PUEBLO, Colo. – Championship rounds are always a little more fun when the drama intensifies.
So, naturally, as Dalton Kasel climbed into the chutes during the very final out of last weekend’s showdown at the Ariat PBR Indianapolis …
… he knew he needed to put on a show if he was to exit Gainbridge Fieldhouse with his first event title of the season. Just as the event’s then-leader Eduardo Aparecido had, perfect throughout each of his three attempts.
Staying loose and letting his post-ride smile do all of the talking, he did just that.
Put on a show.
Needing at least an 87-point effort to surpass the veteran Brazilian, Kasel let the crowd know that he’d endured enough close calls already this season; be it nearly missing the 8 or coming up just short of the winner’s circle itself (as the Muleshoe, Texas, native had turned in three Top 5 finishes throughout his past six event appearances, including a runner-up effort the previous weekend in Jacksonville, Florida).
Able to go the distance during the championship go in Indianapolis, Indiana, Kasel teamed up with a tour favorite in I’m Legit Too for the walk-off, winning score, as the pair posted 88.25 points.
Edging out Aparecido by a mere half point (0.5) in the overall event aggregate, he thanked his bull riders, began to unwrap his hand and briefly celebrated before sharing his thoughts with the television audience.
“I prayed about it and I felt like that was what I was supposed to do. I hadn’t been on him in my six years going to these. That was the one I was supposed to get on,” Kasel shared with Kate Harrison on the CBS Sports Network broadcast.
“I think it’s the Lord. Without him, nothing is possible and he gave me the strength to keep pushing forward.”
It’s not that either of his matching 86.25-point scores from the event’s first two rounds weren’t impressive in their own right (earned via dances with Dream Walkin and Unhinged, respectively). But any time each and every rider, fan and tour member are on their feet, leaning forward in anticipation, we all know some outs rank above others.
And Sunday night’s walk-off was one of those outs!
Representing Kasel’s first premier series victory in exactly 365 days (shoutout Leap Year, with his last win coming on March 3, 2023 in Little Rock Arkansas), riders officially need to be on watch for “Mr. 90 Points,” as the 25-year-old secured two-consecutive event victories the last time he was on fire, winning it all in Los Angeles, California, before running it back in Little Rock the following weekend.
While Kasel racked up a combined 262 UTB points for his pair of wins last season, he’s amassed a welcomed 228.5 UTB points throughout his past two performances in Jacksonville and Indianapolis en route to jumping up to the No. 4 overall rank. And thanks to an early-season set of back-to-back favorable finishes in New York City (155.5 points) and Tulsa, Oklahoma, (68.5 points), the combined 224 UTB points from said events have helped Kasel come within 341.33 UTB points of No. 1 Cassio Dias.
Currently enjoying a six-out ride streak, now 3-for-3 in his last two events, Kasel seems to be on fire just two months out from the 2024 World Finals: Unleash The Beast.
Which is great for the man himself, as he continues to chase down what would be his career-first world title. But for rookies like Dias and John Crimber, and hell, even veterans like No. 5 Eduardo Aparecido and No. 6 Joao Ricardo Vieira, they’ll have to out-compete yet another contender who’s entered his hat for a lengthy run down south.
Now 16-for-33 (48.48%) on the season, he’s not just one of the hottest riders over the past month. He’s officially put his name amongst this season’s world contenders.
And if he can consistently produce top-tier finishes like the past two weekends, he’s got every shot to earn that buckle!
With Unleash The Beast preparing to invade Fiserv Forum March 9-10 during the 15th showdown of the 2024 premier series season, we’re taking a quick look back at some of the numerical takeaways from last weekend’s Ariat PBR Indianapolis during this week’s By the Numbers!
Round Win No. 4 for Rider No. 5: While it was No. 4 Dalton Kasel who ended up sealing the deal under the bright lights, we still need to give No. 5 Eduardo Aparecido his flowers, as the veteran turned in his third podium finish of the season. The second-place effort also represents his fifth Top 10 finish on the year and eighth Top 12 finish, as one of the tour’s most consistent riders has ridden at least one bull in 11 of the 13 events in which he’s participated. One of just three riders who produced flashy 3-for-3 performances, Aparecido began his work of art by covering High Class for 85 points before improving to two-straight in Round 2, scored 84.25 points for his efforts aboard Sly. While both of the Brazilian’s first two scores came in below those of Kasel’s, it was the veteran’s epic 90-pointer in the short go that ultimately earned him the close call.
Representing his second 90-point ride of the season, and first since recording a 90.5-point ride atop Punchy Pete, Aparecido matched Mike’s Motive’s every move en route to securing himself a second-place finish as well as his fourth round win of the season. Earning 98.5 UTB points and a fancy check for $20,266, Aparecido’s four round wins now represent the third-most of any rider this season, with No. 1 Dias leading the way with seven, while No. 3 Austin Richardson has managed five.
Qualified Ride No. 100: For riders like Ezekiel Mitchell, who have found their way down on the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour, only to grind their way back to the premier series itself, there’s never a bad weekend to get a big ride. But when the qualified ride numbers flip from double digits to triple, there’s even more of a reason to celebrate! And that’s exactly what happened when Mitchell exited his Round 2 showdown with Huckleberry, as the Rockdale, Texas, native officially recorded his 100th UTB conversion in Indianapolis. Scored a quality 85.25 points for his 8 seconds of work, Zeke is now 2-for-4 throughout his last two events, but hasn’t been able to string multiple rides together in the same event yet this season, just 4-for-18 overall. Ranked No. 42 overall, he’ll continue to flirt with the cutline, but needs to punch his ticket to a short round here sooner or later for a chance to earn some big points and ensure his spot at the 2024 World Finals: Unleash The Beast.
Round 1, 17 Rides: After seeing the pack pop off for a combined 20 rides last weekend in Jacksonville (just the third time all season in which an event’s opening round featured 20+ rides, joining shows in Tucson, Arizona, and Chicago), the best bull riders in the world put on quite the show in Saturday’s Round 1 inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, combining for 17 qualified rides (now the fifth-most throughout 14 opening rounds). Which is a great sign after watching the pack post 10, 11 and 10 rides during opening rounds in Houston, Texas, Sacramento, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah!
None of the scores were a match for veteran Brazilian Alan de Souza, though, who secured his second round win of the season via his electric 87.5-point dance with Woody on Saturday night. His fourth-highest score of the season was later parlayed on Sunday afternoon, as the 30-year-old earned 83.5 points during his Round 2 showdown with Fat Randy. While Souza was forced to doctor out of the short go due to a dangerous-looking wreck at the end of his out, the talent still took home a fourth-place finish, now his seventh Top 10 finish of the year as he occupies the No. 7 rank within the Unleash The Beast World Championship standings.
Only Top 10s 4 No. 17: One of the 17 riders who didn’t waste any time in establishing their spot on the leaderboard, rookie Clay Guiton nearly earned what would’ve been the first UTB round win of his budding career, courtesy of a flashy 86.75-point journey aboard Air Shift. But with Souza edging him out by half a point, the 18-year-old will have to wait at least one more weekend for the glory! Regularly competing amongst the best in the industry, Gution hasn’t been shy of the leaderboard. In similar fashion to both Aparecido and Souza, Guiton is only settling for Top 10 efforts despite riding in the first of what should be many UTB seasons.
Since going 0-for-2 during his premier series debut in Chicago, now two months ago, Guiton has produced a 10-for-24 (41.67%) record en route to … *checks notes* … qualifying for the short round in each of his next seven events, now qualifying for the championship round in seven of his eight total appearances. Ranked No. 17 overall, he’s one of seven first-year competitors sitting within the tour’s Top 20 as the Cherryville, North Carolina, resident continues his push for a career-first berth to the 2024 World Finals: Unleash The Beast.
Podium Finish No. 2: Throughout the rookie-heavy 2024 slate, we’ve heard plenty about Guiton, No. 2 John Crimber and plenty of other first-years who are storming the most talented tour in the world and making it seem easy. However, flying a bit under the radar so far this season, No. 10 Julio Cesar Marques rounded out last weekend’s podium as the final of three riders to stay perfect in Indy.
Tying his career-best finish, initially earned earlier this season in Albany, New York, the young Brazilian advanced his record to 4-for-5 overall over the past two events by besting each of Pneu-Dart’s Chief Wahoo (85.75 points), Kodiac (86 points) and eventually in the championship round, Bandito Bug (87.25 points). Marking his fifth Top 10 effort during his rookie season, the 19-year-old will look to stay hot as he keeps year one on cruise control, with his sights set on this weekend’s midwestern showdown in Milwaukee, Wisconsin!
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
