LAREDO, Texas – As the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) returned to Laredo, Texas, for the first time in more than eight years Friday night, Daniel Keeping (Montague, Texas) dominated, winning Round 1 of the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour’s PBR Laredo inside Sames Auto Arena.

Keeping, member of the 2023 PBR Teams Champions in the separate PBR Teams league, drew Hard Shot (Barrett/D4) in Round 1.

The Texan covered the animal athlete with ease, making the 8 for 86.5 points as the Lone Star State crowd erupted in boisterous cheer. The unrivaled score earned him 28 Velocity Global points in addition to the event lead at PBR Laredo.

Marco Eguchi (Poa, Brazil) and the Austin Gamblers’ Jean Fernandes Pereira (Crixas, Brazil) tied for second compliments of matching 85.5-point rides.

Eguchi rode Redline (Barrett/D4), while Pereira covered Life Flight (Twisted Horns Cattle Co./Hearn).

Both riders earned 17.5 Velocity Global points.

Fourth was the Austin Gamblers’ Adriano Salgado (Batatais, Brazil).

Salgado dominated Crossin’ The Delta Line (Dana White/DD Bucking Bulls) for 85 points to earn 16 Velocity Global points.

During a night which included 13 qualified rides, the Florida Freedom’s Grayson Cole (New Riggold, Pennsylvania) and Thiago Salgado (Navirai, Brazil), and Austin Gamblers’ Claudio Montanha Jr. (Ribeirao dos Indios, Brazil) rounded out the Top 5, tying for fifth.

The trio of riders each earned 14 Velocity Global points for their matching 84.5-point rides.

Cole topped Hammered Again (Campbell Cattle Co./Cannon Cattle Co.), while Salgado bested Money Maker (Mason Bucking Bulls) and Montanha conquered S7H63H (Silent 7/Hilton Bull Co.).

Action for PBR Laredo will conclude with Round 2 and the championship round on Saturday, Jan. 27. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. CST.

PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour PBR Laredo Sames Auto Arena – Laredo, Texas Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3- Event Aggregate-Event Points) 1. Daniel Keeping, 86.5-0-0-86.50-28 Points. 2. Marco Eguchi, 85.5-0-0-85.50-17.5 Points. (tie). Jean Fernandes Pereira, 85.5-0-0-85.50-17.5 Points. 4. Adriano Salgado, 85-0-0-85.00-16 Points. 5. Grayson Cole, 84.5-0-0-84.50-14 Points. (tie). Claudio Montanha Jr., 84.5-0-0-84.50-14 Points. (tie). Thiago Salgado, 84.5-0-0-84.50-14 Points. 8. Francisco Morales, 84-0-0-84.00-12 Points. 9. Leandro Machado, 83.5-0-0-83.50-10.5 Points. (tie). Manoelito de Souza Junior, 83.5-0-0-83.50-10.5 Points. 11. Ederson Santos, 81-0-0-81.00-9 Points. 12. Zach Miles, 78.5-0-0-78.50-7 Points. 13. Lucas Divino, 64.5-0-0-64.50 Kyler Oliver, 0-0-0-0.00 Chad Hartman, 0-0-0-0.00 Qynn Andersen, 0-0-0-0.00 Andy Bohl, 0-0-0-0.00 Weston Davidson, 0-0-0-0.00 Rubens Barbosa, 0-0-0-0.00 Dylan Smith, 0-0-0-0.00 Ramon de Lima, 0-0-0-0.00 Travis Briscoe, 0-0-0-0.00 Zane Cook, 0-0-0-0.00 Leonardo Lima, 0-0-0-0.00 Jason Landing, 0-0-0-0.00 Lane Nobles, 0-0-0-0.00 Dalton Rudman, 0-0-0-0.00 Garrett Jones, 0-0-0-0.00 Bruno Carvalho, 0-0-0-0.00 Alex Marcilio, 0-0-0-0.00 Flavio Zivieri, 0-0-0-0.00 Guilherme Valleiras, 0-0-0-0.00 Bryan Titman, 0-0-0-0.00 Boogie Marquez, 0-0-0-0.00 Lorenzo Lopez, 0-0-0-0.00 Dawson Gleaves, 0-0-0-0.00 Ashton Sahli, 0-0-0-0.00 Tyler Craig, 0-0-0-0.00 Leandro Zampollo, 0-0-0-0.00 Zeke Martinez, 0-0-0-0.00 Photo courtesy of Andre Silva/Bull Stock Media