FORT WORTH, Texas – By now, it’s somewhat common knowledge that No. 10 Kaiden Loud is better known to let his riding do the talking rather than entertain us with long-winded, post-event banter.
And after ripping off an insanely electric 91.75-pointer to earn himself the top spot on the event leaderboard Friday night, we’ll let him off the hook.
For now, at least!
He is a rookie after all.
But if he continues to throw down next-level rankness like he did inside of Cowtown Coliseum, he’s going to be getting used to this whole public speaking bit.
“Feeling happy, real happy,” Loud shared on the dirt moments after accepting his round-winning, $35,333 check while seeing his two-day point total grow to 135 UTB points (46 points for his second-place tie Thursday and a welcome 89 points for the round win Friday).
With his mother, father, aunt and cousin in attendance, the Kaufman, Texas, native didn’t need the extra pressure of the hometown angle to get him amped up.
This was his first-ever trip to the World Finals. (Though the noticeable crowd support in general had to have been hard to block out, with in-arena announcer Clint Adkins doing his part in getting the fans involved).
Not to mention the lore of the historic building which he grew up just 70 miles from.
And when you consider the 19-year-old entered the weekend ranked No. 20 overall (needing to climb at least four spots by the time the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Eliminations comes to a close in order to secure his spot inside AT&T Stadium for the true endgame showdown), there was plenty on the line when he returned to Cowtown for Round 2.
“It’s really special to me, this whole thing is special,” he shared.
“I’m just letting it ride and haven’t really been thinking about it (the bubble). I’m just trying to ride all of the bulls I get on.”
The two-time Texas High School state champion ended up putting on quite the show, displaying his dominance atop Doze You Down the whole way en route to not only producing the highest-scored conversion of his career, but the richest-graded effort of the event itself. It was also the youngster's second 90-pointer as he continues to ascend.
Just 24 hours prior, he matched Black Betty's every move to get his weekend started on a good note.
Now just one of only two (joining No. 1 Cassio Dias) men to best both of his first two animal athlete opponents, his good friend in No. 3 John Crimber was damn near close to earning what would’ve been his first qualified ride during his own World Finals debut but was eventually tossed to the dirt just after the five-second mark.
Crimber, though, still ended up playing a role in his friend’s successful night, as Loud used his third-overall pick in the Round 2 bull draft to select a talent his pal had some luck with in the past.
“I saw my friend John ride him, so I said, ‘Shoot if he can ride him, I think I can ride him.’ So I chose him,” he said with a laugh.
“I’ve learned a few things, just some little things (on scouting bulls). Don’t think about it too much. Just go do my job again.”
Noting that his favorite part of what’s become a high-quality, inaugural season on Unleash The Beast was his runner-up effort from earlier this season in Albany, New York, that memory may need to move over to a lower spot on his personal podium should he continue riding with a purpose the way he has been.
While he wasn’t quite around yet for his Nashville Stampede’s 2022 PBR Teams Championship, he’s got every chance in the world this summer to add to the trophy case should he be able to stay healthy and confident.
With team skip and bull riding legend Justin McBride on-hand to witness his franchise pillar’s greatness while also lending his talents to the CBS Sports Network broadcast, the two-time World Champion wasn’t holding back following the flourishing performance.
“That kid is … We think, from the Stampede perspective, that he’s a special kid. That’s why we drafted him,” Nashville Stampede Head Coach Justin McBride shared Friday night.
“It’s so cool to see him start to understand that he’s not just a good bull rider who can make the Finals … He’s an elite kid.”
Obviously, Mac knows ball. And he knows high-end talent when he sees it.
He’s also a big fan of teamwork and passion, ever evident since going viral during his pregame pump-up speech two seasons back during the inaugural campaign of PBR Teams action.
Naturally, that meant three-time (technically four, with his 2022 PBR Teams title) World Champion Silvano Alves, the squad’s elder statesman, felt the urge to climb atop the chutes and pull the youngster’s rope ahead of the flashy Round 2 strike.
With the team having a pre-event meeting, gathered for the first time as a unit since last fall inside T-Mobile Arena, Mac stressed the importance of being on the same page and being willing to help the next guy beside them.
“For us, Teams season doesn’t start when Teams season starts. I think it has to be more than that,” McBride added.
“Silvano has done a great job with the young guys too, being there with them at the events, down in the chutes with them. I really attribute a lot of it to Silvano.”
Of course, Stampede fans will have to wait until May 29’s 2024 PBR Teams New Rider Draft, set to invade Broadway as the 5-on-5 league welcomes another wave of promising talent, to welcome Loud and company back to town.
But in the meantime, supporters of the yellow and blue contingent can tune into the third round of the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Eliminations Saturday night as Loud looks to extend his flawless postseason streak to three during a dance with Renegade.
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
