FORT WORTH – When Arizona Ridge Riders head coach Colby Yates competed in the PBR in 2006-2012, only a handful of Brazilian bull riders were on the premier series with him.

“Whenever I was riding, there were maybe five Brazilian riders, maybe six,” Yates said. “Maybe.”

All one has to do is scan the Unleash The Beast standings to see how quickly that’s changed.

Currently, 18 of the Top 35 bull riders are from Brazil – and that’s not including No. 2 John Crimber, who was born in Texas but is Brazilian and speaks fluent Portuguese, and reigning World Champion Cassio Dias, who’s been out since the season-opener due to injury.

“And there’s a few more knocking on the door, so the Americans have got to step it up,” Yates said. “And it’s not going to stop. There’s another handful of them over there that are ready to come over right now, and they just need the opportunity.”

The huge influx of Brazilian talent in the last decade has revolutionized the PBR, and it’s the impetus behind the next step.

The PBR Team Series is holding a scouting combine on Feb. 18-20 in Icem, Sao Paulo, Brazil – the first-ever combine held outside the United States.

Representatives from all 10 teams will be in attendance, including Yates and General Manager Casey Lane for the Ridge Riders. They’ll be joined by Austin Gamblers Director of Brazil Operations Adriano Moraes; Carolina Cowboys assistant coach Robson Palermo; Florida Freedom head coach Paulo Crimber; Kansas City Outlaws head coach J.W. Hart and assistant coach Guilherme Marchi; Missouri Thunder head coach Ross Coleman; Nashville Stampede assistant coach Silvano Alves; New York Mavericks General Manager Chris Pantani and head coach Kody Lostroh; Oklahoma Wildcatters General Manager Chris Dashney; and Texas Rattlers Assistant General Manager Riley Lambert.

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“There’ll be a lot of really talented riders that we’ve already identified, as a league and as teams and as coaches, that deserve a chance at this, and it’s a really great opportunity for us to be able to get over there,” Yates said.

In 2024, the Austin Gamblers won the PBR Camping World Team Series Championship, receiving qualified rides from five riders, four of whom are Brazilian.

“With the continued evolution of and advancement of our animal athletes getting bigger, faster, stronger, and smarter, one of the biggest challenges we face is to make sure we have enough quality riders,” Austin Gamblers CEO JJ Gottsch said. “So, the first question is, where do you find those riders? When you look at the top of the PBR world rankings, Brazil is regularly represented by 50% of the riders – and that’s not a new phenomenon. 

“The combine is important for two main reasons. First, to identify the next group of Brazilians that can ride at this level. Secondly, and just as important, is to work closely with the national governments so that we can create a path for these riders to come over and compete.”

In the first year of the PBR Team Series, there was only one Brazilian coach – Paulo Crimber, who then co-coached the Ridge Riders with Yates. It didn’t take long for teams to realize the importance of having a Brazilian on the coaching staff. Now, just two seasons later, five of the 10 teams have a Brazilian coach.

Yates and the Ridge Riders currently rely on veteran riders Eduardo Aparecido and Luciano De Castro for intel on up-and-coming riders in Brazil.

On the other hand, the Gamblers brought in three-time World Champion Adriano Moraes as their Director of Brazil Operations. The Gamblers have spent time on the Moraes ranch in Brazil and competed in PBR Brazil events the past two summers.

“When you think about Adriano Moraes, you think about all the firsts,” Gottsch said. “The first PBR World Champion, the first three-time PBR World Champion, etc. He has been a trailblazer on and off the dirt. He created not only a legacy but a path for these young riders to follow.

“To have him represent not only the Gamblers but the PBR to the next generation of riders in Brazil is extremely impactful. I don’t know anyone that loves the sport of bull riding more than Adriano, we’re extremely proud to have represent our team.”

With this combine, all teams will have a direct link to the talent pipeline in Brazil, which will change the game.

“For us to be able to go over there and get a firsthand look and be able to talk to the guys and see them, see them compete – and I know it’s a little different over there, but it’s so much bigger for us to know what we’re getting before we get it,” Yates said. “Bulls are different. It’s just a totally different deal. For us to be able to communicate with them and talk to them and get a feel for them that way is going to be a huge benefit for us.”

The combine may unearth the next Cassio Dias, plucked from relative obscurity by the Outlaws in the 2023 PBR Teams draft to become an immediate Teams MVP contender and PBR World Champion in his rookie season. We may find the next Jose Vitor Leme, who has two world titles and the two highest-scoring rides in PBR history, or the next Adriano Moraes or Silvano Alves, PBR’s only three-time World Champions.

If that’s the talent pool the PBR has gotten from Brazil without dedicated scouting, the sky is the limit with a combine in play.

“I would think that five years from now, this is going to be a very big thing,” Yates said. “This is huge for our sport alone. They’re getting more and more (bull riders in Brazil), and that’s only going to make it better. So anything that we can do here, combine-wise, to give these kids something to shoot for, even if they don’t do our sport, is only going to help us in the long run. It’s a big deal.”

Photo courtesy of Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media