Reigning World Champion Texas Rattlers Beat Nashville Stampede on Saturday Night to Complete Sweep of PBR Teams Homestand in Fort Worth and Clinch a Championship Weekend Berth
Austin Gamblers and Oklahoma Wildcatters register upset wins on a sold-out Saturday night, joined in the winner’s circle by the Florida Freedom who also clinch for playoffs in T-Mobile Arena
PBR Rattler Days becomes first Camping World Team Series Event in League History to sell-out all three nights of game play
FORT WORTH, Texas – The 2023 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Teams Champion Texas Rattlers continued their streak of perfection when riding at home Saturday night, improving to a perfect 9-0 in Fort Worth, Texas, in three seasons of league play, as they beat the Nashville Stampede by two ride scores, 175.5-0.00 in front of a sold-out crowd inside Dickies Arena.
With one event remaining in the regular season, the Rattlers clinched a Championship Weekend berth in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas by locking into the Top 6.
PBR Rattler Days also marked the first-ever PBR Teams event in league history to sell-out all three days of game play.
The Rattlers took the game lead in the bottom of the first and never looked back. The pivotal score was an 87.5-point ride from Brady Fielder on Wingman. Fielder, who was 5-for-6 on the weekend, grew his lead in the 2024 PBR Teams MVP race to 109.5 points ahead of No. 2 John Crimber.
Texas secured the game win early after Nashville failed to make the 8 in any of their five outs. Rattlers’ Joao Ricardo Vieira then punctuated the game win with a ride to remember, dominating Haymaker for 88 points.
Texas earned their first victory against Nashville this season in three games, beating the Stampede 175.5.
The Rattlers’ perfect 3-0 weekend allowed them to improve to 15-11 this season, remaining No. 4 in the league. Nashville concluded their time in Fort Worth 0-3, falling to 11-15 this season to slide from No. 6 to No. 7 in the league, now outside the playoff cutline.
Saturday night’s event also featured two thrilling upset wins by the Austin Gamblers and Oklahoma Wildcatters.
The Austin Gamblers logged a dominant, 253.75-point upset win against the league No. 1 Carolina Cowboys, 340.25-86.5.
The Gamblers went a torrid 4-for-5 during the game, propelled to victory courtesy of scores from Kaique Pacheco, Lucas Divino, Ramon de Lima and Jose Vitor Leme. Carolina’s lone score came in the opening frame from 2016 PBR World Champion Cooper Davis.
Austin beat Carolina for the first time this season in four games. They concluded PBR Rattler Days 1-1, now 13-13 this season, to maintain the league No. 5 rank. The Cowboys fell to 1-1 at the event and 17-7-1 across 2024, retaining the No. 1 rank in the league.
The then No. 9 Oklahoma Wildcatters knocked off the No. 2 Kansas City Outlaws by 89.25 points, 175-85.75. The win marked Oklahoma’s second of the season against Kansas City as they improved to 2-1 in the 2024 season.
Oklahoma took control of the game in the top of the first and never looked back. Courtesy of consecutive scores from Eduardo Matos and Bob Mitchell in the first two frames, coupled with Outlaw buckoffs by Sandro Batista and Maikon Calixton Rocha, the J.B. Mauney-led Wildcatters surged to a quick 175-point lead ahead of the third.
In the third, Oklahoma earned a re-ride, after Clay Guiton was unable to leave the chutes on Levy, but Kansas City continued to falter as Koltin Hevalow was bucked off by Ridin’ Salty in 3.64 seconds.
Oklahoma then suffered two buckoffs in the fourth from Wingson Henrique da Silva and closer Cort McFadden, who moved up in the order due to the re-ride. Needing a score, Julio Cesar Marques converted when Kansas City needed it most, keeping their hopes of victory alive in the bottom of the fourth as he rode Cold Creek for 85.75 points.
For the third time in the showdown, Oklahoma had the chance to clinch the win early, but Guiton could not get past re-ride draw Snuggles, hitting the ground at 7.6 seconds. Kansas City then had the chance to win the game in walk-off form, with their fate resting in the hands of their closer and 2024 PBR World Champion Cassio Dias who less than 24 hours prior made PBR history, logging the second highest-marked ride in the organization’s more than 30-year history on Man Hater for a monstrous 98.25 points.
Dias, however, was bucked off in an uncharacteristic 5.7 seconds by Lever Action, delivering Oklahoma the upset win, 175-85.75.
Oklahoma improved to 1-1 at PBR Rattler Days and 10-15-1 this season, remaining No. 8 in the league following the three nights of action. Kansas City, fell to 1-2 at the event and 17-9 this season, but they remain ranked No. 2 rank in PBR Teams.
The opening game of Saturday night’s PBR Rattler Days between the Florida Freedom and Missouri Thunder had numerous playoff implications. With a 2.75-point win against Missouri, 265.25-262.5, Florida clinched a spot inside the coveted Top 6, preventing the team from having to compete in the league’s Ride-in-Round on Oct .17 in Las Vegas at South Point Hotel and Casino. Florida’s win also gave the host Texas Rattlers a direct berth to ride at the 2024 PBR Teams Championship getting underway Oct. 18 at nearby T-Mobile Arena in Sin City.
Florida took control of the game early, jumping to an 88.5-point lead in the top of the first as Alex Cerqueira covered Always Been Crazy. Missouri, however, responded in the next out, inching within 1 point of tying the game lead as Paulo Eduardo Rossetto went the distance on Hay Ring for 87.5 points. The Freedom’s momentum continued to roll on as they grew their lead to a game-best 89.75 points in the top of the second courtesy of an 8.75-point ride from Joao Lucas Campos aboard Buckshot. Missouri then became the first team to stumble in the bottom of the second as Boudreaux Campbell was launched in 3.31 seconds by Fire Zone.
Following Florida’s first buckoff of the game in the top of the third, Missouri rebounded in the bottom of the frame, crawling within 0.75 points of tying the game as Andrew Alvidrez went the distance on Exodus for a game-best 89 points.
The Freedom responded in the top of the fourth, when Elizmar Jeremias put the team back ahead by a full ride score in making the whistle on Blue Suede Shoes for 88 points. Missouri didn’t grow their aggregate score in the bottom of the frame, but did earn a re-ride after Desert Twister fouled himself during his trip with Briggs Madsen.
Florida had the chance to amplify the pressure on Missouri in the top of the fifth, forcing the team into two must-ride situations, but their closer John Crimber uncharacteristically bucked off, tossed by Ridgeway in 3.25 seconds. Missouri then had two chances to win the game in come-from-behind form. First out was Felipe Furlan aboard Rock ‘n Roll, but he was tossed in a close 7.17 seconds. Grayson Cole then took on the team’s re-ride draw Feeds Red River, and while he didn’t make the 8, he earned the team’s second re-ride. The showdown then came down to Dawson Gleaves on Rafter P Construction’s Smooth Over It. While Gleaves made the 8, his 86-point score was not enough to walk off the win for Missouri.
Courtesy of the 265.25-262.5 victory, Florida improved to a perfect 3-0 against Missouri in 2024. They concluded PBR Rattler Days 1-1, now 15-10 this season, remaining No. 3 in the league. The Thunder went 1-1 in the Metroplex, now holding a 11-15 season record. After travelling to Texas No. 7 in PBR Teams, they rose one spot to No. 6.
Saturday night of PBR Rattler Days concluded with the Shootout Round featuring one rider from each of the evening’s winning teams. Giving the hometown fans a night to remember, the Rattlers’ Fielder won the special round with a monstrous 91.75-point ride on Magic Hunter, completing a 5-for-6 weekend. The Freedom’s Crimber finished second in the Shootout Round, covering Tulsa Time for 89.75 points. Fielder now leads No. 2 Crimber by 111.5 points in the 2024 PBR Teams MVP race.
On-demand replays of all the PBR Teams action will be available the following day on the Merit+ app. RidePass on Pluto TV will also air Teams replays five days later. Viewers can watch on the Merit+ app or go to https://www.meritstreetmedia.com/channel-finder to find the Merit Street Media cable channel in their area.
Photos by Keith Higgs and Robbie Clark
