PUEBLO, Colo. – While it was arguably Andrew Alvidrez who stole the show, winning his career-first UTB event during last weekend’s PBR Manchester Invitational, it was Cooper Davis who exited the entertaining showcase as the No. 1-ranked bull rider on the premier series tour.

After starting the season riding five of his first six bulls, Davis only managed a 1-for-3 effort in Minneapolis as Daniel Keeping enjoyed a successful 3-for-3, event-winning weekend to replace Davis atop the standings.

Getting back to work in Manchester, New Hampshire, Davis opened the contest with an 86.25-point ride atop Moon Taxi in Round 1 before pairing it with an 88-point effort aboard Don’t Come Easy in the second go to earn a berth in the championship round.

Despite getting bucked off Mike’s Motive in 3.56 seconds, Davis earned 49.5 Unleash The Beast points for a sixth-place finish, retaking his top spot heading into the holiday break.

RELATED: Davis retakes world No. 1 ranking as hot start to 2023 continues

On a weekend that saw four riders make their UTB debut and an additional two log their first premier series outings of the year, the ever-shifting numerals surrounding the world’s best bull riders continue to evolve as the race to be crowned the 2023 World Champion heats up heading into the new year.

$60,475: Davis’s total earnings through the tour’s first four events, the veteran reclaimed his No. 1 rank over No. 2 Keeping after going 2-for-3 in Manchester, adding to his UTB-best eight qualified rides (8-for-12, 66.7%).

21.5: Keeping enters the week of holiday rest in second place of the UTB standings with a 7-for-11 record (63.6%), just 21.5 points behind No. 1 Davis after the rising superstar failed to record a qualified ride in Manchester. Prior to the slow weekend, Keeping enjoyed a 7-for-9 start to the season.

16: Fans inside of SNHU Arena on Saturday night saw a combined 16 qualified rides during Round 1 of the PBR Manchester Invitational, the second-most in any opening round of an event this season. The most first-round rides, and most rides recorded in any given round throughout the beginning of the 2023 Unleash The Beast campaign, came in Round 1 of the PBR Monster Energy Invitational on Nov. 26 when the field logged 19 during the first round of the season in Tucson, Arizona.

91.75: Alvidrez brought the heat in Manchester, capping off his flawless 3-for-3 weekend with an event-best, title-clinching ride aboard Yellowknife for 91.75 points, setting a new career-high. While it’s a fellow veteran who currently leads the tour with the best ride percentage among riders with at least six outs, its Alvidrez who’s set the bar for cowboys with eight or more, holding a 75% ride percentage (6-for-8).

86.25: As the third cowboy out in Round 1 of last weekend’s competition, UTB newcomer Tate Pollmeier recorded an 86.25-point ride aboard Get Western. Officially on the board in his first career outing on the premier series, Pollmeier took advantage of his opportunity Saturday by besting his bovine opponent for a sixth-place finish in the round. He was unable to ride Sunday, missing the championship round cuts by one spot and garnering a 13th-place finish.

83.3%: Defending the best riding percentage on tour (minimum six outs) after his successful 5-for-6 (83.3%) start to the 2023 campaign, 30-year-old Rafael Jose de Brito continues to prove the young guns aren’t the only riders recharged for the new season. Brito secured a third-place finish last weekend in Manchester by pairing an 87-point effort aboard Safety Meeting in Round 1 with this stunning 90-point ride atop Bull Named Sue in the championship round to earn his No. 4 Unleash The Beast ranking.

8-for-12: The boys saved the best show for last. The field was able to ride 8-of-12 championship round bovines (66.7%) to cap off an electric weekend in Manchester, including a trio of 90-point rides via Alvidrez (91.75 point on Yellowknife), Dalton Kasel (90.5 points atop UTZ BesTex Legend) and Brito (90 points against Bull Named Sue).

10: Unleash The Beast riders have the opportunity to enjoy a rare 10 days of consecutive rest, if they so choose, as the PBR will briefly pause its action in allowing riders, staff and fans to celebrate the holiday weekend. The elite tour is set to fire back up Dec. 29-30 when the world’s best riders cap off a fiery 2022 year of bull riding at the PBR Albany Invitational.

Round 1 of the PBR Albany Invitational is set to begin on Dec. 29 at 7:45 p.m. ET, airing on RidePass on Pluto TV, and concludes with Round 2 and the championship round on Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. ET, airing on CBS Sports Network.

Be sure to stay tuned to PBR.com and PBR social media channels through the holiday break and into the new year as the world’s best bull riders continue to set the bar higher and higher.

Photo courtesy of Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media