What to Watch For: No. 12 Claudio Montanha Jr. soaring amidst second wind title push
Texas Rattlers veteran sits tied with fourth-most conversions amongst premier series pack.
By James Youness
FORT WORTH, Texas – If you’d have asked us whether we thought veteran Claudio Montanha Jr. would be ranked within the Top 12 of the Unleash The Beast World Championship standings with less than two months remaining until the 2025 PBR World Finals at ANY POINT in the past two years, we’d have politely declined the idea.
And lost the bet.
Sure, the 35-year-old pieced together a rather productive session for the Texas Rattlers last summer, finishing the year 8-for-14 as a depth contributor to the 2023 Champs as he shook off a bit of rust.
But that was only good enough for a No. 27 finish in the series’ MVP standings, so the idea that he’d be shifting things into overdrive during the 2025 premier series campaign wasn’t something that seemed likely at the time.
Yet, it’s the exact circumstance hundreds of thousands of fans around the world continue to witness lately, as the Brazilian seems determined to make some noise once more.
With a No. 4 finish during the organization’s 25th anniversary (back in 2018) remaining the best mark on his resume, he hasn’t come too close to making a run at a new career-best, most recently turning in No. 56 (2024) and No. 76 (2023) efforts on UTB.
However, he sits locked into the No. 12 spot ahead of this weekend’s approaching Kubota PBR Louisville, riding a bit of a second wind during what’s become quite the unpredictable season.
Just seven days after tying Paulo Eduardo Rossetto for seventh-place honors back in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Montanha went on to secure a third-place finish last weekend in Little Rock, Arkansas, courtesy of a flawless performance.
One of just four men to stay perfect throughout the three-round showcase, he earned his first podium appearance of the season by tying tour leader Brady Fielder for third place.
Pairing an 87.5-point journey aboard Hunter from Round 1 with an 85.5-point mark in Round 2 atop Mr. Vaquero, he found himself competing in his eighth short round of the season. Selecting a rematch opportunity with Hoobastank, the very bull which bucked him off during Milwaukee’s Championship Round, he made sure to finish the job this time around.
Now 5-for-6 over the course of the circuit’s last two showdowns, he’s still 421.5 UTB points behind the Australian who continues to set the pace. But the only way to chase him down is consistently turning in quality performances.
Bringing six Top 10s and 10 Top-15 efforts into this weekend’s competition, it’s fair to say he’s been one of the more consistent guys around this season. Having ridden at least one bull in 14 of the 16 events in which he’s competed in, he might only be averaging an 84.6-point score when he meets the 8.
But if that’s the formula which can keep him within striking range, keep on keeping on!
Tied with Keyshawn Whitehorse and Cort McFadden with the fourth-most qualified rides on tour, he’s officially 21-for-42 on the year.
The Brazilian veteran has also attempted the most bulls of all cowboys on the circuit, one more than Luciano De Castro and two more than Fielder and Koltin Hevalow.
With a pair of premier series victories to his resume, dating back to the 2019 and 2021 campaigns, he understands what it feels like to win big on the top tour.
It’s just been a while.
Yet, his third and fourth-place efforts this season suggest he could be on the cusp of collecting what would be his first UTB event title in nearly four years.
Preparing to challenge his 43rd bull of the season, Holy Shift, during a Round 1 matchup, will the trending talent continue his climb up the standings?
Be sure to check out all of this weekend’s action LIVE and FREE beginning Friday night!
This weekend’s Kubota PBR Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, is set to begin Friday, March 14 at 7:45 p.m. ET as the world’s top-ranked cowboys prepare to duke it out inside KFC Yum! Center.
Competition will conclude Saturday, March 15 at 6:45 p.m. ET with Round 2, followed by the short go, as riders look to put the finishing touches on the two-day showcase.
