What to Watch For: Can No. 18 Dener Barbosa turn up the heat down the home stretch?
Austin Gamblers veteran quietly staying in gold buckle contention during age 30 campaign.
By James Youness
FORT WORTH, Texas – Between watching No. 2 Dalton Kasel sweep all three rounds of competition last weekend en route to capturing his second-straight premier series title and the fact that the Muleshoe, Texas, native has been known to put on a show in the Golden State before, it was hard not selecting the 26-year-old for this week’s “What to Watch For.”
But after living in the limelight for the past two-plus weeks, we’ve pretty much bragged on all that Kasel has accomplished lately, so we’ll instead show some love to No. 18 Dener Barbosa, who’s been trending in a positive direction, himself.
And trust us, we know folks around the world will be keeping an eye on one of this season’s hottest talents in Kasel, anyways. Ourselves included.
Yet, it’s a different veteran we’re zooming in on ahead of Week 18’s quickly approaching Wrangler PBR Greater Palm Springs showdown in Palm Desert, California.
Coming off a favorable eighth-place finish last weekend in Louisville, Kentucky, Barbosa has consecutive Top 10 results to his name, after he managed a No. 6 finish back in Little Rock, Arkansas, as he continues to gear up and bare down for his World Finals push.
Knowing the Top 15-ranked riders following the first of three postseason stages, the 2025 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Eliminations, set to invade Cowtown Coliseum May 8-11, receive an automatic bid to the Championship stage inside AT&T Stadium May 17-18 …
… suggests guys who have been consistently meeting said mark throughout the regular season may be atop the favorites to end the season rank as such.
Which is a good sign for a guy like Barbosa, who hasn’t been living in the limelight like the Kasel and Brady Fielder types yet continues to wiggle his way into respectable placements during his age 30 campaign.
Having rode at least one bull in 13 of the tour’s 17 events to date not only proves he’s capable of keeping up with some of the circuit’s young bucks (pun intended) and established veterans, but that he might have some additional fuel in the tank for the home stretch.
Furthering his credit and likelihood he might be able to skip the second session inside Cowtown Coliseum, the “last chance” Ride For Redemption rounds, by securing a Top 15 spot ahead of said showdown – Barbosa has logged nine separate Top 15 finishes throughout his campaign.
While he hasn’t had too much success in the round or event win categories this time around, which provide ever-coveted bonus points for riders capable of achieving said chart-topping honors, he’s currently just three spots outside Top 15 company despite owning just ONE round win in 2025.
Exiting the second round of action in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the session’s top-scoring cowboy via an 87.25-point out aboard Oyster Creek Brawler, even in that moment Barbosa wasn’t the man of the hour, as both Kasel and No. 6 Keyshawn Whitehorse turned in matching efforts to split the win.
Not that Barbosa needs the bright lights to shine.
But when the talent has been healthy and needed during the action-packed PBR Camping World Team Series landscape, he’s stepped up the plate more than not.
Just 5-for-8 last season with the Arizona Ridge Riders, he battled availability alongside finding a regular spot within one of the league’s deepest squads when it comes to top-tier personnel.
But anytime you’re riding more than 50% of your bulls at the premier series level, over any time period, means you’re a force to be reckoned with.
And while his former black and white-dressed squad looks to put the finishing touches on what would be a perfect 3-0 sweep over the Oklahoma Wildcatters Friday night during the next iteration of Monster Energy Team Challenge, presented by Camping World, action, he’s been putting on one hell of an audition for the defending 2024 PBR Teams Champion Austin Gamblers, who signed the veteran just weeks after claiming the honors inside T-Mobile Arena.
Now 20-for-42 (47.62%) on the season, he’s damn close to the almost necessary “one up, one down” rate needed to complete his return to World Finals.
Tied for the tenth-most rides on tour, alongside the likes of fellow countrymen No. 9 Kaique Pacheco and No. 13 Sandro Batista, he’s not just going through the motions.
He’s converting at a Top 10 rate – He just hasn’t climbed atop the shark cage as often as he’d like.
Set to dance with Schott in the Dark during Friday night’s opening round, will the smiley-faced standout make the most of the four-round showdown?
Be sure to check out all of this weekend’s action LIVE and FREE beginning Friday night!
This weekend’s Wrangler PBR Greater Palm Springs in Palm Desert, California, is set to begin Friday, March 21 at 7:45 p.m. PT as the world’s top-ranked cowboys look to put the finishing touches on their 2025 campaign down the home stretch inside Acrisure Arena.
The action will continue Saturday, March 22 at 6:45 p.m. PT with the second round before concluding Sunday, March 23 at 1:45 p.m. PT with Round 3, followed by the short go, as riders look to capture crucial UTB points in the race for the 2025 PBR World Championship.
All four rounds of action in Palm Desert will be available LIVE and FREE via RidePass on Pluto TV, PBR’s YouTube channel, PBR’s mobile app, PBR’s app on connected TVs, including Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, and Google TV, as well as on your favorite web browser at watch.pbr.com. The stream for PBR Palm Springs begins Friday, March 21 at 8 p.m. PT.
Fans can keep an eye on PBR.com and @PBR social media channels for the latest news, scores, wrecks and more!
