Austin Gamblers to play PBR Teams League No. 2 Oklahoma Freedom on Championship Sunday
By Kacie Albert
AUSTIN, Texas – The PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Teams League No. 1 Austin Gamblers continued to dominate at their Camping World Team Series homestand Saturday night, winning the Battle for Texas as they defeated their instate rival Texas Rattlers by one ride score.
The Gamblers earned the victory courtesy of an impressive first-frame score from opener Dalton Kasel and clinched the win when Jose Vitor Leme delivered in the bottom of the fifth.
Via the win, Austin improved to a perfect 2-0 at PBR Gambler Days, presented by Tecovas, and furthered their stronghold on the league No. 1 rank. Now 11-1 this season, they lead the No. 2 Oklahoma Freedom by three games.
No. 1 Austin and No. 2 Oklahoma will go head-to-head on Championship Sunday inside Moody Center.
The Freedom will enter the showdown following a win Saturday night in Austin. They defeated the Missouri Thunder 82.75-0 via a crucial score fromElizmar Jeremias.
The Carolina Cowboys join the Gamblers as the lone teams with two victories at the fifth event of the 2023 Teams regular season. They improved to 2-0 Saturday evening after beating the Arizona Ridge Riders 262.5-0. Carolina won the showdown early after their first three riders Boudreaux Campbell, Josh Frost and Trevor Kastner all reached the requisite 8.
The Kansas City Outlaws were the final team to log a win on Saturday in Austin, defeating the Nashville Stampede 250.75-87 and are now 1-1 on the weekend.
Austin Gambler Days concludes Sunday, August 27 at 1:45 p.m. CDT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com,PBR.com and MoodyCenterATX.com, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727.
PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer replays of all the PBR Teams Camping World Series action from Austin, Texas. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.
SCORE BULLETINS
Oklahoma Freedom Edge the Missouri Thunder by One Ride Score on Second Night of PBR Camping World Team Series Action in Austin, Texas
Oklahoma Freedom: 82.75
Missouri Thunder: 0.00
The PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Teams League No. 2 Oklahoma Freedom regained their winning form Saturday evening in Austin, Texas, defeating the Missouri Thunder by one ride score as Camping World Team Series action continued inside Moody Center. As the game got underway, both teams earned re-rides in the first frame. In the top of the first, Oklahoma’s Elizmar Jeremias (Anapu, Brazil) was initially called for a buckoff atop Blown Away (Nothin’ But Try Ranch/Diggers/Kinser/McCall). Freedom Head Coach Cord McCoy, however, used his challenge, believing the bull hipped himself leaving the chute.
Upon review, a re-ride was awarded to be attempted by Jeremias later in the game. Missouri then looked to Felipe Furlan (Sales Oliveira, Brazil) in the bottom of the first. When he was slammed into the chutes by Inferno Roll (Eldred Cattle) as the chute gate opened, the Thunder also earned an early re-ride. In the second, the Freedom looked to right their momentum with Alex Cerqueira (Iguatemi, Brazil) aboard Bison (JD Nix Rodeo Co.), while the Thunder tasked Manoelito de Souza Jr. (Itamira, Brazil) atop The Show (Young Cattle Co./S Bar 5, LLC). Both, however, failed to make the 8, and the scoreboard remained 0-0 entering the third. The mid-point of the game featured a contender making their PBR Teams debut on each roster.
The Freedom called upon young gun Coy Pollmeier (Fort Scott, Kansas), while the Thunder tapped surging Aussie Qynn Andersen (Koumala, Queensland, Australia). After Pollmeier was tossed in 2.61 seconds by Henry (Hutson Bucking Bulls), the Thunder, followed by the Freedom, attempted their re-rides from the first frame. While Missouri’s Furlan was upended in 2.94 seconds by Chanler’s Dream (Universal Pro Rodeo/Rachel & Dustin Powell), Oklahoma jumped to an 82.5-point lead as Jeremias covered Boomerang (Blake Sharp/Stacey Utz/Rachel Farris/Tristen Jones/Stacey Rickman). When the third resumed, the Thunder remained on the hunt for their score as Andersen was bested in 1.83 seconds by Gangster Time (Classic Jack Cattle/Viducic Bucking Bulls).
As the fourth got underway the Freedom thought Casey Robinson (Munford, Alabama) earned a score atop Wild Bill (M Rafter E/Owens), but following official review, he was deemed to have bucked off in 7.41 seconds. In the bottom of the fourth, after review, Missouri’s Luke Parkinson (Denman, New South Wales, Australia) was awarded 75.5 points onStormin Norman (M Rafter E/Owens), but the team faced a business decision. Parkinson was awarded a re-ride for bull performance, which the team elected to take, keeping Oklahoma’s 82.75-point lead intact.
In the fifth Oklahoma looked to closer Thiago Salgado (Navirai, Brazil) to add to the team’s lead, but he was unseated quickly by Haymaker (Nothin’ But Try Ranch/Diggers Bucking Bulls), hitting the ground in 1.81 seconds. Following the buckoff, the fate of the game was in Missouri’s hands with two outs remaining. First up was Kade Madsen (Honeyville, Utah) on Black Gold (Cooper/Scruggs Bucking Bulls). Madsen was unable to convert for his team, bested in 4 seconds.
The game then came down to Marcelo Procopio Pereira (Rinopolis, Brazil) on I’m Legit Too (Hart Cattle Co./Hale). Bursting from the chutes, Pereira was tossed in swift form, sent airborne in 1.97 seconds, to clinch the Oklahoma win. When the dust settled, the final scoreboard read 82.75-0 for the Oklahoma win, and the team improved to 1-1 at PBR Gambler Days, presented by Tecovas, and 8-4 this season, while the Thunder are now 0-2 at Moody Center and 2-10 in 2023. During the final day of PBR Camping World Team Series action in Austinn, the Freedom face the host Austin Gamblers, while the Thunder will play the Texas Rattlers, presented by Ariat.
Carolina Cowboys Throttle the Arizona Ridge Riders, Defeating Their Opponents by Three Ride Scores on the Second Night of PBR Camping World Team Series Action in Austin, Texas
Carolina Cowboys: 262.5
Arizona Ridge Riders: 0.00
The Carolina Cowboys continued their red-hot momentum Saturday evening in Austin, Texas, logging their second consecutive PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Camping World Team Series game win as they defeated the Arizona Ridge Riders by three ride scores, 262.5-0.
The Carolina Cowboys jumped to an early lead in the top of the first as Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas) conquered Hoka Hey (Blake Sharp/Chris Utz/Carey Brothers) for a commanding, and what would prove to be a game-best, 88.5 points. In the bottom of the frame, Guilherme Valleiras (Pirassununga, Brazil) was unable to respond for Arizona, tossed in 6.34 seconds by Mighty Mike (Braun Bucking Bulls).
The Cowboys remained hot in the top of the second, growing their lead to 175.25 points as Josh Frost (Randlett, Utah) became the first rider ever to cover Red Wing (Universal Pro Rodeo), awarded 86.75 points. Arizona again failed to reach the whistle in the bottom of the second, as Vitor Losnake (Bauru, Brazil) was sent airborne by Twisted Steel (Cooper/Scruggs Bucking Bulls) in 3.53 seconds. Both teams then geared up for what would prove to be a game-deciding third frame. As the set of outs began, veteran Trevor Kastner (Ardmore, Oklahoma) added 87.25 points to Carolina’s total as he reached the requisite 8 atopWasted Days (Hart Cattle Co./Hale).
With Carolina ahead by three ride scores, and 262.5 points, Arizona faced a must-ride position in the bottom of the third. Matched up with Game Over (Cooper/Scruggs/Bishop), Keyshawn Whitehorse needed to reach the whistle to keep Arizona’s hopes of victory alive. Erupting from the chutes, the 2019 Rookie of the Year was unseated in 5.54 seconds, delivering the win to Carolina. Throughout the remainder of the game, neither Carolina nor Arizona converted in the fourth or fifth, and Carolina’s early scores sealed the win against Arizona 262.5-0. The Carolina Cowboys improved to 2-0 at PBR Gambler Days, presented by Tecovas, and are now 7-5 this season. They will play the Kansas City Outlaws on Championship Sunday inside Moody Center. The Arizona Ridge Riders are now 1-1 at the Texas event, and 3-9 this season, ahead of their showdown against the reigning league Champion Nashville Stampede when PBR Gambler Days concludes on Sunday, Aug. 26.
Kansas City Outlaws Outride the Reigning PBR Teams Champion Nashville Stampede to Conclude the Second Night of Camping World Team Series Action in Austin, Texas, with a Win
Nashville Stampede: 87
Kansas City Outlaws: 250.75
The Kansas City Outlaws rode supreme Saturday night in Austin, Texas, defeating the reigning PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Teams Champion Nashville Stampede by two ride scores to conclude the second night of Camping World Team Series action inside Moody Center with a victory. After Alan de Souza (Taubate, Brazil) began the game in the top of the first with a 2.32-second buckoff atop Kid Knapper (Phillips/Cooper/Scruggs Bucking Bulls), the Outlaws catapulted to an early lead in the bottom of the frame. Pairing opener Wingson Henrique da Silva (Navirai, Brazil) with Bad Juju (Hutson Bucking Bulls), the surging Brazilian reached the requisite 8 for 79.5 points.
While the Outlaws were awarded a re-ride, Head Coach J.W. Hart elected to keep the score. In the top of the second, the Stampede again were unable to make the 8, asWellington Ferreira (Ribeirao so Sul, Brazil) was upended in 4.03 seconds by In My Blood (Nothin’ But Try Ranch/Diggers Bucking Bulls). The Outlaws responded by recording their second consecutive score, increasing their lead to 165.25 points as Julio Cesar Marques (Tatui, Brazil) rode Black Tie (Hart Cattle Company) for 85.75 points. In the third, the Stampede were dealt their third straight buckoff as Ednelio Almeida (Caroal, Brazil) hit the ground in 2.01 seconds in his trip aboard Border Crisis (Hart Cattle Co./Hale). With Nashville having just two outs remaining, Koltin Hevalow (Smithville, Missouri) had the chance to clinch the win early for Kansas City in trying to cover Commander (Universal Pro Rodeo/Rachel & Dustin Powell). Hevalow was awarded a re-ride, keeping Nashville’s hopes of victory alive.
In the top of the fourth, Stampede young gun Kaiden Loud (Kaufman, Texas) found himself in a must-ride situation atop Spooky (Young Cattle Co.) but couldn’t get it done, bucked off in 3.59 seconds, delivering the win to Kansas City. In the bottom of the fourth, Wyatt Rogers (Hulbert, Oklahoma) was unable to keep Kansas City’s hopes of a perfect game alive, bested in 4.51 seconds by Po Dunk (Viducic Bucking Bulls). In the final frame of the game, three-time PBR World Champion Silvano Alves (Pilar do Sul, Brazil) prevented a Nashville shutout, as he covered True Religion (M Rafter E/Owens) for a game-best 87 points in the top of the fifth. While the score lessened Kansas City’s lead to 78.25 points, the Outlaws already had the win in hand.
To conclude the game, the Outlaws’ closer Cassio Dias (Sao F. de Sales, Brazil) added an 85.5-point score to the board for Kansas City, riding Bread Basket (TNT Bucking Bulls/Hart Cattle Co.), while Kyler Oliver (Roy, Utah) couldn’t score aboard re-ride draw Bad Spider (Shuler Bucking Bulls), bested in 3.64 seconds. When the dust settled, Kansas City improved to 1-1 at PBR Gambler Days, presented by Tecovas, and 7-5 this season compliments of the 250.75-87 win. They will look to conclude the PBR Camping World Team Series event in Texas with a win on Sunday, Aug. 27 when they play the Carolina Cowboys. The loss led the Stampede to slip to 1-1 in Austin, and 3-9 this season. They play the Arizona Ridge Riders on Championship Sunday inside Moody Center.
Austin Gamblers Defeat Instate Rival Texas Rattlers on Second Night of PBR Camping World Team Series Homestand to Improve to 2-0 inside Moody Center
Texas Rattlers: 87.5
Austin Gamblers: 175
The Austin Gamblers emerged the more dominant Texas team Saturday evening during their PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Camping World Team Series homestand event at Moody Center, beating their instate rival Texas Rattlers by one ride score to improve to a perfect 2-0 at PBR Gambler Days, presented by Tecovas. In the first frame, both teams looked to heavy hitters, with Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil) in the lead-off role for the Rattlers, and pocket-ace Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas) up for the Gamblers. Vieira was unable to strike first for Texas, dispatched in 3.61 seconds by Nigel (Hale/Ogden/Hart Cattle Co.). For the second consecutive night, Kasel gave his team an early lead, as he put the Gamblers out front by 87.5 points in covering Pete’s Dejavu (JD Nix Rodeo Co.).
In the second the Rattlers lost their coach’s challenge in the top of the frame. Following Brady Fielder’s (Clermont, Queensland, Australia) 2.82-second buckoff atop Fierce’s Dirt Nap (Blake Sharp/UB Bucking Co./Fierce Firearms), Texas’ Head Coach Cody Lambert tossed his challenge flag, believing the bull fouled himself leaving the chute. However, upon review, the judges determined the initial call stood, with the buckoff remaining and Texas losing their one challenge of the game.
In the bottom of the second, Rafal dos Santos (Quitman, Georgia) did not add to Austin’s lead, upended by Rorschach (Universal Pro Rodeo) in 5.71 seconds. The scoreboard then went unchanged through the third as Brady Oleson (Blackfoot, Idaho) came down prior to the 8 aboard Haunted Gold (Blake Sharp) for Texas, and Cort McFadden (Novice, Texas) proved no match for Swipe Right (Blake Sharp) for the Gamblers.
After a scoreless fourth, the Rattlers found themselves in a must-ride position in the top of the fifth as closer Daniel Keeping (Montague, Texas) climbed aboard Hateful (JD Nix Rodeo Co.). While Keeping made the 8, he was awarded just 77.75 points and the option of a re-ride. With the score not being enough to win, the Rattlers quickly opted to attempt a new bovine athlete. Following the out, the Gamblers had the chance to clinch the game win with closer Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) aboard Untested (Rafter R Bucking Bulls). Dominating his animal athlete counterpart, Leme reached the whistle as the electric Austin crowd erupted in cheer. Awarded 87.5 points, the qualified ride cemented the Gamblers win at their second annual homestand and moved Leme back in the lead in the 2023 Teams MVP race, over Cassio Dias (Sao F. de Sales, Brazil) of the Kansas City Outlaws.
While the Rattlers concluded the game with a qualified ride, with Dawson Gleaves (Amarillo, Texas) riding the team’s re-ride opponent Sugar Smack (Blake Sharp/Chris Utz/Carey Brothers) for 87.5 points, it was not enough to outscore their instate rivals. When the bucking concluded, the Gamblers improved to 2-0 at their home event with the 175-87.5 victory. The win also furthered their stronghold on the No. 1 rank in the league, now with an 11-1 record. They will face the No. 2 Oklahoma Freedom on Championship Sunday. With the loss, the Rattlers slipped to 0-2 at PBR Gambler Days, presented by Tecovas, and they are now 5-7 in 2023. They face the Missouri Thunder in their final game inside Moody Center on Sunday, Aug. 27.
AUSTIN TEAM STANDINGS:
Here are the current Team standings for the Austin PBR Camping World Team Series event after the second day of competition for PBR Gambler Days:
- Carolina Cowboys, 2-0-0
Austin Gamblers, 2-0-0
- Kansas City Outlaws, 1-1-0
- Nashville Stampede, 1-1-0
- Oklahoma Freedom, 1-1-0
- Arizona Ridge Riders, 1-1-0
- Texas Rattlers, 0-2-0
- Missouri Thunder, 0-2-0
PBR TEAMS SEASON STANDINGS:
Here are the current Team standings for the regular season after the second day of competition for PBR Gambler Days in Austin:
- Austin Gamblers, 11-1-0-1,920.25
- Oklahoma Freedom, 8-4-0-1,114.5
- Carolina Cowboys, 7-5-0-2,004
- Kansas City Outlaws, 7-5-0-2,002.75
- Texas Rattlers, 5-7-0-1,990.75
- Arizona Ridge Riders, 3-9-0-1,033.5
- Nashville Stampede, 3-9-0-869
- Missouri Thunder, 2-10-0-781.25
AUGUST 27 GAME SCHEDULE:
Here are the game matchups for the final day of action for PBR Gambler Days on Sunday, Aug. 27:
Carolina Cowboys @ Kansas City Outlaws
Nashville Stampede @ Arizona Ridge Riders
Missouri Thunder @ Texas Rattlers
Oklahoma Freedom @ Austin Gamblers
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 Austin Gamblers:
The Austin Gamblers are based in Austin, Texas, where the team’s PBR Gambler Days Presented by Tecovas homestand will take place at the state-of-the-art Moody Center on Aug. 25-27, 2023, the fifth event of the 2023 PBR Camping World Team Series regular season. The team is coached by PBR legend and world champion Michael Gaffney. The team also works with Brazilian native Adriano Moraes, PBR’s first world champion and the first person to win the honor three times. Moraes was named director of Brazil operations, responsible for both scouting and assisting in coaching and developing the team’s riders. Under the leadership of J.J. Gottsch as CEO, the Austin Gamblers are owned by Egon and Abby Durban. Both originally from Texas, Egon is co-CEO of Silver Lake, the global leader in technology investing, and serves on the board of directors of Dell Technologies, whose founder, Michael Dell, is also a minority investor in the Gamblers.
