Texas Rattlers: 178.25

Austin Gamblers: 88.5

FORTH WORTH, Texas – The Texas Rattlers, presented by Ariat, completed a perfect sweep of their inaugural PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series homestand in Fort Worth, Texas, defeating their Lone Star State rival Austin Gamblers by one ride score, 178.25-88.5.

In the first, after watching Ezekiel Mitchell (Rockdale, Texas) buck off Crazy Party (BS Cattle Co.), the Rattlers struck in the bottom of the frame, going up by 89 points when Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil) dominated Top Shelf (P. Ro Ranch/OK Corralis/Gordon/D&H Cattle).

The score was Vieira’s third in four attempts atop the bull, and it also improved him to a perfect 3-0 at PBR Rattler Days.

The scoreboard went unchanged through the second, third and fourth as both teams were blanked. As a result, Gamblers’ closer and two-time PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) was in a must-ride position in the top of the fifth.

Leme remained centered atop Theodore (Lari Crane/Gene Owen), reaching the requisite 8 as his team began to celebrate. The effort, however, was awarded just 88.5 points, not enough to keep his team in the hunt for the game win.

With the game win in hand, Rattlers’ closer Daniel Keeping (Gorman, Texas) burst from the chutes atop Smooth Over It (Lazy S4 Cattle/Shuler/Samford).

Putting the cherry on top of the sundae, Keeping earned his third score of the team’s homestand, reaching the whistle for a game-best 89.25 points.

Winning the Battle for Texas 178.25-88.5, for the second consecutive weekend, the Texas Rattlers concluded game play having gone a perfect 3-0.

The win also improved the team to 13-12 on the season.

The Austin Gamblers finished PBR Rattler Days 2-1 and are now 13-12 in 2022 PBR Team Series competition.

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media