NEW YORK CITY – At the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast event in New York City, Austin Richardson (Dallas, Texas) delivered a 3-for-4 performance to win the Monster Energy Buck Off at The Garden, presented by Ariat, and overtake the No. 1 rank in the race for the 2024 World Championship.
Richardson’s first career Major victory was his second consecutive event win after he also rode to victory last weekend in Albany.
“This is the best win in my career,” Richardson said moments after hoisting the event’s iconic Charging Bull trophy. “Madison Square Garden is the most exciting event leading to World Finals. It’s wonderful being here in New York with this great crowd behind us. We wouldn’t be able to do what we love without the fans.”
Richardson, who rides for the Austin Gamblers in the separate PBR Teams league, traveled to the World’s Most Famous Arena trailing then-No. 1 Cassio Dias (Sao F. de Sales, Brazil) by 73 points.
In Round 1, the reserved Texan was quick to strike, delivering the fourth-best score as he conquered Moonlight Party (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) for 88 points.
He remained red-hot in Round 2, again making the requisite 8 as he teamed with Bangarang (Shuler Bucking Bulls) for 86.75 points.
As Championship Sunday got underway, Richardson stumbled in Round 3, bucked off by The Undertaker (Cornwell/Riley/PCP Bucking Bulls) in a swift 2.33 seconds. However, his first two scores proved enough to punch his ticket to the championship round positioned fourth on the event leaderboard.
While he initially selected Mike’s Motive (Blake Sharp/High Voltage/Wetzel/Knott), the out resulted in a re-ride, renewing Richardson’s rivalry with Canadian-born bovine athlete Moonlight Party.
Nodding confidently, Richardson again matched the bull jump-for-jump, reaching the whistle as the crowd erupted in raucous cheer. Marked 83.5 points, Richardson, who had surged to the event lead, was awarded yet another re-ride as the bull uncharacteristically stopped mid-out.
Richardson elected to keep the score in a business decision that paid dividends. The remaining two riders were both bucked off, cementing the second straight win for the 23-year-old Texan.
Along with a check for $118,650, Richardson also earned a crucial 210 Unleash The Beast points. He overtook Dias for the No. 1 rank in the Unleash The Beast standings, now leading the World Championship race by a mere 20 points.
The Kansas City Outlaws’ Dias went 2-for-4 to finish fourth and earn 117 Unleash The Beast points.
Despite suffering a heartbreaking 7.33-second buckoff at the hands of Red Mosquito (Zach Muegge/McCoy Rodeo) in Round 1, the reserved Brazilian was quick to rebound, winning Round 2 with an 87.75-point score aboard Tijuana Two-Step (Blake Sharp/Michael Floyd).
Dias’s momentum, however, came to an end in Round 3 when he was tossed by Shew Bubby (Shuler Bucking Bulls) in 2.83 seconds.
While he may have been bested as Championship Sunday began, Dias’s Round 2 win advanced him to the championship round positioned 11th on the event leaderboard. Much like Richardson, Dias’s originally drafted final showdown with Magic Potion (K-C Bucking Bulls/Daniels Cattle Co.) resulted in a re-ride.
Dias returned to the chutes to take on YETI PBR World Champion Bull contender UTZ BesTex Smokestack (Blake Sharp/Chris Utz/Carey Brothers). In what proved to be a perfect pairing, Dias conquered the powerful animal athlete for an event-best 90.5 points to catapult to fourth on the event leaderboard.
The Austin Gamblers’ Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas) was second, collecting 155.5 Unleash The Beast points.
Kasel led the event entering the championship round as he covered The Undertaker for 85.5 points in Round 1, Wooderson (Blake Sharp/UB Buckin’ Company) for 87.25 points in Round 2, and Black Squirrel (Dave Martin/Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) for 82.5 points in Round 3.
With the first pick in the championship round bull draft, Kasel selected a familiar opponent in UTZ BesTex Legend (Blake Sharp/Chris Utz/Carey Brothers). The 2019 PBR Rookie of the Year had matched up with the striking animal athlete four times prior, just once converting, making the whistle for 90.5 points in Manchester, New Hampshire, in December 2022.
Poised, Kasel nodded with confidence, initially appearing centered. However, UTZ BesTex Legend proved to be the more dominant athlete, whipping Kasel to the dirt at the 5.31-second mark.
Chasing his first PBR World Championship, Kasel surged from No. 21 to No. 4 in the standings. He is now within 284.5 points of No. 1 Richardson.
Koltin Hevalow (Smithville, Missouri) concluded the PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at The Garden, presented by Ariat, third, taking home 104.5 Unleash The Beast points.
Hevalow was sensational through the first three rounds of competition. After riding Buffalo Chip (Blake Sharp/Robbie Ray/Doug Wilson) for 83.25 points in Round 1, Hevalow teamed with Hoka Hey (Blake Sharp/Chris Utz/Carey Brothers) for an 83.75-point score in Round 2.
The Kansas City Outlaws standout again made the whistle in Round 3, riding Moon Juice (Shuler Bucking Bulls) for 82.5 points, but was injured in the dismount. With his championship-round dreams questionable, the New York City crowd cheered enthusiastically as the in-arena announcers revealed Hevalow was cleared and would valiantly return to attempt his final bull.
Hevalow also earned a re-ride in the final round, with only Red Scorpion (Lari Crane/Gene Owen) standing between him and victory. A storybook ending was not to be. The young Missouri native came up short, thrust to the dirt at the 7.39-second mark.
In the standings, Hevalow rose from No. 13 to No. 5, inching within 296.5 points of No. 1 Richardson.
Rounding out the Top 5 in fifth was Conner Halverson (Gordon, Nebraska).
Halverson was the event leader through the first two rounds. He set the tone for the event early, winning Round 1 with a monster 90-point ride atop UTZ BesTex Smokestack, followed by an 85.5-point score on Wilson (CCL Bucking Bulls/McCoy Rodeo) in Round 2.
On Championship Sunday, however, the Carolina Cowboys’ Halverson was shut out, bested by Kodiac (Blake Sharp/UB Buckin’ Company) in a close 7.86 seconds in Round 3 and two-time reigning YETI World Champion Bull Ridin’ Solo (Bill McCarty/McCoy Rodeo) in 5.73 seconds in the championship round.
Netting 89.5 Unleash The Beast points, Halverson climbed from No. 33 to No. 12 in the standings.
Also of note, Dana White’s Twisted Steel (Dana White/DD Bucking Bulls) returned to the draw in the championship round, drafted by Vitor Losnake (Bauru, Brazil). He fired from the chutes with a huge first jump to unsettle Losnake in 3.58 seconds, marked 43.75 points.
In the bull pen, No. 1 Man Hater (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) continued to show his dominance, awarded the YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Event title for his monstrous 47.75-point score earned when he tossed Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas) in 3.2 seconds in the championship round.
The PBR Unleash The Beast next travels to Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, for Tractor Supply Co. PBR Chicago. The event is on Friday, January 12, at 7:45 p.m. CT, and Saturday, January 13, at 6:45 p.m. CT.
PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer re-airs and on-demand replays of every PBR Unleash The Beast event. PBR RidePass is available on desktops, laptops and mobile devices via www.pluto.tv. Click here for on-demand PBR programming.
PBR Unleash The Beast
PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at The Garden, presented by Ariat
Madison Square Garden – New York, New York
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Round 4-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Austin Richardson, 88-86.75-0-83.5-258.25-210 Points.
2. Dalton Kasel, 85.5-87.25-84.25-0-257.00-155.5 Points.
3. Koltin Hevalow, 83.25-83.75-82.5-0-249.50-104.5 Points.
4. Cassio Dias, 0-87.75-0-90.5-178.25-117 Points.
5. Conner Halverson, 90-85.5-0-0-175.50-89.5 Points.
6. Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 88.75-86-0-0-174.75-70 Points.
7. Julio Cesar Marques, 0-83.5-86.5-0-170.00-63.5 Points.
8. Vitor Losnake, 0-87-81-0-168.00-43 Points.
9. Boudreaux Campbell, 0-82.75-85-0-167.75-34 Points.
10. Felipe Furlan, 72.75-0-85.75-0-158.50-37 Points.
11. Eduardo Aparecido, 88.75-0-0-0-88.75-30 Points.
12. Jesse Petri, 87.25-0-0-0-87.25-23 Points.
13. Kaiden Loud, 0-0-85.5-0-85.50-24 Points.
(tie). Daylon Swearingen, 0-85.5-0-0-85.50-18.5 Points.
(tie). John Crimber, 85.5-0-0-0-85.50-18.5 Points.
16. Brady Fielder, 0-0-85.25-0-85.25-20 Points.
17. Mason Taylor, 0-85-0-0-85.00-14 Points.
18. Eli Vastbinder, 84-0-0-0-84.00-14 Points.
(tie). Alex Cerqueira, 0-84-0-0-84.00-13 Points.
20. João Lucas Campos, 0-83.75-0-0-83.75-10.5 Points.
21. Wyatt Rogers, 0-83.5-0-0-83.50-8.5 Points.
22. João Ricardo Vieira, 0-83.25-0-0-83.25-8 Points.
23. Alan de Souza, 0-0-82.75-0-82.75-16 Points.
Cody Jesus, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Caden Bunch, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Sage Steele Kimzey, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Kaique Pacheco, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Paulo Eduardo Rossetto, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Bob Mitchell, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Braidy Randolph, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Brady Oleson, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Luciano De Castro, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Ednélio Almeida, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Wingson Henrique da Silva, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Jake Morinec, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Lucas Divino, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Flavio Zivieri, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Rafael dos Santos, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Guilherme Valleiras, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Andrew Alvidrez, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Briggs Madsen, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Ednei Caminhas, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Chanse Switzer, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Dawson Gleaves, 0-0-0-0-0.00
2024 PBR Unleash The Beast Standings
(Place, Rider, Events, Wins, Top 5’s, Points, Total Winnings)
1. Austin Richardson, 6, 2, 3, 495.50, $183,857.00
2. Cassio Dias, 6, 2, 3, 475.50, $120,158.00
3. Alan de Souza, 4, 0, 2, 212.50, $37,174.33
4. Dalton Kasel, 6, 0, 1, 211.00, $46,223.00
5. Koltin Hevalow, 6, 0, 2, 199.00, $26,262.00
6. Cody Jesus, 4, 0, 2, 182.50, $29,031.67
7. Julio Cesar Marques, 6, 0, 1, 179.00, $24,917.67
8. Eduardo Aparecido, 5, 0, 1, 174.00, $29,380.00
9. Brady Fielder, 5, 1, 1, 169.83, $47,881.00
10. Kaiden Loud, 6, 0, 1, 141.50, $26,477.00
11. Caden Bunch, 6, 1, 1, 125.00, $41,955.17
12. Conner Halverson, 5, 0, 1, 124.50, $11,610.00
13. Sage Steele Kimzey, 3, 0, 1, 121.50, $18,569.17
14. Vitor Losnake, 4, 0, 1, 117.00, $11,748.33
15. Felipe Furlan, 4, 0, 1, 115.50, $19,416.00
16. João Ricardo Vieira, 5, 0, 1, 108.50, $16,802.67
17. Kaique Pacheco, 3, 0, 1, 104.00, $19,258.33
17. Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 4, 0, 0, 104.00, $13,855.00
19. Paulo Eduardo Rossetto, 6, 0, 1, 101.50, $9,879.50
20. Jose Vitor Leme, 2, 0, 1, 91.00, $12,013.67
21. Bob Mitchell, 6, 0, 1, 88.00, $7,090.00
22. Boudreaux Campbell, 6, 0, 0, 79.00, $4,990.00
23. Braidy Randolph, 4, 0, 0, 78.50, $9,721.33
24. Eli Vastbinder, 5, 0, 0, 66.00, $4,100.00
25. Daylon Swearingen, 6, 0, 0, 64.00, $2,325.00
26. Silvano Alves, 4, 0, 0, 58.00, $4,465.00
27. Wyatt Rogers, 6, 0, 0, 56.50, $3,055.00
28. Jesse Petri, 6, 0, 0, 56.00, $4,300.00
29. Brady Oleson, 6, 0, 0, 51.83, $3,025.00
30. Alex Cerqueira, 6, 0, 0, 49.00, $1,600.00
31. Luciano De Castro, 5, 0, 0, 47.33, $5,200.00
32. John Crimber, 3, 0, 0, 46.83, $5,146.67
33. Ednélio Almeida, 6, 0, 0, 43.00, $3,737.50
34. Wingson Henrique da Silva, 4, 0, 1, 42.00, $3,600.00
34. João Lucas Campos, 4, 0, 0, 42.00, $3,723.00
36. Jake Morinec, 2, 0, 1, 39.50, $5,092.00
37. Lucas Divino, 6, 0, 0, 36.00, $2,260.00
38. Flavio Zivieri, 5, 0, 1, 34.00, $5,500.00
39. Rafael dos Santos, 5, 0, 0, 31.00, $4,580.00
40. Guilherme Valleiras, 2, 0, 0, 30.00, $5,046.00
41. Andrew Alvidrez, 6, 0, 0, 21.33, $3,342.00
41. Kyler Oliver, 3, 0, 0, 21.33, $3,342.00
43. Ezekiel Mitchell, 3, 0, 0, 20.50, $2,550.00
44. Dener Barbosa, 2, 0, 0, 14.50, $790.00
45. Mason Taylor, 1, 0, 0, 14.00, $600.00
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
