NEW ORLEANS – There’s a whole generation of PBR fans that don’t remember the league without Silvano Alves.

In the 30 years of the PBR’s existence, Alves has been around for 14 of them.

He made his debut in the United States in 2010 and since then has had a career unmatched in accomplishments.

Alves is the second rider ever to win three individual World Championships, the first to win back-to-back World Championships and the first to win four World Championships (three individual, one Team Series).

It’s a long way from the agricultural town of Pilar do Sul, Brazil.

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“In the 30 years, I’m halfway to PBR now,” Alves said, laughing, at the PBR Union Home Mortgage Invitational in New Orleans. “It’s never in my imagination in my life to be in the top guys in the world. When I start riding bulls, I want to stay close to my hometown, and I’m the best bull rider in my region, my state, or Brazil. Never go in the world. Now, everybody knows my name in the world, and I’m one of the Top 30 bull riders. I’m one of two guys to win three world titles in my PBR career. It’s not easy. All this time, there’s still only two. And for me, I always thank God for my life and my career.”

Alves took no time at all to first make an impact on the premier series. He made his first appearance in Nampa, Idaho, in 2010 and went a stunning 4-for-4 to take the event victory. He won two more events that year, in August and October, and finished second at the 2010 PBR World Finals to be crowned Rookie of the Year.

Both he and the PBR have come a long, long way since then.

“Every year is different, it changes different, because PBR all the time is changing all the things to help all the bull riders, for just try to help bull riding to grow,” Alves said. “Because people see a bull rider different before. Now, people see bull riding like a sport, a profession.”

A lot of that is thanks to Alves himself. Thanks to his 15 event wins and 473 career rides on the premier series – and a handful of $1 million World Champion bonus checks – Alves is No. 2 on the all-time money earners list with $6,573,183 in career earnings.

“It’s hard because I think all the bull riders is humble in Brazil, is poor,” Alves said. “Try to come here to change his life, change his future. And nobody goes to school or university or something like that. Just come here for one job: ride bulls—no matter about the language or whatever other stuff. Just come here to ride bulls. But it’s hard because when you step here, you need the language for help. People help, but just always try hard to ride each bull, no matter the other stuff.”

Alves followed up his Rookie of the Year campaign with two consecutive world titles in 2011 and 2012, riding a massive 69% of his bulls in 2011 en route to the title he says is most near and dear to his heart.

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“Each one is different, but my first one (is special) because everybody wants to come here for this dream,” he said. “But I think my last one, the third one, is different because one is not easy, two, but three especially.”

Incredibly, Alves could’ve easily won four consecutive World Championships. He was leading the world title race in 2013 before J.B. Mauney completed what is widely seen as the most incredible comeback in PBR history to overtake Alves for the gold buckle at the World Finals. Alves then won his third in 2014.

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He also holds his PBR Team Series Championship buckle in equally high esteem as his individual accomplishments. Alves went 2-for-4 in Las Vegas in November to help the Nashville Stampede take the inaugural title.

“The one last year, for the Team deal, for the new Team Series PBR make for all the fans (is special) because all the time, you were an individual on UTB,” he said. “Now, it changes for different competition, for the team. But I think for me, one favorite is last year when my team win. I help my team win.”

At 35 years old, Alves is no longer the young phenom he used to be. He’s currently ranked No. 18 in the Unleash The Beast standings with two Top-5 finishes thus far this season – his last event win came in 2020. But he’s never missed a PBR World Finals, with 13 qualifications in all, and looks set to nab his 14^th at the 2023 PBR World Finals on May 12-21 in Fort Worth, Texas.

He’s still always a threat to win an event, but these days is known just as much for a different reason: mentorship. Alves’s ranch in Decatur, Texas, is a hub of community for the Brazilian bull riders and their families, and he’s leaving an incredible legacy in the riders he helps.

“I just always try helping all the young kids, all the young Brazilians, because when I came here, when I start, nobody helped me,” Alves said. “I try just to make it more comfortable for the other people to stay here first, to make it more easy.”

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media