EUGENE, Ore. – For the first time since 2016, the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) returned to Eugene, Oregon, where 34 of the top bull riders in the world were no match for Round 1 winner Chase Dougherty (Decatur, Texas) and his electric 89-point ride.

Hailing originally from Canby, Oregon, the 24-year-old now Texas resident stood on the back of the chutes early in the night with a giant smile across his face as he recognized and waved to family in the stands.  

Dougherty’s matchup for the opening night of the PBR Kubota Emerald Chute Out was Back Jack (Dakota Rodeo/ Chad Berger).

As the 2022 Arizona Ridge Rider exploded from the chutes, he matched the athletic bovine every second in skill until the buzzer sounded. Recording the highest score of the night, Dougherty clinched his first round win of the 2023 UTB (Unleash The Beast) season.  

For his winning efforts in Round 1, Dougherty collected 28 points to jump from No. 57 in the UTB standings to No. 49 as he heads into Championship Saturday atop the event leaderboard.

For video highlights of Round 1, including Dougherty’s opening round winning ride, courtesy PBR, click here.

In all, there were 13 qualified rides on night one in Eugene.

Not far behind Dougherty was world No. 2 Andrew Alvidrez (Seminole, Texas) with a second-place finish in Round 1.

Clinging tight to the No. 2 spot in the world standings, the Missouri Thunder man, who is locked in a heated 2023 world title battle with two-time PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil), was paired with Cold Chill (D&H Cattle Co./Futrell).

Launching from the chutes as one of the last riders of the night, the 26-year-old cowboy recorded a solid 88.75-point score, remaining in remarkable control the entire ride.

Alvidrez collected 18 points for the second-place finish and was congratulated by his fellow riders as he strode from the dirt. He now sits 165.50 points behind Leme who maintained the No. 1 position.

Leme was close on Alvidrez’s heels, sharing third place in the round with veteran rider Chase Outlaw (Hamburg, Arkansas) with matching 88.25-point rides.

Up first in the dynamic duo, was Outlaw, who faced some trouble early on being given a re-ride by judges from his original matchup.

Settling in on his second bull of the night, judges again declared a re-ride was optional - which Outlaw accepted. Third time was a charm as he was paired with Bubba G (Dakota Rodeo/ Brian & Ashley Pintar/ Clay Struve/Chad Berger.). While bucking in his typically flawless form, the muscular animal athlete was no match for the Arkansas cowboy.

Leme was up at the end of the night, rocketing from the chutes aboard Chiseled (Flinn/ D&H Cattle Co). Flawlessly conquering his opponent, the Austin Gamblers man jumped with ease to the arena floor and shook his helmet high in the air as the crowd inside of Matthew Knight Arena erupted.  

Both Leme and Outlaw collected 16.5 points, helping Outlaw make the move from No. 39 to No. 34.

A trio of cowboys rounded out the Top 5 as night one rolled to a close. Keyshawn Whitehorse (McCracken Spring, Utah) and fellow Ridge Riders teammate Mauricio Gulla Moreira (Gaviao Peixoto, Brazil) shared matching 87.5-point scores with Rafael Henrique dos Santos (Quitman, Georgia).

Whitehorse, who took the lead in the event early on, before landing in fifth place, was matched with Mr. Winston (Dakota Rodeo/ Mark Baker/ Clay Struve/ Chad Berger), while Moreira bested Lights Out (Hawkins Bucking Bulls/ Premier Ag).

Santos’ fifth place spot was courtesy of his ride aboard I’m Your Daddy (Cooper/ Scruggs Bucking Bulls).

All three cowboys collected 14 points.

Whitehorse made the move from No. 13 in the UTB standings to No.11, while Moreira, who battled hip injuries through most of 2022, also moved up two spots from No. 43 to No. 41.

Santos, who began the weekend in Oregon at No. 32, moved to No. 29.

The full field of 35 athletes will have the opportunity to gain ground in Round 2, followed by the championship round, as the PBR Kubota Emerald Chute Out continues on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 6:45 p.m. PST. The championship round will also be televised on CBS on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 12 p.m. EST.

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media