FORT WORTH, Texas – During the 2023 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series Draft, the league’s reigning Champions, the Nashville Stampede, selected reigning Texas High School State Champion Kaiden Loud (Kaufman, Texas) with the first selection in the second round, eighth overall.

“We are very pleased with the results of the Draft,” said Nashville Stampede General Manager Tina Battock. “We had a plan going in and were able to get the riders we had at the top of our pick list.”

Loud is guaranteed a place on the Stampede’s protected roster for the first two events in the 2023 PBR Team Series season in Cheyenne, Wyoming, July 24-25 and Kansas City, Missouri, Aug. 3-5. 

In all, 147 new riders declared for the Draft this year. The 115 who did not get selected automatically become unrestricted free agents.  

The team also welcomed Brazilian standout Bruno Souza de Carvalho (Alvares Florence, Brazil) with the first overall pick in the accompanying Practice Squad Draft, during which the Stampede passed on their picks in Rounds 2-5.

“Our focus is on the future and building depth in our roster,” Battock added. “We believe both Kaiden and Bruno will help us achieve that.”

Four spots remain open on the Stampede’s practice squad.

The Nashville Stampede’s complete roster now includes:

    Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) – Protected Roster             Silvano Alves (Pilar do Sul, Brazil) – Protected Roster     Dener Barbosa (Paulo de Faria, Brazil) – Protected Roster     Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas) – Protected Roster     Ednelio Rodrigues de Almeida (Cacoal, Brazil) – Protected Roster     Thiago Salgado (Naviraí, Brazil) – Protected Roster     Kaiden Loud – Protected Roster     Bruno Souza de Carvalho – Practice Squad

The Nashville Stampede will host their second annual homestand, Stampede Days, on Aug. 18-20 in Nashville, Tennessee, at Bridgestone Arena. The action begins at 7:45 p.m. CT on Friday, August 18, 6:45 p.m. CT on Saturday, August 19, and 1:45 p.m. CT on Sunday, August 20.

Tickets for the event are on sale now, and start at $20, taxes and fees not included. They can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com and PBR.com, at the Bridgestone Arena Box Office, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727.

Three-day ticket packages are available, offering fans a 15% discount on select price levels.

For more information about Nashville Stampede, visit pbr.com/teams/stampede/, Nashville Stampede on Facebook, @NashvilleStampede on Instagram, or @Nash_Stampede on Twitter.

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media