PUEBLO, Colo. – While the four-round contest can’t be won or lost on Friday night, a lot can be said for riders who will return to The Pit Saturday night with points on the board.

With the aggregate score at the end of Round 3 determining short round contestants, the pack will have plenty of time to rebound if they weren’t able to make the 8 on night one.

But for veterans like Kaique Pacheco who were able to get their weekend off to a hot start while kicking his late-season efforts up a notch ahead of the 2024 World Finals: Unleash The Beast, there’s something to be said about starting a PBR Major off in the ride column.

With more than 300 UTB points available to any one rider, not to mention $100,000+ in cash prizes for the event winner, there’s plenty at stake this weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For the No. 24 ranked Pacheco, who entered the night with just eight qualified throughout his 11 premier series appearances, it seemed like there was a bit more on the line.

Going the distance in the opening round by matching Chupacabra’s every move for a sound 85.25 points, Pacheco reminded folks that he’s still got what it takes to compete for a second world title just days after being left unprotected by his Nashville Stampede squad ahead of the PBR Teams Expansion Draft.

Taking home 13 UTB points for his ninth-place finish, getting one rode early in the contest is important not only for the momentum of keeping things flowing, but in keeping his odds alive for a 4-for-4 run, which has only been accomplished once this season (when Leonardo Castro picked up his career-first UTB win in Sacramento, California, at the second PBR Major of the season).

Part of the reason the scoreboard has a pair of imperfect marks on it, as both Paulo Eduardo Rossetto (50.5 points) and Wingson Henrique da Silva (47 points) elected to keep their less-than-ideal score, as the guaranteed points may help them in the long run (as opposed to the chance of accepting a re-ride and bucking off, thus earning zero points).

Fellow veterans in Jose Vitor Leme (who returned to action for the first time in five weeks with a quality out) and Eduardo Aparecido produced matching 84-point rides to tie for 10th, while Cort McFadden and No. 3 Dalton Kasel joined Leme in going 3-for-3 as the Austin Gamblers’ collective three riders who are officially protected from being selected by either the Oklahoma Wildcatters or New York Mavericks during next month’s PBR Teams Expansion Draft.

Nobody was doubting Head Coach Michael Gaffney and company about ensuring its pocket aces in Kasel and Leme remain part of the franchise, but with McFadden coming out of seemingly nowhere while impressing during his rookie UTB season, the green and black squad may be onto something here with the kid who turned in an 85.75-point out aboard Huckleberry Friday.

Keyshawn Whitehorse may have spent the longest time sitting atop the event’s standings, courtesy of his flashy 87.5-point strike atop Norse God, but it was Joao Ricardo Vieira’s 89.25-point dance with Sky’s The Limit which eventually dethroned the pride of the Navajo Nation.

No. 1 Cassio Dias suffered a buckoff Friday night, but No. 2 John Crimber joined Kasel in representing the world’s top-tier talent in … well, last-minute fashion, as the 18-year-old stole the show during the second-to-last out of the evening.

Earning a round-high 90 points for his 8 seconds of work aboard Whiskey Trip, Crimber ended the evening by climbing atop the shark cage and claiming his fifth round win of what’s become quite the electric rookie season!

Featuring 13 conversions overall, The Pit audience also watched on as Mason Taylor recorded his first qualified ride since the tour embarked upon its second PBR Major journey of the season.

Returning to action with a big smile and clear idea of what he needs to do to make a late-season run in attempting to qualify for the final dance of them all, the 24-year-old cowboy logged an 87-point out during his first premier series conversion in 41 days.

With Saturday’s slate wide open and full of possible dramatic, season-altering scenarios, fans can stay tuned to PBR.com and PBR social media channels for the latest updates at the PBR Albuquerque Ty Murray Invitational!

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media