PUEBLO, Colo. – The New Year is quickly approaching, but that’s no reason to fix something that isn’t broken. Especially when you’re on as hot a streak as Andrew Alvidrez has been enjoying.

Scrolling down the recent rides page for one of the Unleash The Beast’s hottest riders on tour, it confirms the 25-year-old has been on his grind.

Not just showing up to work, either, but excelling on the dirt, making friends in the locker room and regularly wowing fans in the stands throughout the tour’s first five stops.

Most recently, Thursday evening during the opening round of the PBR Albany Invitational, Alvidrez continued his successful start to the 2023 UTB campaign by recording an 87.5-point ride atop Skull Crusher.

The effort didn’t come in effortless fashion, though, as the Seminole, Texas, native first had to deal with a less-than-perfect effort from his initial bucking partner in Red Scorpion. While the No. 3-ranked rider in the UTB standings was able to conquer his bovine athlete for a 71-point score, he wouldn’t settle for anything less than an exhilarating ride to open the weekend.

Less than an hour after recording the score aboard the awkward out, Alvidrez doubled down for another shot at the spotlight, this time besting his Shuler Bucking Bulls’ talent during a re-ride opportunity.

Alvidrez collected 18 Unleash The Beast points Thursday for his runner-up finish, trailing only Rafael Jose de Brito and his 88.25-point ride atop J&M’s Yukon. After seeing rookies capture event titles in two of the UTB’s first four events, Brito has positioned himself to be in favorable position after Thursday’s showcase.

Getting a taste of his first-ever UTB event title two weeks ago in Manchester, courtesy of a flawless 3-for-3 weekend, Alvidrez has excelled in the limelight.

Since starting the season in Tucson, Arizona, with a similar 3-for-3 performance which lead to a fourth-place finish, Alvidrez understands he’s at the cusp of bull riding greatness and wants to see the top.

While there are a few paths to accruing UTB points and making a run for the world title, regularly finishing in any given contest’s Top 5 will improve your odds week in and out, and Alvidrez has done a good job in accomplishing that after securing first- and fourth-place finishes in two of his first three attempts. Sitting in second place heading into Friday’s action, he’s set to face Red Mosquito in Round 2.

After starting his campaign with an impressive 7-for-9 (77.8%) effort, Alvidrez will look to build on his hot start during Friday’s second round in hopes of qualifying for his second-straight championship round and third of the campaign.

Round 2 of the PBR Albany Invitational airs Friday, Dec. 30 on CBS Sports Network, with coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media