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Castro claims the crown in Fort Collins: 2025 Last Cowboy Standing recap

07.24.25 - News

Castro claims the crown in Fort Collins: 2025 Last Cowboy Standing recap

In a five-round showdown of grit and guts at Canvas Stadium, Leonardo Castro outlasted the field to win the first-ever Last Cowboy Standing event in Fort Collins and take home $100,000.

By James Phillips | COO & Co-Founder, Midwest Outdoors Adaptability Foundation

For the first time ever, PBR’s legendary Last Cowboy Standing format stormed into the mountain air of Fort Collins, Colorado, transforming Canvas Stadium into a pressure-cooker battleground during the Best of the West Weekend, July 21–22, 2025. This wasn’t just another bull riding event. It was a test of survival. A gauntlet. And at the end of it all, one man stood tall—Leonardo Castro.

With $100,000 and 336 Challenger Global Points on the line, riders brought their best to this unforgiving five-round war, knowing every jump and twist could define their season—or derail it.

In case you missed the action live from Fort Collins, check out the full photo gallery courtesy of Bull Stock Media.

Format Breakdown – Last Cowboy Standing

Here’s how it worked:
• Round 1 – 35 riders, one bull each. Eight-second rides advance.
• Round 2 – Top 20 advance based on qualified rides, buckoff time, or Unleash The Beast (UTB) standings.
• Round 3 – Top 8 by aggregate score.
• Round 4 – Top 4 by aggregate.
• Round 5 – Final 2 go head-to-head for the win.

This format leaves no room for mistakes. You ride—or you go home.

Challenger Points Breakdown

Here’s how points were awarded:
• Round 1 winner – 38 points
• Round 2 winner – 48 points
• Round 3 winner – 58 points
• Round 4 winner – 68 points
• Event champion (Round 5) – 124 points

The maximum haul? A whopping 336 Challenger points—enough to turn an underdog into a Championship contender overnight.

And that Championship? They’ll be held October 22–23, 2025, at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Round 1 – Swearingen Rises Early

The opening night belonged to 2022 World Champion Daylon Swearingen, who posted 87.50 points on Smooth Violation after wisely taking a re-ride option. That strategic call earned him the Round 1 win and 38 points, setting the tone early.

Close behind were:
2. Lucas Martins Costa – 86.50
3. Leonardo Castro – 86.50
4. Brady Fielder – 85.75
5. Eduardo Aparecido – 85.75
6. Thiago Salgado – 85.25
7. Cort McFadden – 85.25
8. Daniel Feitosa – 85.00
9. Anderson de Oliveira – 85.00
10. João Ricardo Vieira – 84.50
11. Alan de Souza – 84.25
12. Sandro Batista – 83.50
13. Elizmar Jeremias – 83.25
14. Jeferson Silva – 83.00
15. Clay Guiton – 80.25
16. Paulo Eduardo Rossetto – 78.25
17. Maverick Smith – 77.25

The final three slots to complete the Round 2 roster of 20 were awarded based on buckoff times and UTB standings.

Round 2 – Only Five Make the Whistle

The bulls turned up the pressure in Round 2, and only five riders answered the call:

  1. Alan de Souza – 88.00 on Coal Train

  2. Leonardo Castro – 87.50 on Kill Switch

  3. Clay Guiton – 86.75 on I’m a Hostage

  4. Brady Fielder – 86.25 on Barbarosa

  5. Sandro Batista – 85.50 on Smooth Violation

These five rides were marked by grit, control, and poise—especially de Souza’s near-flawless trip aboard Coal Train, which earned him 48 points as the Round 2 winner.

Round 3 – Castro Rises Again

Combining scores from Rounds 1 and 2, the top eight—now listed in correct order from highest to lowest cumulative score—were:

  1. Leonardo Castro – 173.50

  2. Daylon Swearingen – 172.50

  3. Alan de Souza – 172.25

  4. Brady Fielder – 172.00

  5. Sandro Batista – 169.00

  6. Clay Guiton – 167.00

  7. Lucas Martins Costa – 86.50

  8. Eduardo Aparecido – 85.75

In Round 3, Leonardo Castro continued his dominance, matching his second-round score with another 87.50-point ride, this time aboard Red Mosquito. That earned him the round win and 58 additional Challenger points.

Round 4 – Fielder Stands Alone

With just four men remaining—Castro, Fielder, de Souza, and Swearingen—only one rider made the whistle in Round 4: Brady Fielder.

His 87.00-point ride on Margin of Error not only won the round but earned him 68 more points, putting him in position to win the entire event if he could deliver once more in the finals.

Round 5 – Castro Strikes First, Fielder Falls Just Short

The stakes couldn’t have been higher.

Leonardo Castro rode first and laid down an 88.25-point ride on Tulsa Time—a gutsy, high-impact effort that showed every ounce of the confidence and momentum he’d built over the past two nights.

Brady Fielder, coming off the only ride in Round 4, had one final chance. He delivered a powerful 87.50-point ride on Ugly This, just 0.75 points short of what would have been a $100,000 victory.

Castro had done it. And he had done it in style.

Champion’s Reward – A Season-Changing Victory

With four qualified rides and two round wins, Leonardo Castro walked away with:
• Round 2: 87.50 (qualified ride, 0 pts)
• Round 3: 87.50 (round win, 58 pts)
• Round 5: 88.25 (event win, 124 pts)
Total Challenger Points Earned: 58 + 124 = 182
Total Event Earnings: $133,233 (including round payouts)

Legacy in the Making

This wasn’t just a win—it was a statement. Castro was locked in from the start, riding four rank bulls for a combined 349.75 points and never giving an inch under pressure.

Fielder was phenomenal—highlighted by his solo whistle in Round 4 and a brilliant final effort. But this time, the difference was three-quarters of a point.

Together, they gave fans a Vegas-worthy finale in July. And the 2025 Challenger Series just found two of its most dangerous contenders.

Looking Ahead and Looking Within

I’m already looking ahead to Duluth this weekend to see if both Leonardo Castro and Brady Fielder can keep that fire alive and carry their momentum into the next phase of the season—this time in a team format at a mutual site event. We’ve seen what these men can do when it’s just them and the bull. Now we’ll see what happens when they ride for something even bigger.

You know what else I’m looking forward to? Something deeply personal—something that’s changing lives every single day in a way no eight-second ride ever could. That’s the Midwest Outdoors Adaptability Foundation, where I proudly serve as COO and co-founder. We’re just about a year old, and on July 26, we’ll deliver our very first Action Trackchair to a deserving 12-year-old boy whose world is about to open up in ways he’s never imagined. Our mission is simple: to ensure civilians with mobility challenges—often denied insurance coverage—aren’t left behind when it comes to living full, free, outdoor lives. These aren’t just wheelchairs. They’re lifelines. They’re independence restored, fatherhood made possible, and childhood reimagined.

Why should the western world care? Because these are our people. The sons and daughters of farmers, ranchers, riders, welders, and warfighters. Rodeo fans, stock contractors, and small-town folks who’ve lived the arena life from birth. If we won’t fight for them, who will? That’s why I’m asking our community—if you’ve ever watched someone climb into a chute and thought, “That’s what toughness looks like,” you already understand this mission. We need boots on the ground, sponsors, donors, and storytellers. Visit www.moafoundation.org or watch our four-minute video here to see how you can help. Even though our recipient stories are just beginning, our mission is already in motion—and this first chair is just the start of something much bigger.

Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media