Kansas City Outlaws: 253

Carolina Cowboys: 175.25

FORT WORTH, Texas – The Kansas City Outlaws earned a crucial late-season victory Friday evening during the opening night of PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series competition in Fort Worth, Texas, upsetting the league No. 1 Carolina Cowboys by one ride score, 253-175.25.

On the spurs of a scoreless first for both teams, Marcus Mast (Middlebury, Indiana) readied to ride in the top of the second for the Outlaws. Matched with Smooth Over It (Lazy S4 Cattle/Shuler/Samford, by Head Coach J.W. Hart, the veteran rider matched the powerful animal athlete jump-for-jump en route to a crucial 87.75-point score.

Carolina was unable to respond, with 2020 PBR Rookie of the Year Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas) bested in a swift 1.68 seconds by Tiger (Blake Sharp/Henry Wilson), giving the Outlaws an 87.75-point lead as the third frame got underway.

Young gun Koltin Hevalow (Smithville, Missouri) continued Kansas City’s momentum, earning the team’s second consecutive score when he clung to the side of Whiplash (Blake Sharp/Floyd Lowey/CB & Traci Lee) en route to the 8 for 78.75 points. In their third out of the head-to-head showdown, Carolina put their first points on the board.

Righting the team’s momentum, 2016 PBR World Champion Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas) dominated Schott In The Dark (Broken Arrow S Ranch/Sutton Ranch) for 85.5 points to cut Kansas City’s lead to 81 points. As the fourth got underway, Kansas City was hopeful to go two bulls ahead as Rafael Henrique dos Santos (Sebastianopolis, Brazil) faced a rubber match as he climbed aboard Bread Basket (TNT Bucking Bulls). Despite Santos having previously been marked 90 points atop the bull, he was put on the clock in Fort Worth, ultimately disqualified after not leaving the chutes before time elapsed.

Carolina was then in the position to earn their first lead of the game with Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas) slated to take on Top Dollar (Hookin’ W/DeHoff/VanCleave). Taylor, however, came down in a heartbreaking 7.17 seconds, unable to convert in the crucial position for his team. In the top of the fifth, the Kansas City Outlaws had the opportunity to clinch the game win.

In the closer role for the team was reigning Rookie of the Year Bob Mitchell (Steelville, Missouri) aboard War Dress (Jane Clark/Gene Owen). Mitchell rose to the occasion, dominating the bovine athlete for a critical 86.5 points. While the Cowboys challenged the call, contending that Mitchell had slapped War Dress, no foul was found and the score stood, putting the Outlaws two bulls and 167.5 points ahead.

With Carolina having just one out left, Kansas City earned their 10^th game win of the season. The Cowboys wouldn’t go quietly into the night. Last competing inside Dickies Arena when he was crowned the 2022 PBR World Champion, Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York) continued his successful streak in the state-of-the-art venue, besting Cliff Hanger (Pioneer Bulls) for a game-best 89.75 points to avenge a buckoff from the 2022 individual season and conclude the opening game for the Cowboys on a high note.

Via the win, the Kansas City Outlaws improved to 10-13 this season and will seek their second game victory at PBR Rattler Days on Saturday, Oct. 8 when they face the Nashville Stampede (0-1 | 5-17-1).

The Carolina Cowboys remained No. 1 in the league but slipped to 14-9 on the season. They will look to rebound during the second round of games when they play the host Texas Rattlers, presented by Ariat, (1-0 | 11-12).

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media