FORT WORTH, Texas – Following Round 5 of the 2023 PBR World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, Andrew Alvidrez stood in the back hallways of Dickies Arena and took off his belt.

He replaced the one he was wearing with the Round 5 winner’s buckle he had just received moments earlier.

“Wasting no time,” he said with a grin, refastening his belt with the shiny new hardware.

The round win was the first in Alvidrez’s World Finals career, and it was as much a personal accomplishment as it was a professional one.

Yes, it bumped him up to 10th in the event aggregate. Yes, it earned him 89 points towards the Unleash The Beast standings (and a cool $35,000), where he’s now ranked No. 4, just 276 points behind world No. 1 Kaique Pacheco.

But it was also the fulfillment of a dream he’s had since he was a kid.

“The feeling, you can’t articulate it,” Alvidrez said. “It’s something I always dreamt of as a kid. I can go back and tell that 8-year-old, ‘You were right the whole time. No matter how many times people try to discourage you, you stay true to yourself, and you listen to that big voice inside your head.’”

The World Finals got off to a very frustrating start for Alvidrez, as he had gone 0-for-4 in the first four rounds before converting aboard Red Mosquito in Round 5. His 91.5 points is the highest score of the World Finals thus far.

Alvidrez and Red Mosquito had faced off once before – in Albany, New York, in December, where he earned the event win and overtook the No. 1 ranking.