Generally speaking, the quirky quantum realm of mathematics revolves around fixated patterns which predict the results of any given equation. But, when it comes to professional bull riding, all stats are out the window except one: 8 seconds.
Easier said than done, it’ll always come down to meeting the mark, but as the race for the 2023 gold buckle continues to heat up, only 10 events remain in the 2023 Unleash The Beast season. So, if you’re going to put your hat in the ring, now is the time to shine.
With the 2023 World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, now less than 75 days away, PBR.com is taking a look at some of the most recent numerical takeaways, top ride scores and beyond and the premier series prepares to buck into Little Rock, Arkansas, March 3-4 during the PBR U.S. Border Patrol Invitational.
Battle 4 No. 1: After collecting an uncharacteristic 12th-place finish in Eugene, Oregon, two-time World Champion and current No. 1 rider Jose Vitor Leme exited the weekend without a qualified ride for the first time all season and now outside the past two event’s Top 10 performers as the veteran has gone 1-for-5 in his last two appearances. Meanwhile, No. 2 Andrew Alvidrez was able to turn in a 12th-place finish in L.A., courtesy of an 88.25-point ride atop Chiseled, the exact same bull score and bovine that Leme championed during his last successful ride. The effort earned the Seminole, Texas, native 13 UTB points and with Leme failing to secure any points, Alvidrez narrowed his opponent’s lead on the 2023 World Title race to a mere 102.5 points.
90 times 2: Coming out of the SoCal Showdown, runner-up Boudreaux Campbell’s 91.25-point score atop Shameless represents the highest Round 1 score of the 2023 Unleash The Beast season, the No. 8-ranked rider’s fifth-best score of his career and the second-highest total he’s earned while not matched against Woopaa (who’s he paired with for his best three rides, all during the 2021 UTB campaign; 95.5 points, 95.25 points and 93.75 points). After seeing Dalton Kasel produce a 90-point effort against WSM’s Time In A Bottle, the epic outing combined with Campbell’s successful start became only the second pair of opening round 90s this season. The first duo of 90-point marks came from Joao Ricardo Vieira, paired against Reba McEntire’s The Hammer, and Bob Mitchell, who bested Tijuana Two-Step, in New York City for identical 90-point rides. shameless
7-for-11: Throughout his past three events, Campbell is now 7-for-11 at all levels of competition, which includes a 77-point aboard PCR 91 at a Touring Pro Division event Feb. 9, adding to his pair of qualified rides logged at each of his last three UTB appearances in Los Angeles, California, Eugene, Oregon and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Going 6-for-10 on the premier series specifically, he now has a pair of consecutive Top 10 finishes to his name after finishing last weekend in second place and finishing sixth in PBR Kubota Emerald Chute Out, where he’s earned a combined 141.5 UTB points and $33,366 in winnings.
Mr. 90 Points: After gaining the attention of the West Coast audience this past weekend with his opening round 90-point go, Kasel nearly doubled down the electric start, coming up just .25 points short of meeting the elite mark for a second time in two attempts. Earning an 89.75-point outing atop Kid Knapper in Round 2, and after seeing eventual runner-up Campbell log the only ride of the short round, Kasel held on for his first event win of the season for Kasel. En route to earning his recent reputation for meeting the prized point mark, he’s also exited two 15/15 Bucking Battles in first place, garnering 116 UTB points as the young rider has advanced to No. 4 in the Unleash The Beast rankings. Four of his 14 qualified rides this year have met the 90-point mark, as the Muleshoe, Texas, native continues to get up for his matchups against elite bovine talent.
26: On a weekend in which the animal athletes reigned supreme, surrendering a combined 26 qualified rides through three rounds of action inside Crypto.com Arena, it was Chateau Montelena’s Montana Jacket who exited with the top honors, courtesy of his event-best 45.25-point bull score earned by dispatching Dener Barbosa in 3.39 seconds during a championship round matchup. Twenty-six qualified rides is the fewest recorded in an event this season since the premier series bucked into Tulsa, Oklahoma, Feb. 10-11. The tour saw its lowest total of combined qualified rides in Duluth, Georgia, Jan. 20-21, (23), while it was Albany, New York’s PBR Albany Invitational which produced the most successful outs so far this season (40).
Top 10: Hearing the dinner bell ring quite frequently as of late, Barbosa produced a UTB season-best third-place finish in Los Angeles, courtesy of his 2-for-3 showcase. First besting Gangster Time for 86.25 points in Round 1, he went on to punch his ticket to the short round via an 85.25-point conversion against The Right Stuff, but couldn’t best his championship round opponent. Regardless, the 28-year-old collected 64 UTB points and a check for $10,200 after turning in the bronze finish. The Top 3 mark represents his best finish on the premier series since he managed a runner-up placement Jan. 1, 2022, at the PBR Monster Energy Invitational in Indianapolis, Indiana. Now ranked No. 19, he’ll look to build on his 42.3% season-long ride percentage.
Three Weeks Off: With plenty of time for potential rust to have built up, No. 7 overall Daniel Keeping returned to action in Los Angeles after taking three weeks to rest, recovering after getting banged up Jan. 28 in Indianapolis. He didn’t look sluggish at all in his Round 1 attempt though, besting Ghost of Oscar for 85 points. While he was ultimately dispatched in his second go, in 4.86 seconds by Magic Moves, Keeping still managed to finish 13th in the event and take home 12 UTB points. Now trailing current 2023 Rookie of the Year race leader Rafael Jose de Brito by just 8.5 points, who suffered an injury Saturday in Los Angeles during a matchup against Ho-Pac, Keeping will look to retake the first-year race honors while looking to stay healthy himself.
This weekend’s action inside Little Rock, Arkansas’ Simmons Bank Arena March 3-4 is slated to begin with Round 1 Friday, March 3 at 7:45 CST and can be viewed on RidePass on Pluto TV. Round 2 and the short go championship round are set to conclude on Saturday, March 4 at 6:45 p.m. CST and can be viewed on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, March 5 at 7 p.m. CST. Fans can stay tuned to PBR.com and PBR social media channels throughout the weekend for the latest wrecks, top scores and more as the 2023 Unleash The Beast season rages on!
Photo courtesy of Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media