NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – In front of a sold-out Saturday night crown inside North Charleston Coliseum, Felipe Furlan (Sales Oliveira, Brazil) dominated, going a perfect 2-for-2 on Championship Saturday to win the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour’s PBR North Charleston in South Carolina.
While Furlan, who rides for the Missouri Thunder in the separate PBR Teams league, failed to convert in Round 1 Friday night, bested by Tio Joe (TDS/Buentello Bucking Bulls) in 4.72 seconds, he was quick to rebound.
The reserved Brazilian first put points on the board in Round 2 when he bested Arnold Palmer (Silent 7/Hilton Bull Co.) for 85 points. Furlan then cemented the victory when he delivered the high-marked ride of the event in the championship round, conquering Workin’ Man (Davis Rodeo Ranch) for 89 points.
Earning 124 Velocity Global points for the golden finish, Furlan catapulted from No. 51 to No. 5 in the race for the 2025 Velocity Tour Championship. He now trails No. 1 Ky Hamilton (Mackay, Queensland, Australia) by 63 points.
Second was the Missouri Thunder’s Dawson Gleaves (Amarillo, Texas).
Gleaves stole the show Friday night, winning Round 1 courtesy of an 86-point ride on Lil Wayne (Kevin Foreman Bucking Bulls). The Texan, however, stumbled in Round 2, tossed by Win (TC/Cooper/Hanks Bucking Bulls) in 3.2 seconds.
Determined to conclude the event with a qualified ride, Gleaves regained his form in the championship round, making the requisite 8 atop Mr. Wilson (Richardson Land & Cattle Co.) for 87 points.
Gleaves left the Palmetto State with 96 Velocity Global points. He surged from No. 138 to No. 24 in the standings.
As the final rider to go 2-for-3, Cody McCandless (Derry, Pennsylvania) was third. Bookending his time in North Charleston with scores, McCandless rode Action Jackson (TDS/Buentello Bucking Bulls) for 83.5 points in Round 1 and Crash (KR Bucking Stock/LTG Bucking Bulls) for 77.5 points in the final round.
McCandless’ bronze showing earned him 68 Velocity Global points. He surged from No. 68 to No. 20 in the standings, now within 137 points of No. 1 Hamilton.
Grayson Cole (New Ringgold, Pennsylvania) was fourth.
The 2024 Velocity Tour Champion garnered 49 points for his Round 2-winning, 87.5-point ride atop Aggie Pete (Julian Cattle), climbing from No. 39 to No. 16. He was propelled within 124.33 points of the top spot.
Rounding out the Top 5 and tying for fifth was the Arizona Ridge Riders’ Bruno Carvalho (Alvares Florence, Brazil) and Zane Cook (Fort Gibson, Oklahoma), each netting 32 Velocity Global points for their matching 86-point rides in Round 2.
Carvalho, who bested Sugar Smack (UB Bucking Company), climbed from No. 48 to No. 31 in the 2025 Velocity Tour Championship race, while Cook, who covered Underdog (Topline Steel Buildings/Barrett), rose from unranked to No. 92.
The PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour next travels to Denver, Colorado, on Jan. 13-15, followed by Charleston, West Virginia, on Jan. 17-18, and Bakersfield, California, on Jan. 18.
The Denver PBR Chute Out at The National Western Stock Show gets underway nightly from Jan. 13-15 at 7 p.m. MT. PBR Charleston at Charleston Coliseum begins at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 17 and 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 18. PBR Bakersfield at Mechanics Bank Arena begins at 7 p.m. PT on Saturday, Jan. 18.
Photo courtesy of Andre Silva/Bull Stock Media