PUEBLO, Colo. – New year, new numbers, same eight seconds! As the PBR wrapped up its 2022 slate of non-stop action in Albany, New York, inside MVP Arena, the premier series is bringing the best bull riding talent in the world right back to New York, this time, to the big city. With the PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden quickly approaching, set to invade Madison Square Garden Jan. 6-8, we’re ready to get this get this party started!

On a weekend that saw the season debut of 2022 YETI World Champion Bull Ridin Solo, zero 90-point rides, yet the most qualified rides in an event this season overall, the ever-shifting numerals surrounding the world’s best bull riders continue to evolve as the race to be crowned the 2023 World Champion continues to heat up as 2022 came to a close.

Back-2-Back: Courtesy of six-consecutive qualified rides, his longest ride-streak at any level, Andrew Alvidrez recorded a career-best outing (91.75 points atop Yellowknife) and first-ever UTB event title Dec. 18 before parlaying his success last weekend Albany with another 3-for-3 showcase and second-straight event victory in Albany. Earning 132.5 UTB points for his win, Alvidrez nearly doubled his points lead over No. 2 Cooper Davis in the race to be crowned the 2023 World Champion.

81.8%: Leading the way in both UTB points and overall ride percentage, Alvidrez has begun the 2023 UTB season with an impressive 9-for-11 (81.8%) record, most recently riding Skull Crusher for 87.5 points in Albany’s first round, Red Mosquito for 87.75 in Round 2 and Pickle Moonshine for 89.25 points to seal the deal in Friday night’s championship round. Continuing to add to the tour’s longest active ride streak, it’s going to take an elite bovine opponent to buck off the scorching-hot 25-year-old.

Top 3: With consecutive wins and a consistent approach all season, Alvidrez heads into New York City ranked No. 1, but veteran Cooper Davis is lurking just 68.5 points behind in second place. Coming off a slow weekend in Albany, where he went 1-for-2 and exited in 18th place, Davis had previously recorded Top 10 finishes (6th, 1st, 10th, 6th) in all four of his appearances. Currently ranked No. 3 despite not placing in his past two events, Daniel Keeping has been able to remain among the top-ranked riders after starting his season with 9th and fifth-place finishes before he captured his first UTB event title Dec. 10 at the PBR Minneapolis Invitational.

9: Starting the UTB season with a fifth-place (2-for-3) showing at the PBR Monster Energy Invitational Nov. 26-27 in Tucson, Arizona, Boudreaux Campbell was enjoying a productive start to his 2023 campaign. But bull riding is more of a roller coaster than walk in the park, and after going a combined 0-for-4 in his next two events before missing the PBR Manchester Invitational due to injury, Friday’s second-place finish marked the first UTB points the Crockett, Texas, native has earned since the season-opening event. Collecting 85.5 UTB points for his 3-for-3 effort, punctuated by an 89-point ride aboard The Maverick in the championship round, the 23-year-old has catapulted to the No. 9 ranking heading into this weekend’s PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden (Jan. 6-8).

$17,965: After beginning the campaign with a fifth-place effort during the season-opening PBR Monster Energy Invitational and earning an accompanying $7,201 payout, Campbell received his second check of the young season by securing a second-place finish in Albany last weekend. His electric showcase featured the first qualified rides in his last three events, breaking a seven-out buck off streak by besting Blue Duck for 86.5 points in Round 1 Thursday night. Boudreaux went on to champion Show Me Homie in Round 2 for 85.25 points before turning in his best out of the night, an 89-point ride atop The Maverick, to secure his $17,965 winnings.

90: After seeing a combined 13 90-point rides through the tour’s first four events, this past weekend’s action in Albany shockingly didn’t produce a single one. Oddly enough, the two-day showcase did produce the most qualified rides for an event this season (40), but none came at or above the coveted mark. A weekend in which the pack seemed to dominate its bovine counterparts, albeit not for many flashy scores, it was Top Dollar’s 46-point bull score which represented the highest of the event and only effort to surpass 45 points on the weekend, courtesy of the bull dumping Rafael Jose de Brito in a stunning 2.78 seconds during Friday’s short round.

30: Speaking of Brito, the 30-year-old continues to prove that age is just a number, as the veteran continues to excel during his first season on the UTB. Having participated in three of five events so far to begin the season, Brito has finished Top 5 in all three, most recently finishing in third place Friday night in Albany. His best finish of the year came Dec. 9-10 when he went 3-for-3 in Minneapolis before going 2-for-3 at the PBR Manchester Invitational to earn a fourth-place finish. Currently defending the second-best riding percentage at 77.8% (7-for-9), Brito only trails No. 1 Alvidrez (81.8%) heading into the first contest of the new year. The veteran also logged Thursday night’s top score, winning Round 1 via an elite 88.25-point effort matched against J&M’s Yukon.

Round 1 of the PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden, presented by Ariat, is set to begin Jan. 6 at 7:45 p.m. ET (RidePass on Pluto TV) and continue Jan. 7 at 6:45 p.m. ET (RidePass on Pluto TV) before wrapping up on CBS Sports Network Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. ET.

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media