FORT WORTH, Texas – Last October, at the 2023 PBR Camping World Team Series regular-season finale, Chase Outlaw was stepped on and suffered a gruesome broken leg, ending his season at the worst possible time.
He’d gone 4-for-9 for the Nashville Stampede after returning to action in September, serving as the heart and soul of the perennial underdog team chasing its second consecutive Teams Championship.
With Outlaw out of commission, the Stampede finished the Teams Championship in dead last.
This October – almost a year later, to the day – Outlaw made his long-awaited return for the Stampede at Ridge Rider Days in Glendale, Arizona.
Of course, after four years of battling near-constant injury, his return couldn’t go exactly how he’d hoped.
“I was supposed to be back in Fort Worth (at Rattler Days the weekend prior),” Outlaw said. “The Wednesday after (Cowboy Days in) Greensboro, I rode bulls, and then that Friday, I sliced my hand open with a hay-cutting blade and had to have stitches put in it. So that’s what kept me out of Fort Worth. And it was my riding hand, too. It was so deep, I could see that artery pumping blood.”
So Outlaw took two weeks to heal up and arrived in Glendale sporting a thick scar in the webbing between his thumb and pointer finger.
But if you think a little thing like a cut is going to keep Chase Outlaw down, you’ve got another thing coming.
“This guy means business,” stock contractor and Merit Street color commentator Cord McCoy said. “Whether his body is ready or not, his mind is 100% in.”
The 32-year-old immediately got back into the thick of things, riding Hundred Bad Days for 86 points in his first premier series out in a year.
“That’s fun, you know?” Stampede head coach Justin McBride told Kate Harrison on Merit Street, grinning broadly after Outlaw’s ride. “That fires everybody up. To see Outlaw go through all the stuff he’s went through in his career, come back and, first one back in competition, make a ride like that – that’s awesome.”
Known for his big emotions, Outlaw was a bit overcome as he discussed his ride with Harrison.
“Every one of ’em’s big, but the only one that matters is when you’re crawling down in there,” Outlaw said. “Nothing else mattered before, nothing else is going to matter afterwards when we’re in that bucking chute.
“Man, I’m just having fun, and thank the Lord. Bless the Lord for letting me get back here, and thank the Lord for blessing our family for having to put up with me during all this. If it weren’t for the good Lord Jesus Christ, we wouldn’t be here today, with all the trials and tribulations I done been through. You just can’t ever give up.”
Outlaw bucked off Peanut in his second out of the weekend, and the Stampede went 1-1 to close their regular-season campaign at Ridge Rider Days.
They ultimately finished in the No. 7 seed, relegating them to the Ride-In Round on Oct. 17 at South Point Arena in Las Vegas. They’ll compete in a four-way game against the No. 8 Oklahoma Wildcatters, No. 9 Arizona Ridge Riders, and No. 10 New York Mavericks for the two remaining berths at the 2024 PBR Camping World Teams Championship on Oct. 18-20 in T-Mobile Arena.
Fans can watch the Ride-In Round exclusively on PBR+ on Oct. 17 at 10 p.m. ET.
While it’s not the ideal scenario, the Stampede know how to make a Cinderella run – they went from worst to first when they won the 2022 Teams Championship – and Outlaw enjoys fighting from behind.
“I’d rather be doing the hunting than be the hunted,” he said. “I mean, I hate that I’ve been out this long. It’s Silvano (Alves)’s last times he’ll be hanging his rope up in the locker room. And really, for myself and for him, we’re trying to make sure we all end up on top.”
Indeed, three-time World Champion Alves announced in May that he’d be retiring from the Unleash The Beast, and he’s nearing the end of his storied career. Perhaps some added motivation for the Stampede, but also maybe some added pressure.
All eyes were already on Outlaw as he returned to action in Glendale. He’s struggled mightily to remain healthy these last few years and is 14-for-29 (48%) across three Teams seasons. For context, 2024 regular-season MVP John Crimber had 40 outs just this season.
It was a big spot to jump back in, but Outlaw says he’d already shaken off the nerves.
“You get them out of the way at the practice pen,” he said. “That first one, you get that monkey off your back, and it’s good to go.”
If that goes for events as well, Outlaw has the monkey off his back and can head to Vegas firing on all cylinders.
He’s healthy, he’s feeling good, and he’s appreciating every bull he gets on.
“It don’t matter when you come back,” Outlaw said. “Just be thankful to God that I’m able to come back. It’s still the same ballgame. I’ve still got to be here and level. It’s still the same name of the game. I’m just thankful and blessed. That’s it.”
Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media