PUEBLO, Colo. – When the 2023 PBR World Finals ended on May 22, attention turned to the 2023 PBR Team Series, set to kick off on July 24-25 in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
And the PBR Team Series riders took that baton and ran with it.
Since the World Finals, there have been 12 PBR events across the Challenger Series, PBR Canada and PBR Brazil. Seven of those events have been won by Team Series riders (58.3%). For perspective: 353 total riders have competed, and just 49 have been affiliated with a team (13%).
This past weekend alone, Teams riders swept three Challenger Series events across two states.
On June 2, 2022 World Champion and Carolina Cowboy Daylon Swearingen went 2-for-2 to win the Kalispell Auto Group PBR in Kalispell, Montana.
This was Swearingen’s second event win in just three days, as he won PBR Canada’s London Classic in London, Ontario, also going 2-for-2.
Since failing to record a ride at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals in May, Swearingen has gone 4-for-6 as he rounds back into championship form after missing most of the 2023 Unleash The Beast season with a groin injury.
Swearingen got his hot streak started in London with 83 points on International Gangster in Round 1 before recording his first 90-point ride since Sept. 25, riding Langham Kid for 91.5 points in the championship round.
In Kalispell, Swearingen swept both round wins, riding Sunshine for 86.5 points in Round 1 and Melanie’s Dream for 88.5 points in the championship round.
Swearingen was the only rider to ride two bulls in Kalispell, outdistancing Chase Wimer (87.5 points on Nitty Gritty in the championship round) in second place, the Oklahoma Freedom’s Chase Outlaw (84 points on I’m A Pickle in Round 1) in third place, and Arizona Ridge Rider Chase Dougherty (83 points on Rain Dance in Round 1) in fourth place.
Speaking of Outlaw, he went on to win the following day, victorious at the Dusty Gliko Bull Riding Challenge in Great Falls, Montana.
Outlaw went 2-for-2 in Great Falls, riding Ghost Dancer for 82.5 points in Round 1 and Melanie’s Dream for 88 points in the championship round. He narrowly beat the Missouri Thunder’s Andrew Alvidrez in the aggregate, 170.5 points to 169.5 points. Alvidrez rode WSM’s Sun Country for 82 points in Round 1 and Dr. Campbell for 87.5 points in the championship round.
Meanwhile, on the east coast, Alex Cerqueira, also of the Oklahoma Freedom, was victorious at the PBR Ocean City Seacrets Classic in Ocean City, Maryland.
Cerqueira’s Round 3-winning ride of 87 points on Mr. Excavator was enough to secure him the victory, while fellow Freedom rider Elizmar Souza Jeremias tied for the Round 2 win with 85.5 points on Left Eye Lopes. New Missouri Thunder draft pick Kade Madsen also finished in the Top 5 overall, riding Mike’s Effect for 84.5 points in Round 3.
Dates | Event | Event Champion |
May 25 | Fort Worth, TX | Dawson Gleaves (TX) |
May 25-27 | Cambui, MG | Jefferson Morais |
May 26 | Winnipeg, AB | Aaron Roy |
May 26-28 | Campina Grande, PR | Caic Cassio |
May 27 | Evansville, IN | Vitor Losnake (AZ) |
May 27 | Brandon, MB | Aaron Roy |
May 31 | London, ON | Daylon Swearingen (CAR) |
June 1 | Fort Worth, TX | Alan de Souza |
June 1-4 | Divinopolis, MG | Sandro Batista (CAR) |
June 2-4 | Ocean City, MD | Alex Cerqueira (OK) |
June 2 | Kalispell, MT | Daylon Swearingen (CAR) |
June 3 | Great Falls, MT | Chase Outlaw (OK) |
NEXT UP
The Challenger Series has a busy weekend ahead, with another three events on the docket.
On June 8, the PBR Stockyards Showcase hits Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, followed by the Do Deadwood PBR in Deadwood, South Dakota, on June 9-10, and the Idaho PBR Classic in Twin Falls, Idaho, on June 10.
Internationally, PBR Brazil heads to Americana, Sao Paulo, on June 9-12, while PBR Australia hosts the Brisbane State of Origin II in Brisbane, Queensland, on June 10.
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
