Host and defending PBR Teams Champion Nashville Stampede go 2-1 in game play to tie for second at Stampede Days
By Kacie Albert
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In arguably the most contentious PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Camping World Team Series event thus far in 2023, including two walk-off wins on Championship Sunday, the Kansas City Outlaws outlasted five opponents in extra outs, delivering a mammoth 90-point ride to win PBR Stampede Days and rise to No. 3 in the league.
The Outlaws, who went 2-1 during game play inside Bridgestone Arena, are now the second team to win multiple events thus far in 2023, joining the league No. 1 Austin Gamblers.
“These guys buy into the system and believe,” Outlaws Head Coach J.W. Hart said of his roster which welcomed three new Brazilians during the 2023 PBR Teams Protected and Reserve Roster Draft. “They don’t understand English, but they believe. And that’s the most important thing—to believe in yourself.”
No rider contributed more for Hart than Cassio Dias, who went 4-for-4 on the weekend with three 90-point rides, including the Extra Outs clincher.
As game play got underway, the Kansas City Outlaws first took on the Texas Rattlers, presented by Ariat. Despite key scores from Marcus Mast and closer Leonardo Castro Ferreira, the Outlaws were defeated by the Rattlers in walk-off fashion as their closer Braidy Randolph delivered them a 348.5-267.5 victory.
Keen to rebound, the Outlaws next faced the host Nashville Stampede. Compliments of a monstrous 90-point ride from opener Dias, the Outlaws knocked off the league’s reigning Champions 90-0.
The squad’s winning momentum then continued into Championship Sunday as they played the Carolina Cowboys. With Dias in a must-ride situation in the bottom of the fifth, the former Brazilian World Champion delivered again, and the Outlaws beat the Cowboys in walk-off form, 177.25-87.75 to go 2-1 for the weekend.
With five other squads, including the host Stampede, also delivering a matching record, the event concluded in Extra Outs. It was the first time in PBR Teams history that six teams competed in the extra-session elimination.
For the Stampede, their 2-1 effort began with a walk-off win against the Missouri Thunder, delivered by closer, and three-time PBR World Champion,Silvano Alves. The 88-0 win marked the first of the season for the league’s defending Champion as they competed in Nashville for the first time since winning the 2022 PBR Teams Championship in Cinderella fashion.
Following their loss to Kansas City in front of a capacity crowd on Saturday night, the Stampede concluded their homestand with a game win, upsetting the Arizona Ridge Riders 90-0, courtesy of a commanding score from young gun Kaiden Loud.
The remaining contingents joining the Outlaws and Stampede were the Texas Rattlers, Oklahoma Freedom, Austin Gamblers and Arizona Ridge Riders. With the order of selection determined by combined aggregate score, the Rattlers picked their pen and set their lineup first, followed by the Outlaws second, Freedom third, Gamblers fourth, Stampede fifth and Ridge Riders sixth. The teams would then make their outs in reverse order of how they picked.
Extra Outs began with the Ridge Riders’ Vitor Losnake taking on Buffalo Chip. Losnake, however, came up short, tossed in 5.71 seconds. Next out was Alan de Souza for the host Stampede. Souza was also unable to convert for his team, brought down by Hunter in a heart-breaking 7.12 seconds.
Dalton Kasel then looked to keep the Gamblers in contention atop Wild Card, but his 5.95-second buckoff put their hopes of victory in peril. Out fourth was Thiago Salgado for the Freedom. While he was able to deliver them both of their wins earlier in the event, the winner of PBR’s “Last Cowboy Standing” reality show was unable to rise to the occasion in extra outs, tossed by Mind Hunter in 5.81 seconds.
The fifth man out was Kansas City’s Dias, who entered his showdown aboard Mike’s Motive amid a wave of momentum. In Nashville, the 2022 PBR Brazil Champion went a perfect 3-for-3 in game play, recording two major 90-point scores. Remaining red-hot, Dias delivered his fourth score in as many attempts, besting his animal athlete opponent for a commanding 91.25 points to put the Texas Rattlers into a must-ride situation.
Just one out remained between the Outlaws and the event win, and that was Brady Fielder for the Rattlers on Hunted Down. Bursting from the chutes, Fielder was unseated in 4.16 seconds, cementing the event win for Kansas City, their second in the past three Teams events.
PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer replays of all the PBR Camping World Team Series action from Nashville, Tennessee. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.
The PBR Camping World Team Series will next travel to the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, for the third team-hosted event of the 2023 season. The event will be on Friday, August 25, at 7:45 CDT, Saturday, August 26, at 6:45 p.m. CDT and Sunday, August 27, at 1:45 p.m. CDT.
The game matchups for the opening night of competition in Austin on August 25 are:
Carolina Cowboys @ Texas Rattlers
Missouri Thunder @ Arizona Ridge Riders
Oklahoma Freedom @ Nashville Stampede
Kansas City Outlaws @ Austin Gamblers
SCORE BULLETINS
PBR Teams’ No. 1 Austin Gamblers Continue Dominant Season, Improving to 2-1 at Stampede Days with 2-Point Win Against the Missouri Thunder
Missouri Thunder: 85
Austin Gamblers: 87
On the final day of PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Camping World Team Series competition in Nashville, Tennessee, the league No. 1 Austin Gamblers’ momentum continued to roll as the squad defeated the Missouri Thunder by 2 points, 87-85. While the game was slow to start, with neither team converting in the first two frames, the intensity ratcheted up in the third. As both squads remained on the hunt for their first score, the Missouri Thunder’s Felipe Furlan (Sales Oliveira, Brazil) opened the frame, while the Austin Gamblers’ Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas) closed the third. Furlan burst from the chutes but proved no match for Doze You Down (Martinez Bucking Bulls, LLX), tossed in 2.44 seconds. Kasel, however, proved just what Austin needed, giving his team an 87-point lead as he covered Slip Knot (Davis Rodeo Ranch).
But the Thunder were quick to respond in the fourth. In the top of the frame, Paulo Eduardo Rosseto (Colorado, Brazil) delivered his first qualified ride on American soil, propelling Missouri within 2 points of the lead when he made the requisite 8 atop Kevin (Paige Stout/Lukas Banning Bucking Bulls). Hopeful to add to their lead, the Gamblers turned to Austin Richardson (Dallas, Texas) in the bottom of the fourth. Richardson was unable to rise to the occasion for his team, quickly dispatched in 1.81 seconds by UTZ BesTex Legend (Blake Sharp/Chris Utz/Carey Brothers).
As the crucial fifth frame got underway,Luke Parkinson (Denman, New South Wales, Australia) was in a must-ride position for Missouri. After struggling to get settled aboard two-time and reigning YETI World Champion Bull Ridin Solo (Bill McCarty/McCoy Rodeo), the powerful animal athlete seemingly crawled out of the chutes, triggering a re-ride for Missouri. Thunder Coaches Ross Coleman and Luke Snyder quickly debriefed, electing to call up Marcelo Procopio Pereira (Rinopolis, Brazil) off the bench to attempt Whiplash (Blake Sharp/Floyd Lowry/CB & Traci Lee).
A familiar match-up, Pereira had attempted the bull at the elite Unleash The Beast event in St. Louis, Missouri, in February 2022, but was bucked off in 3.69 seconds. However, before Missouri’s re-ride, Austin’s closer, and 2022 PBR Teams MVP Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) readied for his team’s final out. Tasked with Pelican Punch (Davis Rodeo Ranch), Leme was unable to break out of his slump, bucked off for an uncharacteristic third consecutive out, coming down in a quick 2.38 seconds.
The game then came down to Periera and Whiplash. Again, unable to crack the bull’s code, Periera came down in 3.78 seconds, delivering the Gamblers their second game win at PBR Stampede Days, 87-85. After going 2-1 inside Bridgestone Arena, the Gamblers remained No. 1 in the league, now with a 9-1 overall record. The Thunder went 0-3 in Nashville, slipping to 2-8 this season. They fell from No. 6 to No. 7 in PBR Teams.
Kansas City Outlaws Earn Thrilling Walk-Off Win Against the Carolina Cowboys During Final Day of PBR Camping World Team Series Competition in Nashville, Tennessee
Carolina Cowboys: 87.75
Kansas City Outlaws: 177.25
As PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Camping World Team Series action wound to a close in Nashville, Tennessee, the Kansas City Outlaws closed out the league event with a thrilling walk-off win against the Carolina Cowboys, 177.25-87.75. The game got off to a quick start. In the lead-off position for Carolina, Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas) was awarded a re-ride after his bovine athlete opponent Train Station (Cornwell Bucking Bulls) fouled himself in the trip. Kansas City then jumped to an early lead in the bottom of the first when Marcus Mast (Middlebury, Indiana) became the first rider in seven career outs to cover Little Hornet (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls), awarded 87.5 points.
While Carolina looked to Daniel Feitosa (Guaraci, Brazil) to answer in the top of the second, he was unable to cover Fat Randy (Jerry Tuttle/Davis Rodeo Ranch), tossed in 4.2 seconds. In the bottom of the second it was then Koltin Hevalow (Smithville, Missouri) aboard Spice (Flying C/Tom Baker) for Kansas City.
After a gritty attempt, the qualified ride buzzers went off in arena, but the clock had stopped prior to the 8. Upon official review, Hevalow was deemed to have slapped the bull, but the judges determined it was due to bull stumble, earning Kansas City a re-ride. As the third got underway,Josh Frost (Randlett, Utah) took to the chutes for Carolina, while it was Julio Cesar Marques (Tatui, Brazil) up for Kansas City. Frost burst from the chutes aboard Hunting Trip (Dozier Cattle Co./Martinez Bucking Bulls), and while he was called for a 3.57-second buckoff, the Cowboys’ Head CoachJerome Davis used his coach’s challenge.
However, the judges upheld their call, leaving Carolina with no score and without their challenge for the remainder of the game. Following the trip, Carolina then attempted their re-ride, tasking Dawson Branton (Jefferson, Oregon) with Sugar Smack (Blake Sharp/Chris Utz/Carey Brothers). Marking his PBR Teams debut, Branton couldn’t crack Sugar Smack’s code, bucked off in 3.79 seconds. In the bottom of the third, Marques was unable to add to his team’s lead in the bottom of the frame, failing to convert for the Outlaws after being bested byFalcon Eddie (Lari Crane/Gene Owen) in 4.12 seconds.
The fourth featured a reversal of order, with Kansas City sliding into the frame’s opening out, and Carolina settling into the second-out position. Despite the reversal, neither team made the 8, as Bob Mitchell (Steelville, Missouri) was bucked off by Red Demon (Universal Pro Rodeo/Rachel & Dustin Powell) in 2.74 seconds for Kansas City, and Sandro Batista (Pedra Preta, Brazil) was dispatched in 4.68 seconds by Red Scorpion (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls). To close out the fourth, Kansas City had the chance to clinch the game win early, as Hevalow attempted his re-ride opponent Fierce’s Dirt Nap (Blake Sharp/UB Bucking Co./Fierce Firearms).
Hevalow, however, was unable to deliver for his team, hitting the ground in 4.45 seconds. Carolina then faced a must-ride position in the top of the fifth, turning to 2016 PBR World Champion Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas).
Rising to the occasion, Davis made the 8 aboard Wicked Ways (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls) as the raucous crowd erupted in cheer. While the judges sent the out into review, looking for a suspected slap, the qualified ride was upheld, with Davis awarded a crucial 87.75 to give his team a 0.25-point lead. The game then came down to Kansas City’s Cassio Dias (Sao F. de Sales, Brazil). Remaining poised, Dias remained in perfect time with Pneu Dart’s Gold Standard (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls), matching the bull jump-for-jump en route to the whistle, scored 89.75 points to cement the Kansas City win, 177.25-87.75. The Outlaws left Nashville having gone 2-1, while improving to 6-4 this season. They rose from No. 4 to No. 3 in the league. The Cowboys dropped from No. 2 to No. 5 in the league standings as a result.
Texas Rattlers Earn Walk-Off Win Against the Oklahoma Freedom During Final Day of PBR Camping World Team Series Action in Nashville, Tennessee
Oklahoma Freedom: 175.75
Texas Rattlers: 177.75
On the final day of PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Camping World Team Series action in Nashville, Tennessee, the Texas Rattlers, presented by Ariat, dominated bull riding’s version of the Red River showdown, knocking off the Oklahoma Freedom in walk-off form, 177.75-175.75. The game began with a high-intensity first frame, as Thiago Salgado (Navirai, Brazil) led off for Oklahoma, and Joao Ricado Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil) opened for Texas. Salgado gave the Freedom a quick 88.75-point lead as he conquered Martini Houdini (Flying C/Tom Baker).
Texas was unable to respond as Vieira came down in 5.25 seconds aboard Knuckle Head (K-C Bucking Bulls/TCB Ranch). Elizmar Jeremias (Anapu, Brazil) was then hopeful to continue Oklahoma’s momentum in the top of the second, however, was awarded a re-ride following his out with Man Hater (Jane Clark/Gene Owen). Texas then capitalized, inching within 0.75 points of the lead as Brady Fielder (Clermont, Queensland, Australia) covered Flashbang (GN Livestock & Bucking Bulls/Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls) for 88 points. Neither team converted through both the third and fourth, including Oklahoma’s re-ride attempt earned earlier in the game.
As the fifth got underway, Oklahoma still clung to their 0.75-point lead as the scoreboard remained 88.75-88. Up for Oklahoma was Captain Eli Vastbinder (Statesville, North Carolina). Delivering for his team, Vastbinder dominated Chanler’s Dream (Universal Pro Rodeo/Rachel & Dustin Powell) for 87 teams, increasing his team’s lead to 87.75 points. In the final out of the game, Rattlers’ closer Braidy Randolph (Jonestown, Pennsylvania) was in a must-ride position.
As he settled in atop Blazer (Universal Pro Rodeo/Rachel & Dustin Powell), the team needed an 88-point score to win the showdown. Remaining in perfect time with the animal athlete, Randolph matched him jump-for-jump en route to the whistle as the crowd went wild. Awarded 89.75 points, the ride was enough to cement a Texas win. The Rattlers concluded PBR Stampede Days 2-1 and are now 5-5 during the 2023 PBR Teams season. They are ranked No. 4 in the league, up one position from No. 5 at the event’s start. The Oklahoma Freedom also went 2-1 inside Bridgestone Arena and are now 7-3 this season. They also rose one position in the league standings, climbing from No. 3 to No. 2.
Mammoth 90-Point Ride Propels Nashville Stampede to Victory Against the Arizona Ridge Riders During Final Day of Competition for PBR Team Series Action in Bridgestone Arena
Arizona Ridge Riders: 0.00
Nashville Stampede: 90
The host Nashville Stampede concluded PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Camping World Team Series competition inside Bridgestone Arena with a win, defeating the Arizona Ridge Riders 90-0. As the game got underway, it was Vitor Losnake (Bauru, Brazil) up for Arizona in the lead-off role, and Kaiden Loud (Kaufman, Texas) out as Nashville’s opener. Losnake was unable to convert early for Arizona, tossed by Outlaw (Big Sky Bulls, LLC/McCoy Rodeo) in 6.23 seconds.
While Loud did not post a score aboard Stone Cold Gangster (Universal Pro Rodeo/Rachel & Dustin Powell) he was awarded a crucial re-ride to be attempted later in the game. After both teams bucked off in the second, Arizona placed their faith inChase Dougherty (Decatur, Texas), while the defending Teams Champion Stampede turned to Matt Triplett (Canton, South Dakota). Dougherty was awarded a re-ride for Arizona in his attempt atop Bomb Diggity (Davis Rodeo Ranch), while Triplett was made quick work of by The Maverick (McCoy Rodeo/World Deer Expo/RL Cody Cattle Company), upended in a swift 1.46 seconds. Following the conclusion of the third frame, Loud attempted Nashville’s re-ride, climbing atop Boomerang (Blake Sharp/Stacy Utz/Rachel Farris/Tristen Jones/Stacey Rickman). In what proved to be a perfect pairing, Loud reached the requisite 8 for a mammoth 90 points as the crowd erupted in raucous cheer.
While the judges reviewed the out, thinking he possibly lost contact with the bull rope before the requisite 8, the initial call was upheld as Nashville surged to a commanding 90-point lead. In the top of the fourth, Colten Fritzlan (Rifle, Colorado) earned Arizona’s second re-ride, after his bovine athlete opponent, Dirty Deeds (Cornwell Bucking Bulls/Waggoner Bucking Bulls) fouled himself. Following Fritzlan’s out, Arizona remained in control of the game, as Dougherty climbed aboard his re-ride draw Pneu Dart’s Rocky Malcoma (Mike Miller Bucking Bulls). Dougherty, however, failed to convert, upended in 3.01 seconds.
In the bottom of the fourth, Alan de Souza (Taubate, Brazil) was unable to add to Nashville’s lead, coming down in 4.87 seconds aboardUTZ BesTex Smokestack (Blake Sharp/Chris Utz/Carey Brothers). As the fifth began, Nashville still led by 90 points having just one attempt remaining, while Arizona had two outs left, to be attempted back-to-back in the top of the fifth. First up for the Ridge Riders was Keyshawn Whitehorse (McCracken Spring, Utah) atop Do Dat Eddie (Universal Pro Rodeo/Rachel & Dustin Powell). Whitehorse couldn’t answer the call from his team, tossed in 2.46 seconds.
Fritzlan was then in a must-ride position as he climbed aboard Sargent Matt (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls). Sent flying in 3.53 seconds, the buckoff cemented the Nashville victory. While Nashville closer and three-time PBR World Champion Silvano Alves (Pilar do Sul, Brazil) came down short of the 8 on Tijuana Two-Step (Blake Sharp/Michael Floyd), hitting the ground in 6.71 seconds, the Stampede already had the victory in hand, with the final scoreboard reading 90-0. The Nashville Stampede concluded their second annual homestand with a 2-1 record, improving to 2-8 this season. They remained No. 8 in the league. The Arizona Ridge Riders left Bridgestone Arena having gone a matching 2-1 in game play. They are now ranked No. 7 in the league with a 2-8 record, rising one position.
Nashville Team Standings:
Here are the final Team standings for the Nashville PBR Camping World Team Series’ Stampede Days:
- Kansas City Outlaws, 2-1-0-626
- Texas Rattlers, 2-1-0-612.75
Oklahoma Freedom, 2-1-0-351.25
Austin Gamblers, 2-1-0-263
Nashville Stampede, 2-1-0-178
Arizona Ridge Riders, 2-1-0-171.75
- Carolina Cowboys, 0-3-0-345
- Missouri Thunder, 0-3-0-85
PBR Teams Season Standings:
Here are the current Team standings for the regular season after the conclusion of competition for PBR Stampede Days in Nashville:
- Austin Gamblers, 9-1-0-1,658.25
- Oklahoma Freedom, 7-3-0-858.75
- Kansas City Outlaws, 6-4-0-1,667.5
- Texas Rattlers, 5-5-0-1,743.25
- Carolina Cowboys, 5-5-0-1,484.25
- Arizona Ridge Riders, 2-8-0-781.75
- Missouri Thunder, 2-8-0-693.75
- Nashville Stampede, 2-8-0-608.5
About the PBR Camping World Team Series:
The PBR Camping World Team Series is an elite league featuring 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 October 20-22. During the 2023 season, the league’s second, each of the eight teams – Austin Gamblers of Austin, TX; Arizona Ridge Riders of Glendale, AZ; Carolina Cowboys of Greensboro, NC; Kanas City Outlaws of Kansas City, MO; Nashville Stampede of Nashville, TN; Oklahoma Freedom of Oklahoma City, OK; Missouri Thunder of Ridgedale, MO; and Texas Rattlers of Fort Worth, TX – will host a three-day homestand. There are also neutral-site games in Cheyenne, WY and Anaheim, CA. The Nashville Stampede are the current 2022 defending champions.
The league format, which launched in July 2022, builds on the existing structure of professional bull riding with the same basic rules for judging and scoring qualified 8-second bull rides. In events staged in a tournament-style format, all teams compete in head-to-head matchups against a different opponent each day. Each game features five riders per team squaring off against another team. Full team rosters are comprised of seven riders on the Protected Roster and five Reserve riders. The team with the highest aggregate score of qualified rides among its riders is declared the winner of each game. The event winner is the team with the most game wins across an events. All PBR Team Series events are carried on either the CBS Television Network, streaming live on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, or RidePass on Pluto TV.
PBR is a subsidiary of IMG, a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media. For more information, visit PBR.com, or follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/PBR, Twitter at Twitter.com/PBR, and YouTube at YouTube.com/PBR.
About the Nashville Stampede:
Nashville Stampede are based at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, where the team will hold its second Stampede Days homestand on August 18-20, 2023, the fourth event of the 10-event 2023 PBR Camping World Team Series regular season. The reigning PBR Teams Champion Stampede are coached by two-time PBR World Champion Justin McBride. Under the leadership of General Manager Tina Battock, the Stampede are owned by Morris Communications Company, LLC (MCC), which is part of a privately held company with diversified holdings in media, real estate, property development and agribusiness. MCC is based in Augusta, Georgia. MCC’s current media holdings include Morris Media Network (MMN) which reaches millions of consumers with diversified content brands in print, digital, products and live events including Western Horseman, Barrel Horse News, Quarter Horse News, Road to the Horse, EquiStat and the National Barrel Horse Association. A portfolio of lifestyle publications and digital assets serve outdoor/sporting/travel enthusiasts with Alaska Magazine, Milepost, Gray’s Sporting Journal, Charlotte Magazine, Orlando Magazine, Savannah Magazine, Where Visitor publications and more, including the Nashville Stampede, one of eight founding teams in the new PBR Teams.
