GEM STATE HOEDOWN: This weekend, for the 27th time and 13th consecutive season, PBR’s elite 2024 Unleash The Beast travels to Nampa, Idaho, for PBR Nampa, presented by Cooper Tires, the eighteenth event of the 24-event 2024 individual season. Nampa will host the PBR for three days of action on Thursday, March 28, starting at 7:45 p.m. MDT, Friday, March 29, starting at 7:45 p.m. MDT and on Saturday, March 30, at 6:45 p.m. MDT:

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NO. 1 DIAS BESTS MAN HATER ONCE AGAIN TO EXTEND LEAD: While Cassio Dias may have come up just short of winning his sixth event buckle of the season, he still managed to extend his lead over No. 2 John Crimber with a masterful 3-for-4 performance in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A breakout star for the Kansas City Outlaws on the separate PBR Camping World Team Series, the 22-year-old Brazilian bounced back after bucking off Mahan in 3.32 seconds, riding Show-Off for 85.5 points in Round 2 and I’m Your Daddy for 86.75 points in Round 3 to punch his ticket to the championship round. Choosing Man Hater, the 2024 YETI PBR World Champion Bull frontrunner, as his final animal athlete opponent once again, Dias stormed out of the gates in perfect time with the rank bovine for a monstrous 93.25 points, his premier-series-leading seventh 90-point ride this season. That pairing is quickly becoming must-watch television, as the Brazilian cowboy is still the only rider to cover Man Hater this year. Dias will now try to extend his ride streak to four on Tricked Out in Round 1 on Thursday.

AMAZING APARECIDO FLAWLESS IN THE PIT: A staple inside the Top 10 of the standings all season, No. 4 Eduardo Aparecido put on a show in Albuquerque, New Mexico, last weekend, going a perfect 4-for-4 to win the final PBR Major of the 2024 season. The Arizona Ridge Riders veteran got off to a strong start, riding Centerfold for 84 points in the opening round and Joy’s Bang Bang for 85.25 points in Round 2. Now on a roll, the Brazilian rocketed out of the gate on Wild Card for 87.75 points to secure a spot in the championship round. In search of his first victory of the season, Aparecido paired himself with Mike’s Motive. Brimming with confidence, he gave the nod and stormed out of the chutes for 89.25 points to overtake Dias and Dalton Kasel for the event lead. The masterful performance netted Aparecido an incredible 216.5 points to push him to No. 4 in the standings, 514.33 points behind No. 1 Dias, en route to earning a six-figure payout.

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While it may be the Brazilian cowboy’s first event win, he has been one of the best bull riders on the premier series all season, posting six Top-10 finishes. Aparecido is proving that consistency is just as important as lighting up the leaderboard, as he only has two 90-point rides but has made the 8 at least once in 13 of his 15 events. He is currently 21-for-44 (47%) on the top tour and hasn’t been bucked off more than four times in a row throughout 2024. Incredibly, Aparecido has also gotten stronger as of late as the grueling campaign enters the final month, covering 8 of his last 10 animal athlete opponents. Aparecido has been one of the most productive riders in PBR history and is quickly approaching 400 qualified rides in his career. His 384 rides rank ninth all-time, and he has finished inside the Top 10 five times in his career. The Brazilian has also found success in Nampa, finishing inside the Top 10 of the event standings three times, including his first career premier series victory in 2014. He looks to stay red-hot aboard Medicine Red in Round 1 on Thursday evening.