Diving into the opening weekend of the 2026 Unleash the Beast in Manchester — what the fireworks didn’t tell you
Manchester season opener reveals who belongs in the world title conversation.
By James Phillips | COO & Co-Founder, Midwest Outdoors Adaptability Foundation
Opening night of the new Unleash The Beast season from Manchester, N.H., delivered fireworks both literal and figurative. Once the smoke cleared Friday night, only 13 qualified rides were recorded in Round 1, a reminder that early in the season, opportunity often belongs to those willing to capitalize when others hesitate.
By the time the Championship Round was winding down on Saturday night, the world’s best were on fire, trading the lead four times.
PBR Manchester encapsulated what makes this sport so unpredictable and compelling. Ultimately, Dalton Kasel stood tallest, putting everyone in the locker room on notice — he’s not forgotten the championship that slipped away on the final day of the 2024 season.
Top three takeaways — Friday night
No. 3 — New scoring system marks a transformative evolution of PBR judging
PBR officially introduced scoring with 0.1-point increments for both rider and bull scores — a change designed to bring more accurate, meaningful separation at the highest level of the sport.
A comprehensive two-year analysis of more than 15,500 premier-level rides revealed just how consistent elite bull performance has become:
• 96% of bull scores above 19 fell between 20.0 and 22.0
• 81% landed within a single-point window, 20.5 to 21.5
Those findings revealed two critical truths: elite bulls perform at nearly identical levels, and judges were effectively confined to narrow scoring ranges. The move to 0.1-point increments allows judges to reward subtle differences that matter, while built-in balance ensures a rider’s score may not exceed the bull’s by more than 3.0 points, preserving competitive symmetry.
No. 2 — Early separation without closing doors
The opening round in Manchester showed how narrow the margins will be this season. With a condensed schedule and several top contenders not expected to return until January, opening weekend carried added weight for riders looking to establish early footing.
Manchester provided that opportunity for competitors who earned their way into Unleash The Beast events through the Challenger Series. Lucas Martins Costa, who qualified via the Challenger Series event at South Point in October, stood out as one of the riders who capitalized on that opening.
Others left valuable ground uncovered in Round 1. But with only 13 qualified rides recorded, the standings remained fluid. Early results didn’t shut doors — they kept them open. Riders willing to respond in Round 2 still had a clear path to position themselves inside the top 12 heading into Championship Saturday night.
No. 1 — Rossetto makes a statement
The defining moment of opening night belonged to Paulo Eduardo Rossetto, who delivered a composed, authoritative ride aboard Dirty South, the powerful bull owned by BBG Bucking Bulls — an operation now associated with country music superstar Brantley Gilbert.
Rossetto’s ride was controlled from the nod to the buzzer, earning 87.75 points — the highest score of the night — along with 28 points toward the 2026 Unleash The Beast world standings. What separated the performance wasn’t just the score, but the versatility Rossetto brought into the arena. He’s the only athlete on tour who can compete at an elite level riding with either hand, and that adaptability gave him a distinct advantage against a bull with Dirty South’s power and timing.
It wasn’t just a Round 1 win. It was the first statement of the 2026 season.
Saturday, Dec. 13 — Championship Saturday
Inside SNHU Arena on Saturday night, riders outside the top 12 and looking had an urgency to record ride scores, while those inside the top 12 faced the pressure of defending their position. Championship Saturday was about who could build on Friday night, who could put up a big ride to qualify for the short round, and who could take the first meaningful step toward a gold buckle and a $1 million prize.
Top three takeaways — Saturday night
No. 3 — Round 2 opens the floodgates
Round 2 in Manchester delivered a remarkable statistical turn: 21 qualified rides were recorded, meaning more than half the field of 40 reached the eight-second mark.
The conditions played a role, but credit belonged where it was due. The arena and dirt crews once again proved why they are regarded as the best in the world at what they do. Working with a deeper surface, they created an environment that gave both riders and bulls a fair and balanced opportunity to compete. That balance mattered.
When the playing field is even, talent rises — and Round 2 was the clearest example of that principle in action. There was a whole lot of grit and try at work for the collective field to ride at more than 50 percent.
No. 2 — Andrew Alvidrez seizes his moment
If Round 2 was about opportunity, Andrew Alvidrez was the rider who capitalized on it most efficiently.
After bucking off on Friday night, Alvidrez needed a statement to stay alive, and he delivered, riding Home Slice for 87.80 points, earning 28 points toward the 2026 Unleash The Beast world standings and sliding his way into the Championship Round.
What defined Alvidrez’s ride was control. From the nod to the buzzer, he matched his bull jump for jump, never chasing the moment and never forcing the issue. In a weekend that demanded composure, his Round 2 performance reshaped his entire trajectory.
No. 1 — Championship Round defines the weekend
Saturday’s Championship Round inside a sold-out SNHU Arena showed the world’s best at the top of their game.
Each of the five final riders — all 2-for-2 going into the short round — made the 8 for 88 points or better. The thrilling Championship Round featured four lead changes.
Julio Cesar Marques set the bar early, riding Lights Out for 89.55 points to win the short round outright. But the weekend belonged to Kasel.
Kasel’s 89.50-point ride aboard UTZ BesTex Smokestack capped a dominant two-day performance and secured the event victory. Kasel previously bested Magic Trick for 86.75 points on Friday before recording 85.35 points on Sweet Action to open Saturday.
“I am incredibly blessed; I love riding bulls,” Kasel said, holding his championship buckle. “This isn’t a job right now. This is something I truly love. Last year I let some event wins right at the beginning slip away. This year we’ll try to do better and be more consistent.”
Also delivering complete weekends were Rossetto and Callum Miller, each assembling three qualified rides, while Kaiden Loud closed strong with an 88-point ride aboard Rockville. These were the riders who left Manchester with momentum — and with the confidence needed to continue to stay in the championship hunt.
Complete results and final standings from stop No. 1 in Manchester can be found HERE.
Beyond the dirt The Midwest Outdoors Adaptability Foundation shares the resilient spirit of bull riding by changing lives beyond the arena. Through the Action Trackchair — an all-terrain wheelchair — it gives people with mobility challenges access to the outdoors without limits.
These $25,000 chairs aren’t covered by insurance, so the Foundation bridges the gap — making freedom, independence and dignity possible. From pastures to trails and family time, the Action Trackchair opens doors standard wheelchairs can’t.
