PUEBLO, Colo. – The 2023 seasons are officially in the books, and we can confidently say this year was one for the history books. We witnessed a one-of-a-kind feat at the PBR World Finals, several riders reaching huge career milestones, the Texas Rattlers charming the PBR Camping World Team Series season, and so much more. 2023 was definitely a year we’ll never forget.

Here are 23 moments we’re thankful for in 2023, and we wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Tune in to CBS Sports Network to watch all the action from the PBR Camping World Teams Championship on Nov. 23 at 6, 8 and 10 a.m. ET and Nov. 24 at midnight, 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. ET.

Andrew Alvidrez wins back-to-back events

Andrew Alvidrez has been on the PBR scene since 2015 and made his premier series debut in 2020, but he’d never won a premier series event. That is, until the early stages of the 2023 season, when he won in Manchester, New Hampshire. He followed that up with a second consecutive victory in Albany, New York, to ascend to the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career.

“I’ve been visualizing and dreaming of hearing those words since I was a little kid,” Alvidrez said in January. “Replaying them in my head, getting on my bouncy ball, hearing, ‘No. 1 bull rider, Andrew Alvidrez.’ It’s all now accustomed to me because I visualized it, and I put it out there in the world so frequently that, now that it’s here, I don’t feel any different.

Jose Vitor Leme wins back-to-back events to start his season

After suffering an injury at the 2022 PBR Teams Championship, two-time World Champion Jose Vitor Leme missed the first handful of events of the 2023 season. But when he returned in New York City, he returned with a vengeance. He won in New York and the following weekend in Chicago to begin yet another stellar season with one hell of a bang.

“I think I have a lot of things to do in my career,” Leme said at the time. “I still have a lot of time, and I always want to win, so I’m not going to stop. I’m not going to sit at home and just relax. I’m going to work for another world title every time I get on the chutes and ride any bull. I’m going to do my best to win. So every time when I win something, when I have some dream and accomplish it, I try to find another dream.

“And now my next dream is to be a three-time World Champion, so I’m going to work for that.”

Dalton Kasel’s incredible 15/15 Bucking Battle run

Dalton Kasel had a stellar 2023 season, winning two events and leading the league with five 90-point rides. But perhaps the most impressive feat was his run of 15/15 Bucking Battles in January and February. In three Bucking Battles over just four weeks, Kasel won two and placed second at the other.

“It’s the best bulls (in 15/15s), and I’m aggressive whenever I’m on the best bulls, and that always helps,” Kasel said. “I don’t really clamp down on bulls, and I do whatever it takes to get the job done. It might not be the prettiest every time and look just easy, but it’s effective.”

Eli Vastbinder wins his first UTB event

Would you believe us if we told you the 2021 Rookie of the Year had yet to win a premier series event before this year? It seemed impossible, but it was true. The 32-year-old was winless on the Unleash The Beast until Tulsa, Oklahoma, in February, when he finally locked down his first event win.

RELATED: Perfect Eli Vastbinder wins career-first PBR Unleash The Beast event in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Kaique Pacheco’s incredible season

If it wasn’t for a broken ankle at the end of the season, Kaique Pacheco very well could’ve won his second world title in 2023. The 2018 World Champion was spectacular this year, winning two events and placing in the Top 3 in six others while going 30-for-62 (48%). He was so good that, even though he was forced to withdraw from the PBR World Finals due to his injury, he was still in contention for the world title until the last few days of competition.

“I think that’s the life we have, ups and downs,” Pacheco said. “You never can stop. You need to keep going, keep working hard.”

Domino records highest bull score since 2021

Talk about bull power! During a season dominated by the bovine superstars for stretches of time, no bull scored higher than Domino. In Nampa, Idaho, in April, he erupted for an eye-popping 47.75 points in 1.75 seconds of work against Brady Turgeon. Not only was it the highest bull score of 2023, it was the highest since the 2021 World Finals.

“When it comes to bulls that are just going for a world title, don’t look any further than Domino, for the simple fact that this bull will be World Champion at one point,” bullfighter Cody Webster said from the dirt on CBS Sports Network. “I’m marking my words right here in Nampa: Domino will be a World Champion in the very next few years.”

The Ride premieres on Amazon Prime

This year, the PBR went big-time with the Ride on Amazon Prime, featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the first PBR Teams season. There was a red carpet premier for the series during the World Finals in Fort Worth, and fans have been able to learn more about their favorite bull riders, including Chase Outlaw and Ezekiel Mitchell.

RELATED: PBR legends, influencers reflect on sport’s growth, future during The Ride series premiere

Ridin’ Solo goes back-to-back with world title No. 2

When Ridin’ Solo defeated Woopaa to win the 2022 YETI World Champion Bull title, it was a clear signal that this bull is special. He had a rocky road in 2023, garnering enough re-rides that his place at the World Finals was in question. But Solo pulled through and put all doubts to rest, emphatically winning his second consecutive World Championship and adding his name to the list of greats.

“There were several weekends I didn’t want to drive that far and go to that many events, but would’ve sure cut Solo short,” stock contractor Cord McCoy said. “He’s a special bull. Even some weekends, we would go to the event and come home and get new bulls and fresh legs for the other bulls, but Solo would turn around and get back on again and still outscore the other ones. He’s a special bull. He loves the game, and he’s got a crazy knack of knowing how to turn it off and relax and let people pet him and eat good and travel good. And then, when he gets in the chute, he knows what he’s got to perform and do.

“He is a dream. He’s less than a once-in-a-lifetime for us. I wouldn’t even believe that we would ever own two like him.”

Rafael Jose de Brito wins the triple crown

The human side of the 2023 World Finals had just as much going on as the bovine side did. When the dust settled, it was Rafael Jose de Brito standing atop every leaderboard available to him. Brito won the world title, Rookie of the Year honors, and the World Finals event title – the first rider in history to win all three simultaneously.

“I always knew I had the talent to become a World Champion, and every night, whenever I did bad, I just asked God to put me in the right direction,” Brito said at the time. “And whatever God says, I just let it go and enjoyed every moment.”

Celebrating Flint Rasmussen, J.B. Mauney and Woopaa

2023 saw the end of several historic careers, and while it was sad to say goodbye to a trio of legends, it was just as gratifying to pay our proper respects. 2021 YETI World Champion Bull Woopaa retired in March, with stock contractor Laramie Wilson wanting him to go out on top. At the World Finals, PBR exclusive entertainer Flint Rasmussen hung up his cleats after 26 years. And in September, two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney announced his retirement at 36 following a back injury.

We tip our caps to some of the greatest to ever do it!

Sage Kimzey is drafted by the Carolina Cowboys

2023 was the year it finally happened: Sage Kimzey, seven-time PRCA bull riding world champion, finally made the jump to the PBR. The legend declared for the 2023 PBR Teams Draft and was selected No. 1 overall by the Carolina Cowboys, and just like that, the Sage Kimzey era began.

“I really think this is the future of the sport of bull riding,” Kimzey admitted. “There’s a lot of growth potential for the league as a whole, and I really think it’s a great place, especially for the young kids coming up. There are obviously some kinks to work out, but it’s a great place where if we can get everything worked out as the stewards of the sport, I know the PBR has done a great job with advancing the sport, then it really is going to be the future of the sport, and I’m happy to be a part of that.”

Moraes, Marchi, and Palermo return to the PBR

The PBR Camping World Team Series boasts some of the greatest bull riders in history as team coaches; this year, three more joined the ranks. Three-time World Champion Adriano Moraes joined the Austin Gamblers, while fellow World Champion Guilherme Marchi joined the Kansas City Outlaws. Later in the season, three-time World Finals event winner Robson Palermo signed on with the Carolina Cowboys.

The Kansas City Outlaws win the first event in franchise history on home dirt

2022 was not kind to the Kansas City Outlaws, as they were the only team not to win an event all year. 2023 was a very different story. The Outlaws won three events en route to the No. 2 seed at the PBR Camping World Teams Championship, getting things rolling with a huge extra-outs win on home dirt at Outlaw Days.

“What a lot of people don’t realize is that this is a lot more than bull riding to us,” said Marcus Mast, who clinched the event win for his team. “It’s our life. It’s our livelihood. I’ll go to hell and back with these guys.”

Cassio Dias becomes a star

One of the joys of PBR Teams is seeing which newcomer makes a splash. In 2023, it was 2022 PBR Brazil Champion Cassio Dias. Previously underwhelming in the United States, he went a breathtaking 19-for-26 (73%) with five 90-point rides to earn two event MVP titles, falling just short of the regular-season MVP award.

“I was born for this,” Dias said. “My family is all about rodeo: my father, my uncles. I think even when I was in my mom’s belly, I was thinking about riding bulls. I was made for it.”

John Crimber makes his PBR debut

If the name looks familiar, that’s because it is: John Crimber is the son of Paulo Crimber, PBR legend and head coach of the Arizona Ridge Riders. One of the most hyped young prospects in years, Crimber got his PBR card when he turned 18 and immediately began lighting it up. In less than six months, he’s racked up 10 Challenger Series and PBR Canada event wins.

“I told myself when I started, I wanted to qualify for the UTB season, and that’s what happening. That’s all I had to do,” Crimber said at the Challenger Series Championship in October. “Now it’s time to go kick their ass up there.”

The Madsen brothers join forces on the Thunder

One of the most fun firsts this year was the first pair of brothers competing together for the same team. When the Oklahoma Freedom let Briggs Madsen go, he signed with the Missouri Thunder to join forces with his younger brother, Kade. While the Thunder had a rough season, the brothers thrived as teammates.

“This is kind of what we wanted from the start, from the draft this year,” said Briggs, the older brother by five years. “Didn’t happen at first, but grateful. I feel like the Lord had his plan and had his hand in helping us get on the same team, even if it was halfway through the season.”

Leme wins second consecutive MVP title…

Death, taxes, and Jose Vitor Leme doing incredible things – some things never change. During the 2023 PBR Teams season, the two-time World Champion was as superb as ever, going 20-for-29 for a 68% riding percentage in the regular season to win his second consecutive MVP title—just another day at the office.

“It’s always great when you win something, and it’s like you’re getting paid off your job,” Leme said in October. “That means you did a good job. So this means a lot to me. I think I’ve been doing a good job this season, helping the team with my rides, and I’m happy for this. Another MVP buckle – it’s amazing.”

…and the Austin Gamblers win their second consecutive regular-season title

The Gamblers lit up the first half of the PBR Teams schedule, putting every other team firmly in the rearview mirror. They came back down to earth in the second half, allowing the Outlaws to catch up and push the Gamblers to the very last game of the season. But Austin pulled it out in the end, securing their second consecutive regular-season title and No. 1 seed.

“After it’s all said and done, there’s going to be those failures,” head coach Michael Gaffney said, “but at the end of the day, I reminded them, ‘Don’t discount the four wins we had and put us in this great position here this weekend, to have a chance to win the season.’”

Joao Ricardo Vieira reaches ride No. 400…

At 39 years old, Joao Ricardo Vieira is arguably the best rider in PBR history not to have won a world title. The ageless wonder was one of the pillars of the Texas Rattlers this season, and in September, he joined an elite club of eight riders with 400 rides on the premier series.

“It’s so special for me,” Vieira told Flint Rasmussen on the dirt following his ride. “I never imagined this. Four hundred here in the top is too hard, and I’m so grateful for God giving me this opportunity to stay here, to show my best riding.”

… and Silvano Alves reaches ride No. 500

It was a fall full of milestones, as just a few weeks after Vieira joined the 400 club, three-time World Champion Silvano Alves became just the fourth rider in history to join the 500 club. Many thought his career was cooked, but he was the undisputed leader of the Nashville Stampede this year and finished third in the MVP race.

“When I started riding bulls, I think and say, my parents and my family, I just want to be the best bull rider near my house,” Alves said in October, voice thick with emotion. “Not that my name would be big in Brazil and big in the world.”

The Missouri Thunder’s incredible run in Las Vegas

It was a rough year for the Missouri Thunder, who finished the regular season in the basement of the standings and with by far the fewest qualified rides of any team. But then they got to Las Vegas for the PBR Camping World Teams Championship, and, well… everything changed. Thanks to two Last Chance Game wins, the Thunder advanced to the last day of competition, ultimately finishing fourth.

“These guys can do whatever they want to,” co-head coach Ross Coleman said. “We can get all juiced up, and I’ve been up and down at times with them. I’ll get pumped up and fired up, and then I’ll be pissed off sometimes too, but I’ll tell you what, they’re doing all of the hard work.”

The Texas Rattlers win at home again…

Last year, the Rattlers closed the 2022 season with a win on home dirt at Rattler Days. They did the same in 2023, going 3-0 to remain undefeated at their home event and sail into Las Vegas with momentum.

“I feel confident that we’re going to ride all five just damn near every time, and then we don’t, just damn near every time,” head coach Cody Lambert shared with a laugh. “We’re happy when we win, and we’re sad when we lose. We go back to the locker room, even when we’re happy, thinking we should’ve ridden more bulls. And we definitely go back knowing we can ride more bulls when we aren’t happy.”

…and then win the whole damn thing

The No. 3 seed heading into Las Vegas, the Rattlers were in the unenviable position of not earning a first-round bye. But that didn’t matter to the deepest team in the league, which ran the table to win the 2023 PBR Camping World Teams Championship, including a 4-for-5 effort in the championship game.

“This is so exciting,” Lambert said. “I got the right group of guys – humble men who ride for the love of the game, and they’ll be paid well. These guys love to ride, and they got it done. We used all eight of these guys we brought to Las Vegas.”

Photo courtesy of Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media