PUEBLO, Colo. – When the best bull riders in the world gather inside Cowtown Coliseum next month during the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast, it’s going to come down to one element.

8 seconds.

So for an electric 30-year-old year in Alan de Souza, now with a whopping 26-for-49 (53.06%) record during his 2024 premier series campaign, it’s a great sign to be racking up the podium finishes as he continues to stand out during what’s become quite the gold buckle-caliber effort this season.

Entering the weekend at the seven spot within the 2024 Unleash The Beast World Championship standings, he’s officially inside the Top 5 after his 3-for-4 showcase in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, now ranked No. 5 in the world.

Trailing only No. 1 Cassio Dias (33) in qualified rides this year, the veteran has been the definition of consistency, as his effort inside Denny Sanford Premier Center marked his ninth Top 10 finish thus far. But it’s not just quantity for the talented Brazilian either, as he was bested by only the top-ranked rider in the world Sunday in earning his second-straight runner-up effort.

RELATED: No. 1 Cassio Dias collects sixth win of 2024 UTB season at First Premier Bank PBR Sioux Falls

Just seven rides behind the potential 2024 PBR Rookie of the Year in Dias, Souza hasn’t had the flashiest of rides this season, but points on the board are points on the board. While his 82.75-point journey atop Red Scorpion didn’t set any records, it set him up to combine the score with his 81.5-point score dancing with with Badlands in Round 3 on his way to securing yet another short round berth.

Playing a little bit of inside baseball as he watched the No. 4-ranked bull in the world change his approach as of late, Souza opted into a matchup that might’ve looked odd on paper. But if the talented bovine decided to go right like he had in a previous out, Souza would be set up for success.

“In the words of the A-Team, ‘I love it when a plan comes together,’” two-time World Champion Justin McBride shared on the CBS Sports Broadcast Sunday afternoon following the impressive out.

“That was a plan that came together right there. He saw them move him over to the delivery (chute). These scores today … In the long round, I thought Cassio should’ve been more than he was and I felt like Alan was more than he just was.”

Kicking things up a notch when paired with Flyin Wired in Sunday’s championship go, the talent matched the bovine’s every move en route to earning a season-high 88.75-point mark.

And while the encouraging score was a good sign, completing 3-for-4 effort itself is potentially the most fruitful aspect as the veteran continues to excel when you consider next month’s season-ending format. When the final batch of riders find themselves inside AT&T Stadium May 18-19, just four rounds of action will remain. So the more frequently a rider can get three or four rode in a weekend, the better they will feel about said approaching dire circumstances.

All while bettering their odds of avoiding the Danger Zone (riders ranked outside the Top 16, thus not guaranteed a spot at the 2024 PBR World Finals: Championship stage).

While Dias’s sixth win of the season furthered the runaway rookie’s lead to nearly 600 points of No. 2 John Crimber and No. 3 Dalton Kasel (who combined for an 0-for-5 record on the weekend), Souza is now within 751.83 points of the top-ranked man after netting 109 UTB points for his second-place finish.

With No. 4 Eduardo Aparecido turning in a 0-for-3 effort, Souza would truly be the hottest cowboy on tour right now, if not for Dias. But with pack contenders in No. 10 Brady Fielder, No. 11 Kaique Pacheco and company continuing to apply pressure (via respective third and sixth-place results in Sioux Falls), he’ll want to continue to riding at his above-average clip while piling up a few more momentous finishes on his way to what could become a World Championship season!

The pack continues the late-season stretch in Billings, Montana, April 12-14 during the 20th event of the 2024 Unleash The Beast season. Secure your tickets for the upcoming showdown inside First Interstate Arena and be sure to lock in your spot at next month's season-ending gauntlet!

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media