The 2024 PBR World Finals will begin with Eliminations on May 9-12 and Ride For Redemption on May 15-16 in Fort Worth at Cowtown Coliseum, leading into the Championship on May 18-19 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington
By Kacie Albert
Cassio Dias leads the historic 2024 championship battle, 560.5 points ahead of No. 2 John Crimber
Two Texans will begin the marathon event ranked inside the Top 10, attempting to become the first Lone Star State native since 2016 to be crowned PBR World Champion
FORT WORTH, Texas (May 1, 2024) – Ahead of the 2024 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, the organization today announced 40 of the 45 riders who will compete at bull riding’s most prestigious event, as the intense battle to be crowned the 2024 PBR World Champion approaches a climactic end when one rider will earn the coveted gold buckle and $1 million bonus.
The PBR World Finals will debut a new format in 2024, featuring a three-stage, tournament-style format, while awarding a historic $3.13 million. Bull riding’s crown jewel will begin with Eliminations (May 9-12) followed by Ride For Redemption (May 15-16) in Fort Worth at Cowtown Coliseum, both setting the stage for the Championship (May 18-19) in Arlington at AT&T Stadium when the 2024 World Champion will be crowned.
In a highly competitive season in which 13 different riders earned a regular-season event title, and it took an average score of 88.92 points to win a round, Cassio Dias will begin the landmark 2024 PBR World Finals with a 560.5-point lead over No. 2 John Crimber. Both riders are chasing history, attempting to become just the second rider to be crowned World Champion and Rookie of the Year in their World Finals debut. Looking down the standings, the world’s Top 10 are within less than 1,100 points of one another.
Fourteen riders this year qualified for their first World Finals – including No. 1 Dias and No. 2 Crimber. They are joined inside the Top 10 by No. 10 Caden Bunch who will also be making his first appearance at bull riding’s most prestigious event.
At the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast, one rider, not including ride score points, has the chance to earn a maximum 1,240 Unleash The Beast points across both Eliminations and Championship. Each round winner will earn 80 points, with the event winner of Eliminations collecting 200 points and the winner of the Championship earning 400 points. Riders will also earn points for their ride scores. Rides from 70-79.75 points will earn 7 points, 80-89.75 will earn 8 points and rides 90-99.75 will earn 9 bonus points. Should a rider register all 90-point rides at both Eliminations and the Championship, he would earn an additional 72 world points.
The 40 qualifiers via the Unleash The Beast standings who will put it all on the line in Texas are:
*Cassio Dias (Sao F. de Sales, Brazil)
*John Crimber (Decatur, Texas)
Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas)
Eduardo Aparecido (Gouvelandia, Brazil)
Alan de Souza (Taubate, Brazil)
Koltin Hevalow (Smithville, Missouri)
Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil)
Brady Fielder (Clermont, Queensland, Australia)
*Caden Bunch (Tahlequah, Oklahoma)
Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil)
*Leonardo Castro (Cassilandia, Brazil)
Thiago Salgado (Navirai, Brazil)
*Julio Cesar Marques (Tatui, Brazil)
Cody Jesus (Window Rock, Arizona)
*Cord McFadden (Novice, Texas)
Alex Cerqueira (Iguatemi, Brazil)
Keyshawn Whitehorse (McCracken Spring, Utah)
Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York)
*Kaiden Loud (Kaufman, Texas)
Sage Steel Kimzey (Strong City, Oklahoma)
#Wingson Henrique da Silva (Navirai, Brazil)
*Felipe Furlan (Sales Oliveira, Brazil)
Vitor Losnake (Bauru, Brazil)
Mauricio Moreira (Gaviao Peixoto, Brazil)
*#Clay Guiton (Cherryville, North Carolina)
Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas)
*Paulo Eduardo Rosseto (Colorado, Brazil)
*Ednelio Almeida (Cacoal, Brazil)
Wyatt Rogers (Hulbert, Oklahoma)
Jesse Petri (Dublin, Texas)
Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas)
Bob Mitchell (Steelville, Missouri)
Conner Halverson (Gordon, Nebraska)
Ezekiel Mitchell (Rockdale, Texas)
Kyler Oliver (Roy, Utah)
Andrew Alvidrez (Seminole, Texas)
*Callum Miller (Warwick, Queensland, Australia)
Silvano Alves (Pilar do Sul, Brazil)
*JaCauy Hale (Ganado, Arizona)
*Ederson Santos (Ilha Solteira, Brazil)
*Denotes a rider who has qualified for his career-first PBR World Finals.
#Denotes a rider who is questionable to compete at the PBR World Finals due to injury.
The final five riders will punch their tickets to the 2024 PBR World Finals via the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals May 3-4 in Corpus Christi, Texas. The alternates for this season’s World Finals are: Dawson Branton (Jefferson, Oregon), Jake Morinec (Mokena, Illinois) and Lucas Divino (Nova Crixas, Brazil).
Dias is having arguably the best season of any rookie in PBR’s history. Across the 23-event regular season, he led the PBR in events won (seven), qualified rides (37), outs (69), 90-point rides (eight), round wins (13), and money won ($436,274).
After finishing sixth at the season-launch event in Tucson, Arizona, Dias who the second event of the campaign in St. Louis, Missouri, vaulting to the No. 1 position in the standings.
The surging Brazilian remained atop the standings for the next three weeks, logging an additional Unleash The Beast victory in Johnston, Pennsylvania, before he was briefly surpassed by current No. 7 Austin Richardson, who will not compete at the World Finals due to injury. Dias briefly slipped to No. 2 in the standings, however just one week later reclaimed the top spot when he rode to victory in Chicago, Illinois.
Dias has since had a firm hold on the No. 1 rank in the 2024 PBR World Championship race, growing his lead to a season-best 580.5 points following his sixth event win of the season in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
While Dias fell just short of tying the record for most elite tour wins in a season, he concluded the 2024 regular season for the Unleash The Beast strong, winning his seventh event in Louisville, Kentucky and finishing with a torrid 53.62% riding average. He was also one of just three riders to compete at each of the 23 regular-season events, joined by No. 6 Koltin Hevalow and No. 27 Paulo Eduardo Rosetto.
Dias has been ranked No. 1 for 20 weeks during the regular season. For the majority of the campaign, Dias has been closely followed by No. 2 Crimber, the 18-year-old bull riding phenom who is attempting to become the youngest PBR World Champion in history this May.
Crimber, the son of 10-time PBR World Finals qualifier and this season’s Ring of Honor inductee Paulo Crimber, made his premier series debut in commanding form. While he was bucked off in his career-first out at the top level, he was quick to rebound, winning Round 2 of the season-launch event in Arizona when he covered Sky Walker for 89 points. The round win was one of 11 for Crimber in 2024, the second most of any PBR rider on the Unleash The Beast, and the most-ever for an 18 year old.
As the season continued, Crimber reached a career milestone in mid-February when he won his first Unleash The Beast event in Jacksonville, Florida,
Dias and Crimber are followed closely by seven active riders within fewer than 1,100 points of one another. The remainder of the Top 10 who will compete at the 2024 PBR World Finals includes: No. 3 Dalton Kasel (-571.33), No. 4 Eduardo Aparecido (-594.33), No. 5 Alan de Souza (-637.33), No. 6 Koltin Hevalow (-978.33), No. 8 Joao Ricardo Vieira (-1,016.33), No. 9 Brady Fielder (-1,054.17) and No. 10 Caden Bunch (-1,089.5)
The Top 10 features a strong Texas presence with two riders ranked inside the threshold hailing from the Lone Star State: Crimber (Decatur) and Kasel (Muleshoe). Should any of these contenders be crowned the 2024 PBR World Champion they would become the first Texan since Cooper Davis in 2016 to earn the coveted gold buckle.
The Top 10 also includes two members of the reigning PBR Teams Champion Texas Rattlers: Vieira and Fielder.
Within the 40-rider field, three-time PBR World Champion Silvano Alves will be making his fifteenth consecutive appearance at the 2024 PBR World Finals. He will be joined by veterans Aparecido (13th) and Vieira (12th) who have all competed at bull riding’s crown jewel more than 10 times.
Alves is also one of three World Champions competing at the 2024 PBR World Finals, along with current No. 11 and 2018 PBR World Champion Kaique Pacheco and No. 19 and 2022 PBR World Champion Daylon Swearingen.
PBR also revealed the World Finals bullfighters who will take to the dirt to protect the best bull riders in the world. Cody Webster, Lucas Teodoro, Nathan Harp and Austin Ashley will be vigilant throughout each 8-second ride or wreck throughout the week.
The 2024 PBR World Finals will begin with Eliminations at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth from May 9-12. The competition will begin at 7:45 p.m. CDT on Thursday, May 9, 6:45 p.m. CDT on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11, and 1:45 p.m. CDT on Sunday, May 12. During eliminations, each of the 45 competing riders will get on one bull daily. When the dust settles, the Top 15 in the Unleash The Beast standings, and Top 5 in the event not already advancing, will earn a direct berth to the Championship in Arlington the following weekend.
For those 25 riders who do not advance, they will look to Ride For Redemption on May 15-16 to keep their title hopes alive. Those contenders will be joined by 15 riders from a to-be-announced selection process. During Ride For Redemption, which begins at 7:45 p.m. CDT nightly, each rider will attempt one bull. At the conclusion of the ride-in rounds the Top 5 in the event will earn the final berths to The Championship.
Single-day tickets for both Eliminations and Ride For Redemption are on-sale now and can be purchased at PBR.com/WorldFinals, CowtownColiseum.com and AXS.com, or by phone at 1-800-732-1727.
The on-the-dirt action for the two segments of the 2024 PBR World Finals inside Cowtown Coliseum will be accompanied by a myriad of programming throughout the Fort Worth Stockyards, including the Stockyards Stampede, which will take over the historic district beginning May 9 as the fan hub, highlighted by the Michelob ULTRA Beer Tent & Pendleton Whisky Lounge in front of Cowtown Coliseum offering adult beverages, in addition to special Texas cuisine and drink specials available in the surrounding restaurants.
The Stockyards Stampede will house special activations from PBR partners, feature daily musical and DJ performances from the Tractor Supply Co. Stage and serve as the home for the official 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast parade on Saturday, May 11 at 11:45am CT.
The complete schedule of programming accompanying the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast is available at PBR.com/WorldFinals.
The 2024 PBR World Finals will then conclude with the Championship on Saturday, May 18 at 7:45 p.m. CDT and Sunday, May 19 at 1:45 p.m. CDT in Arlington at AT&T Stadium. Inside the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, there will be two rounds of competition nightly. Following those four rounds, PBR will crown the World Champion, World Finals event winner, Rookie of the Year and more.
Single-day tickets for the PBR World Finals – Championship are on-sale now. They can be purchased online at ATTStadium.com, SeatGeek.com and PBR.com/WorldFinals, or by phone at 1-800-732-1727.
Before the PBR World Finals – Championship begins on May 18, fans will be able to attend Cole Hauser’s Ultimate Tailgate Party at AT&T Stadiums East Plaza. Cole Hauser’s Ultimate Tailgate Party will include the fan-favorite Rider Arrival Show hosted by Flint Rasmussen and Matt West featuring all 25 competing riders, along with LIVE music performances from the Tractor Supply Co. Stage from YEEDM duo VAVO, Dean James & The Treatment and the Dallas Cowboys’ DJ EJ.
During the PBR World Finals, Rounds 1 and 3 of Eliminations (May 9 and May 11), both Rounds 1-2 of Ride For Redemption (May 15-16) and Rounds 2-3 of Championship (May 18-19) will be populated by a random draw, while Rounds 2 and 4 of Eliminations (May 10 and May 12) and Rounds 1 and 4 of the Championship (May 18-19) will feature a draft format. The YETI PBR World Champion Bull and Bull of the Final contenders will buck during Round 2 and Round 4 of Eliminations (May 10 and May 12), and during Round 3 of the Championship on May 19.
CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) will broadcast every round of the PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast Eliminations and Championship LIVE, while CBS Television Network will bring viewers one highlight special from the Championship, and PBR RidePass on PlutoTV will cover Ride For RedemptionLIVE. The coverage schedule is:
- Thursday, May 9 @ 9:00 p.m. EDT on CBSSN (Eliminations – Round 1)
- Friday, May 10 @ 8:00 p.m. EDT on CBSSN (Eliminations – Round 2)
- Saturday, May 11 @ 8:00 p.m. EDT on CBSSN (Eliminations – Round 3)
- Sunday, May 12 @ 3:00 p.m. EDT on CBSSN (Eliminations – Round 4)
- Wednesday, May 15 @ 8:30 p.m. EDT on RidePass on Pluto TV (Ride For Redemption – Round 1)
- Thursday, May 16 @ 8:30 p.m. EDT on RidePass on Pluto TV (Ride For Redemption – Round 2)
- Saturday, May 18 @ 9:00 p.m. EDT on CBSSN (Championship – Rounds 1 & 2)
- Sunday, May 19 @ 12:00 p.m. EDT on CBS Television Network (Highlight Special)
- Sunday, May 19 @ 3:00 p.m. EDT on CBSSN (Championship Rounds 3 & 4)
Each LIVE CBSSN broadcast on May 9-12 and May 19 will be directly preceded by a 30-minute Inside The PBR World Finals pre-show breaking down the top storylines to note ahead of that day’s competition.
PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer re-airs and on-demand replays of every PBR Unleash The Beast and Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event. PBR RidePass is available on desktops, laptops and mobile devices via www.pluto.tv. Click here for on-demand PBR programming.
For more information about the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast and to see the complete event schedule, visit https://pbr.com/WorldFinals.
Stay tuned to PBR.com for the latest news and results and be sure to follow the sport on all social media platforms at @PBR.
About PBR (Professional Bull Riders):
PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 800 bull riders compete in more than 200 events annually across the televised PBR Unleash The Beast tour (UTB), which features the top bull riders in the world; the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT); the PBR Touring Pro Division (TPD); and the PBR’s international circuits in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico. In 2022, the organization launched PBR Teams—eight teams of the world’s best bull riders competing for a new championship—as well as the PBR Challenger Series with more than 60 annual events nationwide. The organization’s digital assets include PBR RidePass on Pluto TV, which is home to Western sports. PBR is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company. 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.
