PUEBLO, Colo. – In case you missed it … PBR Teams is BACK!

RELATED: #InCaseYouMissedIt: 2024 PBR Teams season kicks off with huge debut for hometown Wildcatters

While plenty of veterans, existing teams and refreshed bonds were on display, several of the league’s new coaches and cowboys came out with a bang in Week 1.

Of course, we knew J.B. Mauney and his Oklahoma Wildcatters squad would be ready to put on a show for the hometown faithful. And after beginning the season 2-1, thanks to a pair of youngsters in Cort McFadden, Clay Guiton and company, they very much delivered during the franchise’s first-ever homestand.

But it wasn’t just the new kids on the block from Oklahoma who showed up and showed out, as three other squads in the Carolina Cowboys, Kansas City Outlaws and Arizona Ridge Riders managed to secure a pair of wins during the season-opener as well.

Fans interested in rank rides, ever-dramatic showdowns and the BIGGEST celebrations of the summer would be wise to stay tuned into the 2024 slate of PBR Camping World Team Series action, no doubt.

And while we recognize the 5-on-5 format is, indeed, team-centric and camaraderie-driven, the series is still based around 1-on-1 matchups as the world’s best riders go head-to-head with the fiercest of bovine athletes.

It’s still man vs. beast around these parts.

So, in celebrating the season kickoff, PBR.com is taking a brief look back at some of the top-performing cowboys from Week 1 of PBR Teams action!

Elizmar Jeremias – Florida Freedom: 259 Aggregate Score (3-for-3) Surely, everyone had Elizmar Jeremias sitting atop the 2024 PBR Teams MVP race after Week 1, right? Hell, even Head Coach Paulo Crimber was likely shocked to see the Brazilian lead the way for his Florida Freedom during the season-opening showdown. But that’s just the beauty of this series: You never know what a locker room full of guys having your back can do. And for the 27-year-old Brazilian, it seems to have provided him some additional confidence, if not comfort.

One of just two riders to record three qualified rides inside Paycom Center last weekend, Jeremias racked up a tour-best 259 aggregate score courtesy of a perfect 2-for-2 in gameplay (as the Freedom had Friday night off with a bye game) before becoming the lone rider to convert during Sunday afternoon’s Shootout Round. Warming up over the course of the weekend, his 85 and 85.75-point rides helped Florida establish a 1-1 record. But it was his 88.25-point dance with Mike’s Motive which may have ultimately put him on the radar for an early-season MVP contender.

In the name of brevity, we’re keeping this week’s shoutouts to six formal listings, but we can’t help but give a teammate shoutout to rookie John Crimber, who teamed up with Jeremias Sunday to clinch the franchise’s first win, ending the weekend opening weekend 2-for-2 himself.

Cort McFadden – Oklahoma Wildcatters: 241.25 Aggregate Score (3-for-3) As the only other rider to go 3-for-3 on the weekend, Cort McFadden is currently riding shotgun in the PBR Teams MVP race, trailing only Jeremias. Had his coach J.B. Mauney not settled for McFadden’s mundane 66.5-point journey during Sunday’s win over the Austin Gamblers in strategic fashion (and accepted the offered re-ride), there’s a chance McFadden is sitting atop the leaderboard, as the 20-year-old standout posted 88 and 86.75-point scores during his first two conversions. But the youngster can’t be upset, all things considered, as his perfect slate is still intact. More importantly, the year one squad is a healthy 2-1 and ranked No. 4 overall in the league’s standings.

After turning in a flashy No. 16 finish during his rookie Unleash The Beast campaign, he and teammate Clay Guiton have already established themselves as both the team’s future and now. Knowing that Austin Richardson will be back in action sooner than later, who was acquired from the Gamblers alongside McFadden in exchange for Kaique Pacheco a few months back, Mauney and friends are shooting for the moon leading into Week 2!

Cassio Dias – Kansas City Outlaws: 178.75 Aggregate Score (2-for-3) Opening his 2024 campaign with a flawless 2-for-2 slate Friday night, the reigning PBR World Champion in Cassio Dias was off to another hot start at Wildcatter Days. Helping his Kansas City Outlaws secure their first win of the night Friday by chipping in a welcomed 89.75-point dance, Dias went on to represent the orange and black unit during the first-ever Shootout Round. Eventually besting Mike’s Motive for a quality 89 points, he reminded fans just how dominant he is.

While the score wasn’t good enough to earn his team some extra cash, he still collected some points towards his MVP effort (with Eli Vastbinder’s rank 91.75-point spectacle stealing the honors) en route to providing some momentum for his team heading into the rest of the weekend. His teammate Koltin Hevalow was equally as clutch for the J.W. Hart-coached squad, 2-for-2 in his own right, albeit turning in 85.5 and 88.5-point scores to Dias’s pair of 89-plus-point efforts (89 points, 89.75 points). Regardless, the squad is off to a hot 2-0 start and will likely stay towards the top portion of the standings should Dias stay healthy this season.

Cooper Davis – Carolina Cowboys: 176.75 Aggregate Score (2-for-2) 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis took the 2024 premier series off, instead opting to rest up his body to ensure he could give his all to the Carolina Cowboys this summer. And after converting with flying colors during his opening weekend matchups, it’s safe to say the time off was time well spent.

Sitting out Friday night’s slate of games alongside the Freedom, Davis and company were amped up when their turn came around on Saturday. So excited … they went on to complete just the third perfect game in PBR Teams history. And while Florida did all they could to earn their first win, riding four of five bulls, they fell short of a surging Cowboys unit who was absolutely on fire. Both Saturday and Sunday, Jerome Davis’s squad was off to hot starts: Thanks to Cooper Davis, that is. Getting things started in the lead-off role both nights, Davis initially conquered Mikey’s Surprise Saturday for 87.25 points before stunning the crowd via an 89.5-point conversion atop Buzz Sunday. Most importantly, he looked dominant and in control during both rides, which is a scary sight for each of the league’s other nine teams. Sitting in the No. 4 spot within the PBR Teams MVP standings as the circuit endures a bye week (before suiting up for 11 straight weeks!), Davis is one of the hottest, and freshest riders on tour.

Nick Tetz – Arizona Ridge Riders: 172.75 Aggregate Score (2-for-2) Some would say that his teammate Keyshawn Whitehorse, who also went 2-for-2 while outscoring Tetz by 1.25 points on the weekend deserves one of these last spots. Especially when you include the idea that Whitehorse clinched his squad’s win over the hometown Wildcatters Saturday night. But if Tetz doesn’t set the Ridge Riders up for success in the first place, there’s nothing for Whitehorse to close.

And in the momentum-forward format that PBR Teams is, there’s nothing more important than getting your team in the right mindset from the go. That’s exactly what Tetz did in both of his Week 1 opportunities, delivering conversions as the lead-off rider during both of Arizona’s victories. Typically employed north of the border as one of the PBR Canada tour’s standout talents, the 2022 PBR Canada Champion understands his stateside duties come summertime. Pairing up with Hoka Hey (86.75 points) and El Dorado (86 points) for his pair of qualified rides, Tetz is one of the biggest reasons the Ridge Riders occupy the No. 2 spot exiting the season-opener.

Mason Taylor – Nashville Stampede: 171 Aggregate Score (2-for-3) There were several riders who managed to log a pair of conversions inside Paycom Center worthy of mention. But after seeing Mason Taylor single-handedly earn his Nashville Stampede their first victory of 2024 as the only member of his team to make the 8, he’s getting the nod here. A bit quiet in general for the past year or two, Taylor has had the skill to rank amongst the best bull riders in the world. However, it’s been his approach, attitude and ability to stay consistent which had previously plagued him over the recent stretch. However, when the lights came on and the show was underway, fans saw a completely different version of the Maypearl, Texas, native.

Going the distance Friday night during a showdown against Arizona, he got his spicy start going courtesy of a nice 86.75-point ride aboard Renegade. While the Stampede ended the opening night on the wrong side of the scoreboard, seeing Taylor transform back into his old self may have felt just as big as a win to coach Justin McBride. So much so that the World Champion further channeled some confidence into his rider when the team returned to action the following night. Putting the team on his back, he managed an 84.25-point go dancing with Norse God to propel Nashville into the win column. Sure, the pair of scores weren’t the flashiest of the weekend, but Taylor in general stood out as one of the weekend’s top performers. And alongside McFadden, was one of the few cowboys who secured wins for their respective teams via one-ride efforts. Look for Taylor to stay hot when the tour resumes the 2024 slate next weekend in Duluth, Georgia.

Honorable Mention: Briggs Madsen, who’s currently ranked No. 3 overall in the PBR Teams MVP standings, recorded a pair of rank efforts in Week 1. Teaming up with teammate Felipe Furlan (who was 2-for-3 on the weekend) in attempting to fuel his Missouri Thunder to a Sunday afternoon win, Madsen posted the game’s highest score, an 89-point beauty aboard Margin of Error. However, it was likely his opening night performance in the first-ever Shootout Round which may have earned him a regular spot in the rotation, as he exited his head-to-head showdown against Black Gold with a nice 90.25 points.

Sage Steele Kimzey likely would’ve made the list had his squad not declined a re-ride, instead accepting Kimzey’s 71.75-point go to clinch the Cowboys their second win of the season. Kimzey’s first strike on Saturday night was every bit of excellence we’re used to seeing, as the 2024 PBR World Finals event-winner posted a sick 91-point showcase atop Killer Bee.

Fans can stay tuned to PBR.com and @PBR social media channels for the latest PBR Camping World Team Series coverage. And be sure to download the Merit+ App!

Photo courtesy of Todd Brewer/Bull Stock Media