OCEAN CITY, Md. – Competing at one of the season’s most picturesque venues, just steps from the Atlantic Ocean in Ocean City, Maryland, Alex Cerqueira (Iguatemi, Brazil) dominated the Challenger Series’ PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Ocean City Seacrets Classic, winning the event and cracking the Top 10 in the tour’s standings.
Despite a slow start to the event, bucked off by Dirty Deeds (Cornwell Bucking Bulls/Waggoner Bucking Bulls) in 3.49 seconds in Round 1 and Poor Decisions (J Bar W) in 1.65 seconds in Round 2, Cerqueira rebounded on Championship Sunday.
Cerqueira delivered what would be the high-marked ride of the event in Round 3, conquering Mr. Excavator (Cornwell Bucking Bulls/PCP Bucking Bulls) for 87 points to clinch the event win.
Compliments of the victory, Cerqueira netted 128 Challenger Series points. Vaulting to No. 7 in the series standings, Cerqueira is now within 48 points of No.1 Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York).
Cody McCandless (Derry, Pennsylvania) was second, garnering 81 Challenger Series points.
Going 1-for-4, McCandless’ efforts in Ocean City were headlined by an 86-point ride aboard Cooter Brown (Lucas Manning/Waller Brothers Cattle Co.). in Round 3.
The Pennsylvanian’s hopes of victory were dashed in the championship round when he was tossed by Pneu Dart’s Gold Standard (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) in 2.19 seconds.
Chasing his first Challenger Series Championship this October in Las Vegas, McCandless rose from unranked to No. 25 in the standings, now just 106 points back of No. 1 Swearingen.
Round 2 winners Elizmar Jeremias (Anapu, Brazil) and Brandon Chambers (Newport, North Carolina) tied for third overall at the PBR Ocean City Seacrets Classic.
Logging matching 85.5-point rides in the second round of competition, Jeremias rode Left Eye Lopes (Tex Brothers Ranch/5S Bucking Bulls) while Chambers conquered Buster (Cornwell Bucking Bulls).
Both contenders earned 59 Challenger Series points for the podium finish.
Rounding out the Top 5, and tying for fifth, were Zane Cook (Fort Gibson, Oklahoma) and Kade Madsen (Honeyville, Utah).
Cook was the undeniable star of Round 1, the only rider in the field to make the requisite 8. His qualified ride was earned atop Walkaway Joe (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls) for 84.5 points.
The Oklahoman left Ocean City having earned 48.5 Challenger Series points.
Madsen delivered what would be the third-best score of Round 3.
His matching 84.5-point ride atop Mike’s Effect (Blake Sharp/Michael Floyd/High Voltage Cattle/Wheeler) garnered him 37.5 Challenger Series points.
The animal athletes of the PBR dominated in Maryland, surrendering just 14 qualified rides in more than 100 attempts.
Classic Man (J Bar W), Cajun Brute (Tex Brothers Ranch/5S Bucking Bulls) and Rockville (Blake Sharp/Koe Wetzel/Giovanni/Morris) led the field, delivering 44-point bull scores to be crowned the Bulls of the Event.
Classic Man bucked in Round 1, tossing Michael Phillips (Waynesburg, Pennsylvania) in 1.76 seconds, Cajun Brute was out in Round 3, upending Paulo Rodriguez (Mato Grosso, Brazil) in 3.07 seconds, and Rockville led the championship round, bucking off Dustin Herman (Dudley Shoals, North Carolina) in 2.46 seconds.
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PBR Challenger Series
PBR Ocean City Seacrets Classic
Ocean City Beach Front – Ocean City, Maryland
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Round 4-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Alex Cerqueira, 0-0-87-0-87.00-128 Points.
2. Cody McCandless, 0-0-86-0-86.00-81 Points.
3. Elizmar Jeremias, 0-85.5-0-0-85.50-59 Points.
(tie). Brandon Chambers, 0-85.5-0-0-85.50-59 Points.
5. Zane Cook, 84.5-0-0-0-84.50-48.5 Points.
(tie). Kade Madsen, 0-0-84.5-0-84.50-37.5 Points.
7. Dylan Smith, 0-0-84-0-84.00-28 Points.
8. Dakota Warnken, 0-83-0-0-83.00-25 Points.
9. Dustin Herman, 0-0-82-0-82.00-20 Points.
10. Marcus Brubacker, 0-81.5-0-0-81.50-19 Points.
11. Eder Barbosa, 0-81-0-0-81.00-17 Points.
12. Afonso Quintino, 0-65.5-0-0-65.50-6 Points.
13. Briggs Madsen, 0-65-0-0-65.00-5 Points.
14. Brandon Ballard, 0-62-0-0-62.00-4 Points.
Jaxton Mortensen, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Michael Phillips, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Matt Allgood, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Wyatt Rogers, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Eduardo de Oliveira, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Joao Paulo Fernandes, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Brady Fielder, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Trace Brown, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Paulo Rodriguez, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Dustin Martinez, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Jared Avina, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Austin Beaty, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Beau Caplinger, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Nigel Coates, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Justin Ethridge, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Charlie Hayes, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Storm Howard, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Brandon McDowell, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Cody Nance, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Bennie Shetler, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Adrian Stackhouse, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Trevor Taghon, 0-0-0-0-0.00
