Red Hot Austin Gamblers Overtake No. 1 Ranking in PBR Team Series With 3-0, Event-Winning Performance at PBR Stampede Days in Nashville

Gamblers’ first-round draft pick Jose Vitor Leme extends lead atop MVP race with 3-for-4 effort inside Bridgestone Arena

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Austin Gamblers remained red-hot Sunday afternoon in Nashville, overtaking the No. 1 position in the early PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series standings compliments of their second consecutive event win in the newly formed league. As the only team to go a perfect 3-0 in game play inside Bridgestone Arena, the Austin outfit was crowned the inaugural PBR Stampede Days event winners. The Gamblers have now won six games in a row.

Fresh off their event win last weekend in Anaheim, California, the Gamblers began the Music City event on Friday night with their fourth-consecutive game win, defeating the Arizona Ridge Riders by one ride score, 175.25-85.25. 

On Saturday, the Gamblers then squared off against the Carolina Cowboys, who also entered the showdown having won on Friday night. The Gamblers again beat their opponent by one bull, winning their fifth-straight game in defeating the Cowboys 168.5-82.5.

In a Sunday afternoon showdown of titans, the then No. 2 Austin Gamblers took on the top-ranked Missouri Thunder for their final game, a matchup between the Top 2 teams in the league. With the Gamblers down a bull in the bottom of the fifth, two-time PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme recorded another dramatic walk off-ride, and the Gamblers defeated the Thunder by a mere 1.75 points, 173.75-172, clinching the event win.

With both the Gamblers and Thunder reaching the Bonus Round with a 7-3 season record, the eight-rider showdown round would determine which team would leave Nashville atop the PBR Team Series standings.

Leme was tasked with a familiar opponent in I’m Legit Too (Hale Cattle Co.) for Austin, while Leandro Machado was matched up withYellowknife (Blake Sharp/Michael Floyd) for the Thunder. 

As the first rider out, Leme set the tone early for the Bonus Round, reaching the requisite 8 for an explosive 88.75 points. Machado, unable to answer the score, was bucked off in a quick 3.72 seconds.

Leme’s score was never topped, and the Gamblers tied for the Bonus Round win to add 7.5 points to their season total. The 8-second effort also allowed Leme to extend his lead atop the MVP Race. He now leads No. 2 Daylon Swearingen by 269.75 points. 

The Gamblers’ flawless effort in Nashville allowed them to leave Bridgestone Arena as the No. 1 team in the league, holding a 7-3 overall record and having amassed 25.5 Bonus Round points.

The host Nashville Stampede concluded their inaugural homestand seventh, going 1-2 in game play, and earning 3 bonus points.

On Saturday, the Stampede earned their first hometown victory against the Ariat Texas Rattlers following a dramatic walk-off ride score from Silvano Alves but fell to the Carolina Cowboys and Kansas City Outlaws to start and end the weekend.

The Stampede will return to road competition as the No. 6-ranked team in the league with a 3-7 overall record and 28 total bonus points.

The PBR Team Series will next travel to the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, for the third team-hosted homestand as the Austin Gamblers, riding their six-game winning stream, welcome the league for PBR Gambler Days. The event will be on Friday, August 26 at 7:45 p.m. CT, Saturday, August 27 at 6:45 p.m. CT and Sunday, August 28 at 12:15 p.m. CT.

The game matchups for the opening night of competition in Austin on August 26 are:

• Carolina Cowboys @ Kansas City Outlaws
• Oklahoma Freedom @ Ariat Texas Rattlers
• Missouri Thunder @ Arizona Ridge Riders
• Nashville Stampede @ Austin Gamblers

PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer replays of all the PBR Team Series action from Nashville. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.

SCORE BULLETINS

Austin Gamblers Defeat Missouri Thunder Via Walk-Off Score from No. 1 Draft Pick Jose Vitor Leme to Clinch Second Consecutive PBR Team Series Event Win

Missouri Thunder: 172

Austin Gamblers: 173.75

Photos (Courtesy Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media): Click here to download.

B-Roll (Courtesy PBR): Click here to download.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The league’s No. 1 draft pick, Jose Vitor Leme(Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil), decided Sunday’s highly anticipated showdown between the Missouri Thunder and Austin Gamblers, the Top 2 teams in the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series, with a dramatic walk-off ride score to give the Gamblers their sixth consecutive game win. After trailing the entire lead-off game on the final day of the inaugural PBR Stampede Days, the Gamblers’ late game surge clinched their second-consecutive event win following last weekend’s triumph in Anaheim. After a scoreless first frame, the Thunder jumped to an early 87-point lead when Adriano Salgado(Batatais, Brazil) covered Step That Step (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls). In the bottom of the second, the Gamblers were unable to respond as Ezekiel Mitchell (Rockdale, Texas) was bucked off by Sammy (Dorman/Weaver/Hilton Bull Co.) in a swift 2.41 seconds. The Thunder’s momentum rolled in the third, when Andrew Alvidrez (Seminole, Texas) delivered the squad’s second-straight score as he rode War Daddy (TNT Bucking Bulls) for 85 points. As the Gamblers’ third rider climbed atop the chutes, the Thunder pulled ahead to a 172-0 lead. Austin, however, was on the precipice of shifting the game’s momentum. Tasked with Mike’s Motive (Blake Sharp/High Voltage Cattle/American Spirits/Koe Wetzel), Lucas Divino (Nova Crixas, Brazil) was the first to put points on the board for the Gamblers in reaching the requisite 8 for a critical 86.25 points. Following a scoreless fourth round of outs, the game came down to a showdown of first-round draft picks in the closing position for both the Thunder and Gamblers. With the chance to clinch the game win for Missouri,Colten Fritzlan (Rifle, Colorado) was brought down by Mr. Nasty (Blake Sharp/Koe Wetzel/Cody O’Neil) in 4.81 seconds. As an athlete who thrives on must-ride, high-pressure situations, Leme remained poised as he prepared to take on ZZ Top (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls), knowing he needed a score of 86 points or more to propel his team to victory. The two-time PBR World Champion was completely centered and in control for 8 seconds as the electric crowd erupted in cheer. When the dust settled, he was awarded 87.5 points and the final scoreboard showed a 173.75-172 victory for the Austin Gamblers (7-3) against the Missouri Thunder (7-3). Additionally, the game win clinched the event win for the Gamblers as the only team to go 3-0 in game play during PBR Stampede Days. Fresh off their win at the neutral site last week in Anaheim, California, the Gamblers are now the first team in league history to win multiple Team Series event titles and are amidst a six-game win streak. Via the loss, the Thunder fell to 1-2 at PBR Stampede Days. 

Arizona Ridge Riders Remain Red Hot on Final Day of PBR Stampede Days with Win Against Oklahoma Freedom

Arizona Ridge Riders: 257.5

Oklahoma Freedom: 0.00

Photos (Courtesy Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media): Click here to download.

B-Roll (Courtesy PBR): Click here to download.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After snapping a three-game loss streak Saturday night, the Arizona Ridge Riders remained red hot on the final day of PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Stampede Days, earning their second consecutive victory when they defeated the Oklahoma Freedom 257.5-0. After neither team struck in the first, Eduardo Aparecido (Itatiba, Brazil) was first to convert, covering Look Alive(Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls) for 85.25 points. In the bottom of the second, despite a valiant attempt by the Freedom’s Deklan Garland (Foster, Oklahoma), he failed to reach the requisite 8 atop Bobkat (Bob Whisnant/Shaw Cattle Co./Hilton Bull Co.), brought down in 4.56 seconds. During the third, the scoreboard remained unchanged. As the fourth round of riders got underway, Keyshawn Whitehorse (McCracken Spring, Utah) put his team two bulls ahead as he conquered Twisted Feather (Blake Sharp/Michael Floyd/Cain Robert) for 86.5 points. With the Ridge Riders pulling ahead 171.75-0, the Oklahoma Freedom’s Dawson Branton (Jefferson, Oregon) was in a must-ride position. Trying to prevent his team from going 0-3 in Nashville, Branton was unable to rise to the occasion, bucked off in a heart-breaking 7.05 seconds by Whiplash (Blake Sharp/Floyd Lowery/CB & Traci Lee). With the victory clinched, first-round draft pick Luciano de Castro (Guzolandia, Brazil) added to the Ridge Riders’ lead as he was a picture of perfection aboard Marciano (Hookin’ W Ranch), marked 85.75. In the bottom of the fifth, Briggs Madsen (Tremonton, Utah) was hopeful to prevent his team from its second consecutive scoreless defeat, matched with Savage (Blake Sharp/Michael Floyd/High Voltage Cattle). Madsen, however, was no match for the powerful animal athlete, thrown to the dirt in 2.5 seconds. The victory elevated the Arizona Ridge Riders (6-4) to 2-1 in game play in Nashville, while the Oklahoma Freedom (3-7) fell to 0-3. 

Kansas City Outlaws Upset Host Nashville Stampede with Crucial Fifth-Frame Score from First-Round Draft Pick Dalton Kasel

Kansas City Outlaws: 162.75

Nashville Stampede: 85

Photos (Courtesy Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media): Click here to download.

B-Roll (Courtesy PBR): Click here to download.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Backed by a crucial re-ride declining decision by Head Coach J.W. Hart in the fifth frame, the Kansas City Outlaws beat the host Nashville Stampede by one ride score 162.75-85 on the final day of PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Stampede Days. While both Rafael Henrique dos Santos (Sebastianopolis, Brazil) and Ryan Dirteater (Hulbert, Oklahoma) struck out for the Outlaws and Stampede, respectively, in the first, the game intensity ramped up in the second. On the spurs of an Outlaw buckoff suffered by Koltin Hevalow (Smithville, Missouri), Thiago Salgado (Navirai, Brazil) converted for the Stampede. Riding Light’s Out (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) for 85 points, Salgado celebrated his team’s early lead by backflipping off the shark cage in center arena. The Outlaws, however, would not be silenced long. In the top of the third, Bob Mitchell (Steelville, Missouri) put the Kansas City team within 1 point of the lead, covering Casper (Crescent City Bucking Bulls/Lari Crane/Gene Owen) for 84 points. With the Stampede’s Lucas Fideles (Barnstable, Massachusetts) bested in the bottom of the third, and neither team finding success in the fourth, the game came down to crucial round five matchups. While first-round draft pick Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas) was in the closing position for the Outlaws, three-time PBR World Champion Silvano Alves (Pilar do Sul, Brazil) was last out for the Stampede. Kasel erupted from the chutes atop Spice (Flying C/Flying P Bucking Bulls) and after a wild out, was initially ruled to have a logged a qualified score as re-ride flags flew. After careful scrutiny from league officials, Kasel was indeed awarded a score of 78.75 points, but the team still had to determine whether they would accept a re-ride. In a business decision, Coach Hart kept the score, giving his team a 77.75-point lead. Alves, who was the Stampede’s Saturday night hero, delivering a walk-off score to lead them to victory against the Ariat Texas Rattlers, next readied atop the chutes to take on Tested’s Viper (Hookin’ W/LeFlore Bucking Bulls). Unable to replicate his clutch performance from the evening prior, Alves was brought down in 4.83 seconds. Stampede Head Coach Justin McBride challenged the call; however, the buckoff stood, and the Kansas City Outlaws won 162.75-85. Via the win, the Kansas City Outlaws (4-6) improved to 2-1 at PBR Stampede Days, while the host Nashville Stampede (3-7) slipped to 1-2.

Carolina Cowboys’ Leonardo Lima Logs Career-First Qualified Ride in PBR Team Series to Propel Tar Heel State Team to Victory Against Ariat Texas Rattlers

Carolina Cowboys: 88.25

Ariat Texas Rattlers: 0.00

Photos (Courtesy Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media): Click here to download.

B-Roll (Courtesy PBR): Click here to download.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Backed by Leonardo Lima’s (Vale do Paraiso, Brazil) career-first qualified ride in PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series competition, the Carolina Cowboys defeated the Ariat Texas Rattlers 88.25-0 during the final game of PBR Stampede Days. After two scoreless frames of action, Lima, who had been 0-for-4 on the season, readied to ride for the Cowboys and Brady Oleson (Blackfoot, Idaho) for the Rattlers in the third. Reaching the requisite 8 for the first time in the new league, Lima covered Sundance (Tex Brothers Ranch) for a critical 88.25 points to give his team an early lead. Oleson, however, was unable to answer, tossed by Gangster Time (Classic Jack Cattle/Viducic Bucking Bulls). The scoreboard remained unchanged in the fourth, with the game set to be decided byDaylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York) for the Cowboys and JC Mortensen (Chino Valley, Arizona) for the Rattlers. Swearingen had the chance to clinch the win early for his team, but he was hurtled to the ground in 4.52 seconds by Homeboy (K-C Bucking Bulls/Joe & Nina Webb), opening the door for the Rattlers to win the game in walk-off fashion. Tasked with Old Time Religion (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls), Mortensen was unable to deliver for his team, bucked off in a quick 1.98 seconds and handing the 88.25-0 victory to the Cowboys. Compliments of the win, the Cowboys (5-5) improved to 2-1 at PBR Stampede Days, while the Ariat Texas Rattlers (3-7) concluded the Nashville event with a losing 1-2 record.

NASHVILLE TEAM STANDINGS:

Here are the final Team standings for the Nashville PBR Team Series event:

1. Austin Gamblers, 3-0-0-7.5
2. Kansas City Outlaws, 2-1-0-7.5
3. Carolina Cowboys, 2-1-0-6
4. Arizona Ridge Riders, 2-1-0-2
5. Missouri Thunder, 1-2-0-5
6. Ariat Texas Rattlers, 1-2-0-4
7. Nashville Stampede, 1-2-0-3
8. Oklahoma Freedom, 0-3-0-1

PBR TEAM SERIES SEASON STANDINGS:

Here are the current Team standings for the regular season after the conclusion of PBR Stampede Days in Nashville:

1. Austin Gamblers, 7-3-0-25.5
2. Missouri Thunder, 7-3-0-17
3. Arizona Ridge Riders, 6-4-0-12
4. Carolina Cowboys, 5-5-0-30
5. Kansas City Outlaws, 4-6-0-16.5
6. Nashville Stampede, 3-7-0-15
7. Ariat Texas Rattlers, 3-7-0-15
8. Oklahoma Freedom, 3-7-0-13

About the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series:

The PBR Team Series is an elite new league that will feature the world’s top bull riders competing on teams in five-on-five bull riding games during an 11-event season beginning in July and culminating in a team championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas November 4-6.  During the 2022 season, each of the eight teams representing teams in Austin, TX; Fort Worth, TX; Glendale, AZ; Kansas City, MO; Nashville, TN; Oklahoma City, OK; Ridgedale, MO; and Winston-Salem, NC will host a three-day homestand.  There will also be neutral site games in Cheyenne, WY and Anaheim, CA. To determine team rosters, the league held a rider draft on May 23 prior to start of the 2022 season among any bull riders who have declared for the draft during a league eligibility window. The PBR Team Series builds on the existing structure of professional bull riding with the same basic rules for judging and scoring qualified 8-second bull rides. Events will be staged in a tournament-style format with all teams competing in head-to-head matchups against a different opponent each day. Each game will feature five riders per team squaring off against another team. Full team rosters will be comprised of seven riders on the core roster and three practice squad members. The team with the highest aggregate score of qualified rides among its riders will be declared the winner of each game. The event winner will be the team with the most game wins across an event, with a special bonus round designed as a tie-breaker to determine final event standings. All PBR Team Series events will be carried on either the CBS Television Network, streaming live on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, or RidePass on PlutoTV.

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