/ Chad Berger). Mitchell made all the right moves as the bull went away from his hand to put up an 86.5-point score for Austin.

Launching out of the chutes in the bottom of the second frame, Arizona’s veteran Eduardo Aparecido (Gouvelandia, Brazil) immediately answered back with a solid 85.25-point score aboard Throw Down (Triplett Bucking Bulls).

Despite the top talent wrapping their hands in the bull ropes in the third and fourth, including home-run hitters Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas) for the Gamblers and Vitor Losnake (Bauru, Brazil) for the Ridge Riders, the animal athletes prevailed, and both frames went scoreless.

Drama then unfolded in the fifth as newly crowned PBR Team Series MVP and Austin closer Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) seemed to make a qualified ride, putting the Gamblers a bull up when challenge sirens blasted. Arizona coach Paulo Crimber and Team Manager Colby Yates alleged a touch of the animal mid-ride.

After a detailed review, officials ruled the ride a no-score due to a slap at 7.45 seconds, and a stern-faced Leme walked to the locker room.

In the bottom of the fifth, Arizona’s closer and first-round draft pick Luciano De Castro (Guzolandia, Brazil) needed to erase a 1.25-point deficit with a qualified ride. Castro tried hard to cling to WSM’s Time in a Bottle (WSM Auctioneers/ Clay Struve/ Dakota Rodeo/ Chad Berger) but was tossed at 4.02 seconds, cementing Austin’s win, 86.5-85.25.

In addition to arriving in Las Vegas as the top seed for the PBR Team Series Championship, the win allowed the Austin Gamblers to conclude Ridge Rider Days with a 3-0 record and improve to 16-12 on the season. The Arizona Ridge Riders went 1-2 at their inaugural homestand event in Glendale and finished the 2022 regular season 14-13-1.

The PBR Team Series will next travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the inaugural PBR Team Series Championship at T-Mobile Arena, where the first league champion will be crowned. The event will be on Friday, Nov. 4, at 7:45 p.m. PT, Saturday, Nov. 5, at 7:45 p.m. PT and Sunday, Nov. 6, at 12:45 p.m. PT.

PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer replays of all the PBR Team Series action from Glendale’s Ridge Rider Days. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.