FORT WORTH, Texas – Throughout the 2023 premier series gauntlet, bull riding fans have seen one of the most competitive Rookie of the Year races in recent memory.
Seeing Daniel Keeping start the year hot with three-consecutive Top 10 finishes, including a ninth-place finish in Tucson, Arizona, and a fifth-place result in St. Louis before capturing his first-ever UTB event title Dec. 9 in Minneapolis, the first-year bar was officially set.
As the season progressed, it was Rafael Jose de Brito who went on a hot streak of his own. Beginning the year with three Top 5 placements of his own (second, fourth and fifth place results), he went on to win the PBR Kubota Emerald Chute Out in Eugene, Oregon, in mid-February to officially surpass Keeping and take the lead.
Never looking back along the way, he rounded out the regular season with another three Top 5 finishes (second, fourth and fifth again) before opting into an optional appearance at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Finals in Corpus Christi, Texas, May 5-6.
Exiting the competition in fourth place, despite going just 1-for-3, he survived the additional tune-up opportunity without acquiring any injuries and eventually brought a 120.67-point lead over Keeping into the weekend.
Capturing the win during Sunday’s Round 3 action inside Dickies Arena and earning a corresponding 89 UTB points, he’s extended his lead atop the 2023 Rookie of the Year leaderboard to 209.67 points.
While the regular season was all about the pair of standout Texas Rattlers athletes, it’s been a different pair of first-year contenders who have been sending smoke signals in Fort Worth.
Both involved in transactions relating to this week 2023 PBR Team Series Draft, Wingson Henrique da Silva, who was traded to the Kansas City Outlaws on Monday afternoon, and Joao Lucas Campos, who was selected No. 3 overall by the Missouri Thunder Wednesday night, found themselves tied with matching event-high marks when competition came to a close on Thursday night.
“We’re so proud of Joao continuing to stack up buckles during his short time spent on U.S. soil,” Thunder Head Coach Luke Snyder said after seeing the team’s newest addition meet the 8.
“His grit and determination is amazing and Ross (Coleman) and I cannot wait until the PBR Teams season starts!”
Racking up buckles indeed, Campos gained the attention of the industry two weekends ago during his first stateside appearance by going 2-for-3 at the PWVT finale and punching his ticket to this year’s World Finals.
Occupying the fourth spot on the event leaderboard through the first four rounds of action, he found success Thursday night via a showdown with Moonlight Party. Besting the bovine for 89.5 points, he celebrated before the crowd with a massive backflip as the first rider to convert.
Helping to fuel his favorable start, he opened Weekend One by logging a qualified ride in his first-ever World Finals attempt, able to outlast Shameless to earn an 85-point score in the opening go.
Having racked up 174.5 aggregate score with his 2-for-4 start, he trails overall event leader Ramon de Lima by 1.25 points after tying Silva Thursday with matching scores.
Enjoying one hell of a rookie season himself, the 23-year-old Brazilian ended the fourth session of the two-weekend showcase ranked No. 13 in the world after collecting 68 points for his shared round win.
Meeting the coveted mark matched against Flyin Wired for an identical 89.5 points in Round 4, he parlayed his third-round ride aboard Bison (86 points) to solidify his second-place status as one of six riders to strike twice.
After seeing Silva start the event with consecutive buckoffs, in almost prophetic nature, PBR legend Jerome Davis offered some insight on Silva adapting to the biggest stage the industry has to offer.
“I think the bright lights and everything kind of overwhelms him sometimes. I don’t know if that’s what happened last night, or what, but I feel like today, he’ll bounce back and feel a little more at home,” Davis said on Sunday afternoon.”
“When he gets comfortable, that guy can really ride.”
The pair of talented Brazilians will look to remain in contention for the year’s most important event title with three rounds remaining.
Round 5 action inside Dickies Arena is scheduled to begin Friday, May 19 at 7:45 p.m. CST, with 42 of the world’s best bull riders duking it out for the $300,000 prize.
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media