CEDAR PARK, Texas – As competition got underway in the Lone Star State Friday evening, 14 riders converted during the opening round of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event in Cedar Park, Texas, but none were more dominant than Thiago Salgado (Navirai, Brazil) who won Round 1 of PBR Cedar Park.
Salgado, who rides for the Florida Freedom in the separate PBR Teams league, was tasked with Spotted Demon (3B Cattle Co.) in the opening round. Remaining in perfect time with the powerful animal athlete, Salgado reached the requisite 8 for an unrivaled 87 points.
In addition to winning Round 1 and surging to the top of the event leaderboard, Salgado earned a crucial 28 Velocity Global points in the race for the 2024 PBR Velocity Tour Championship.
Salgado will take on Bandit (3J Ranch/EVP Bucking Bulls) in Round 2.
The field of competitors featured three riders from the Austin Gamblers, the region’s own professional bull riding team competing in the PBR Camping World Team Series.
Ramon de Lima (Rio Branco, Brazil) led the trio, tying for eighth via his 84-point ride on LP’s Hitman Harris (TDS/Buentello Bucking Bulls) to earn 11.5 Velocity Global points. He was followed by Lucas Divino (Nova Crixas, Brazil) in fourteenth. Divino covered Guess Eyes Right (Rocking F Bucking Bulls LLC) for 73 points.
The Austin Gamblers’ Jean Fernandes Periera (Crixas, Brazil) is also competing at PBR Cedar Park; however, he was bucked off by Wild Time (3J Ranch/EVP Bucking Bulls) in 1.15 seconds.
Returning to the top of the event leaderboard, Ederson Santos (Ilha Solteira, Brazil) and the Nashville Stampede’s Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas) tied for second.
Both riders posted 86.5-point rides to earn 17.5 Velocity Global points.
Santos rode Pac Man (JD Nix Rodeo Co.), while Taylor conquered Redline (Barrett/D4).
In Round 2, Santos will look to remain perfect against El Chapo (Mason Bucking Bulls), while Taylor has drawn Hammer Again (Campbell Cattle Co/Cannon Cattle Co.).
Rounding out the Top 5 and tying for fourth were the Carolina Cowboys’ Dawson Branton (Jefferson, Oregon) and Andy Bohl (St. Cloud, Florida).
Branton made the 8 on Major Nelson (Sellers/Hurst), while Bohl rode Hammered Again (Campbell Cattle Co./Cannon Cattle Co.) for a matching 85.5 points to each earn 15.5 Velocity Global points.
The duo has drawn Vigilante (Halpain Bucking Bulls) and Dumas Walker (Hurst Pro Rodeo), respectively, when Championship Saturday gets underway with Round 2.
Action for PBR Cedar Park will conclude with Round 2 and the championship round on Saturday, Feb. 10. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. CST.
PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour
PBR Cedar Park
H-E-B Center – Cedar Park, Texas
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3- Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Thiago Salgado, 87-0-0-87.00-28 Points.
2. Ederson Santos, 86.5-0-0-86.50-17.5 Points.
(tie). Mason Taylor, 86.5-0-0-86.50-17.5 Points.
4. Dawson Branton, 85.5-0-0-85.50-15.5 Points.
(tie). Andy Bohl, 85.5-0-0-85.50-15.5 Points.
6. Dener Barbosa, 85-0-0-85.00-13.5 Points.
(tie). Bruno Carvalho, 85-0-0-85.00-5.5 Points.
8. Ramon de Lima, 84-0-0-84.00-11.5 Points.
(tie). Guilherme Valleiras, 84-0-0-84.00-11.5 Points.
10. Jesse Petri, 83.5-0-0-83.50-10 Points.
11. Zane Cook, 82.5-0-0-82.50-8.5 Points.
(tie). Leandro Zampollo, 82.5-0-0-82.50-8.5 Points.
13. Weston Davidson, 82-0-0-82.00-8 Points.
14. Lucas Divino, 73-0-0-73.00
Qynn Andersen, 0-0-0-0.00
Jean Fernandes Pereira, 0-0-0-0.00
Chad Hartman, 0-0-0-0.00
Leandro Machado, 0-0-0-0.00
Kyle Eaton, 0-0-0-0.00
Briggs Madsen, 0-0-0-0.00
Andrew Alvidrez, 0-0-0-0.00
Rubens Barbosa, 0-0-0-0.00
Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-0-0-0.00
Quincey McDonald, 0-0-0-0.00
Dalton Rudman, 0-0-0-0.00
Garrett Jones, 0-0-0-0.00
Nicolas Hernandez, 0-0-0-0.00
Leonardo Lima, 0-0-0-0.00
Manoelito de Souza Junior, 0-0-0-0.00
Bryan Titman, 0-0-0-0.00
Alex Marcilio, 0-0-0-0.00
Flavio Zivieri, 0-0-0-0.00
Ednei Caminhas, 0-0-0-0.00
Trace Brown, 0-0-0-0.00
Colton Dougherty, 0-0-0-0.00
Wyatt Rogers, 0-0-0-0.00
Lucas Fideles Souza, 0-0-0-0.00
Tyler Craig, 0-0-0-0.00
Adilson Junior, 0-0-0-0.00
Weston Hartman, 0-0-0-0.00
Photo courtesy of Andre Silva/Bull Stock Media
