PUEBLO, Colo. – If you’re looking for ways to tell Alan de Souza and Alisson de Souza apart, good luck.

The twins from Taubate, Brazil, are so identical that Alan struggles to come up with ways they differ, mentioning that he wipes his mouth with his fingers before nodding his head in the chutes, and Alisson doesn’t.

But if Alan has his way this season, a shiny gold buckle will become the identifier that sets him apart.

Last weekend at the PBR St. Louis, Alan returned to the premier series for the first time since January 2020.

“I always dreamed to have a whole season on the Unleash The Beast, to be able to have a race for the title and compete for a World Championship,” he said with Paulo Crimber translating. “I had some personal issues and some problems that were being solved. Everything’s back where it needs to be, and I hope to have a shot at being a World Champion at the end of the season.”

Souza’s PBR resume has a gap of more than three years, from that last premier series event until a Touring Pro Division event in late April of this year. He hit the Challenger Series hard this summer and was an absolute star, winning five events and placing in the Top 5 in nine others. He also won Chad Berger’s King of the North Showdown, which honors the rider with the highest aggregate score at 12 Challenger Series events.

“It’s just been blessings,” Souza said. “I had a really, really good summer with winning the King of the North, and then I got to the Challenger doing good. I’ve just been blessed to be riding good.”

He was so impressive that he caught the attention of Nashville Stampede head coach Justin McBride, who signed Souza in August. Souza went 5-for-15 (33%) for the Stampede and credits McBride with helping his growth as a bull rider.

“Justin – he was a great bull rider and he gave me some help, some thoughts and tips that help a lot,” Souza said. “It was mental. Justin told me that it’s not a hard bull or a vengeful bull. It’s just all up in your head, and when you go at it, you know it’s done. You already have him figured out, and it’s just a matter of time. Stay focused. Confidence. And also, as long as you can see him, you can ride him. Just keep track of him and stay forward and keep your eye on him.”

Unfortunately, Souza missed several weeks near the end of the PBR Teams season because his father had a heart attack. He and Alisson returned to Brazil to be with him as he convalesced.

“It’s not going to get better,” Souza said. “I’m going to go back to Brazil for Christmas and New Year’s. But they brought him home, and a nurse is taking care of him, and at least he’s there.”

It’s been a tough time for the brothers as their father has been so ill. He’s always had their best interests at heart, even when it meant not wanting them to ride bulls.

“He’s always been there, but he was never really on our side about riding because he told us the dangers of the sport, and if something ever happens to us, we get hurt bad or even die, he didn’t want to have that guilt on his back,” Souza said. “But every time, like at King of the North when I won that money or did good, he was always happy. And then after I won that money at King of the North, I told my dad that we always had a dream to buy a neighbor’s place where we’re at right now. Unfortunately, he wasn’t healthy enough, and I didn’t get there in time for us to accomplish that dream.”

Souza is staying positive and knows that anything is possible, and he certainly gave his dad something to be happy about in St. Louis. In his first premier series action in almost four years, he went 3-for-3 to finish second overall. It was his best premier series showing since he won the Minneapolis Invitational – his fourth career UTB event – in October 2019.

“I was feeling physically and mentally strong and prepared to ride those bulls,” Souza said.

He began his weekend with 82 points on Redneck before riding Blood Moon for 80.75 points in Round 2. The championship round was by far his best, riding UTZ BesTex Legend for 88.5 points.

“I’d been watching him for a while, and I liked the way he bucked, and I wanted to have a shot to get on him,” Souza said of Legend. “I was talking to Eduardo (Aparecido) about the short-round bulls, and Eduardo thought that there would be a good matchup. When I came in the draft, that was one I kind of picked out more.”

Thanks to his second-place showing, Souza heads into this weekend’s PBR Johnstown in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, ranked No. 7 in the Unleash The Beast World Championship standings. Action in Johnstown begins on Friday at 7:45 p.m. ET on RidePass on Pluto TV. Souza takes on Pneu Dart’s Gold Standard (18-2, all levels) in Round 1.

In 2019, thus far his most complete season on the premier series (though he competed in just seven events, and also won the PBR Brazil Championship), Souza finished the year ranked No. 14 thanks to a third-place finish at the 2019 PBR World Finals.

In 2024, Souza has the opportunity to go to triple the number of UTB events he did in 2019. There’s a hell of a workload in front of him between now and the PBR World Finals in May, but he’s ready and raring to go.

“It’s very exciting and I like it so much, just because I have a chance to chase that dream to become a World Champion,” Souza said.

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media