BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT) returned to Bakersfield, California, Saturday night where Briggs Madsen (Honeyville, Utah) was unstoppable, securing his first PWVT event win of the year.

In Round 1, the 25-year-old athlete who rides for the Nashville Stampede in the separate PBR Teams league, was paired with Peanut, firing out of the chutes for an impressive 85.5 points. The first-place finish in the opening round pushed him through to the championship round and ultimately his win. 

As the talented animal athletes of the PBR showcased their supreme agility throughout the final round, the Utah cowboy hoped to keep the momentum going when matched up with King Tut. Unfortunately, the muscular bovine threw him to the dirt in a mere .97 seconds, starting a trend of domination throughout the round.

For his 1-for-2 night, Madsen netted 108 Velocity Global points and is now sitting at No. 33 in the Velocity standings. 

Velocity Global points contribute to the Velocity Global Standings and determine which new riders are added to the elite Unleash The Beast throughout the season. The Top 3 Velocity Global riders who have not already qualified are also invited to the PBR World Finals in May.

On a night where four of the Top 5 riders on the leaderboard were from California, Andy Guzman (Oakdale, California) was hot on Madsen’s heels in front of his home state crowd at Mechanics Bank Arena, coming in at second place.

The 21-year-old cowboy was paired with Brindle Badger in Round 1, earning second place for the round with an 84.5-point ride.  

He then set his sights on the championship round where, to the California crowd’s dismay, Shot in the Dark dispatched Guzman after 6.19 seconds.

Guzman collected 68 Velocity Global points for his efforts and is currently at No. 24 in the Velocity standings.  

With a determined look, fellow Californian Aaron Williams (Pismo Beach, California) conquered his Round 1 matchup against VB Smooth, turning in an 83-point ride to put himself in the Top 3 for the opening round in Bakersfield. 

Despite doctoring out of the championship round, Williams earned 53 Velocity Global points for his third-place finish on the leaderboard and moved to No. 13 in the Velocity standings. 

Yet another California man, Ray Mayo (Clearlake, California) ended up fourth place in Bakersfield on Saturday night. 

In Round 1, he was paired with Dirty Dave. He was successful in the matchup with an exhilarating 81.5-point ride. 

Looking ahead at the championship round, the 24-year-old was then paired with Broken Promise.

Despite his best efforts, like his fellow riders in the final round, the incredible animal won the duel, bucking the Clearlake cowboy off after 4.75 seconds.

For his evening in Bakersfield, Mayo earned 37 Velocity Global points and sits at No. 95 in the Velocity standings.

Rounding out the Top 5 at Mechanics Bank Arena was Eli Necochea (Hemet, California).

In Round 1, he launched from the chutes aboard Fright Night. As excited California fans cheered, he made it to the buzzer, scoring 81 points, and securing a fifth-place finish in the round.

Opting to not compete in the final round, his first round score helped the 25-year-old leave Bakersfield with 32 Velocity Global points, now sitting at No. 64 in the Velocity standings. 

The talented bull riders of the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour will next head to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the Walmart Health and Wellness PBR Tulsa at BOK Center Jan. 24-25.

In a double-up weekend, the PWVT will also be in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the PBR Grand Rapids at Van Andel Arena on Jan. 24-25. 

PBR Bakersfield – Mechanics Bank Arena
Bakersfield, California, 2025 
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Event Aggregate-Event Points) 
1. Briggs Madsen, 85.5-0-85.50-108 Points.
2. Andy Guzman, 84.5-0-84.50-68 Points.
3. Aaron Williams, 83-0-83.00-53 Points.
4. Ray Mayo, 81.5-0-81.50-37 Points.
5. Eli Necochea, 81-0-81.00-32 Points.
6. Billy Quillan, 71-0-71.00-18 Points.
7. Dalton Rudman, 69-0-69.00-11 Points.
8. Junior Patrik Souza, 58-0-58.00-9 Points.
Max Castro, 0-0-0.00
Eric Novoa, 0-0-0.00
Jaxton Mortensen, 0-0-0.00
Garret Holden, 0-0-0.00
William Wright, 0-0-0.00
Pokey Houghton, 0-0-0.00
Kyle Eaton [1], 0-0-0.00
Kyle Eaton [2], 0-0-0.00
Wyatt Nez, 0-0-0.00
Jesse Flores, 0-0-0.00
Brady Turgeon, 0-0-0.00
Andy Valdez, 0-0-0.00
Jerrison Begay, 0-0-0.00
Colby Hill, 0-0-0.00
Corey Dryden, 0-0-0.00
Garrett Crist, 0-0-0.00
Luis Tinoco, 0-0-0.00
Quinten Panarra, 0-0-0.00
Brett Gunderson, 0-0-0.00
Marco Lopez, 0-0-0.00
Clay Padgett, 0-0-0.00
Jadon Fiasco, 0-0-0.00
Dakota Johnson, 0-0-0.00
Cutter Woollard, 0-0-0.00
Jacob David, 0-0-0.00
Jose Natanael Marcodes da Silva, 0-0-0.00
Wyatt Vineyard, 0-0-0.00

Photo courtesy of Andre Silva/Bull Stock Media