James Youness | PBR
PUEBLO, Colo. – Known to be one of the best events on the PBR calendar, Big Sky PBR once again lived up to its reputation at the 10-time “PBR Event of the Year” as sold-out crowds gathered throughout the weekend to see some of the industry’s most talented riders duke it out.
Sure, it was a Challenger Series showdown.
But it felt, just as it normally does, a bit closer to Unleash The Beast vibes.
Between the engaged audience, next-level intermission contests (involving some rather entertaining fans) and hearing Flint Rasmussen back on the mic, this didn’t feel like another opportunity to stay loose.
This event has its own reputation. And associated bragging rights. (Plus, some pretty cool gifts, prizes and additional payouts for the riders!)
And when we look back at the decorated roster of both cowboys and bovine athletes who made the trip up north, it’s easy to see why this event has been as successful as it has.
Andy Watson, the tour’s longtime photographer, his wife Jacey and friends don’t mess around when they plan this thing every season.
Neither do the contestants who show up.
At least one member from each of the PBR Camping World Team Series squads were present at the three-day showcase in Big Sky, Montana. But it was the Arizona Ridge Riders who took the opportunity and “rode” with it.
Seeing their pair of veterans in Luciano De Castro and Eduardo Aparecido represent two of the event’s three cowboys who survived the contest’s multi-round format for a chance to win it all …
… Head Coach Colby Yates has to believe the black and white contingent is going to bring some additional momentum into this weekend’s PBR Teams: Duluth showdown in Duluth, Georgia.
Fresh off helping his Ridge Riders secure a favorable 2-0 start to the 2024 Teams campaign just two months after securing a career-high No. 3 premier series finish, Eduardo Aparecido didn’t approach the summer’s biggest party half-heartedly.
Eduardo Aparecido rides Down Payment for 87.75 points in Round 1 of the 2024 PBR World Finals: UTB Eliminations Rounds at Cowtown Coliseum in Ft. Worth, TX
While he wasn’t able to make the 8 during his first attempt, he returned to action on Friday night, where a date with The Judge loomed. Matching his bovine opponent’s every step, his hot streak began in Round 3, where he covered the talented bovine for 87.5 points.
Doubling down during his first Saturday night go, it was his 86.5-point dance with Blackstone which ultimately secured his spot in the event’s final showdown.
Setting up a showdown with Castro as the evening wound to a close, it was apparent some drama would ensue. Or, some fireworks, at the very least!
Ripping off a 90-point score courtesy of his pairing with Safety Meeting, he undoubtedly set the tone for what a BIG ride looks like.
It was a good go, all things considered. The high-marked event at the time and Aparecido’s first 90-pointer in more than four months. But he left the door open for a familiar friend.
Originally getting on the board Thursday night courtesy of an 86-point dance aboard Macho Man, Castro was warmed up and ready to go when Friday’s session rolled around. Besting both Uncle Jim and Han Solo for matching 89.5-point dances, he had officially clinched his spot in the event’s Shoot Out Round, as the bull power seemed unmatchable to most.
Saving the best for last, Castro produced an epic 91-pointer aboard Outlaw to seal the deal.
Most competitors would’ve been a bit roughed up after being that close to a big win, but his 5-on-5 teammate in Aparecido could only smile and celebrate alongside his fellow Brazilian.
It wasn’t a PBR Teams event, but it sure felt like one.
Throw in the fact that Keyshawn Whitehorse managed a fourth-place showing and it’s easy to see why Arizona walked away as the series’ unofficial winners over the weekend, as their riders claimed three of the event’s Top 5 spots when all was said and done.
Just days after beginning his perfect 2-for-2 start in the land of camaraderie-driven action, Whitehorse managed to finish rides paired with Peyton’s Daddy (84 points) and I’m Busted (83.5 points), eventually coming up just short of his chance to compete in the Shoot Out Round.
Arizona Ridge Riders’s Keyshawn Whitehorse rides Blue Suede Shoes for 86.25 points in Game 4 on Day 2 of the 2024 PBR Teams: Wildcatters Days in Oklahoma City, OK
For what it’s worth, riders currently on a PBR Teams squad collectively claimed each of the Top 10 spots, with Brady Fielder (Texas Rattlers), Conner Halverson (Florida Freedom), Andrei Scoparo (Nashville Stampede), Trey Benton III (Florida Freedom), Marcus Mast (Kansas City Outlaws), Brady Oleson (Texas Rattlers) and Paulo Eduardo Rossetto (Missouri Thunder) rounding out the contest’s top performers.
While the Ridge Riders were extremely active stateside over the weekend, they weren’t limited to success in the U.S., as Canadian standout Nick Tetz parlayed a 2-for-2 at the PBR Canada’s Touring Pro Division showdown in Czar Lake, Alberta, into a huge victory.
Even better, Tetz double-entered in his home province, eventually matching his event-winning efforts with another sixth-place showing.
Speaking of double entrees, 24-year-old Bruno Carvalho managed a pair of Top 10 finishes in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, during the Challenger Series’ Thunder on Hooves meet-up.
Tying for seventh place via an 81.5-point out atop Bad Lover and settling for a 10th-place tie courtesy of an 80-pointer, the Brazilian was also able to drum up some confidence, if not consistency with the down time.
Not too bad for a “bye week,” eh?
One of just three remaining undefeated teams in the PBR Camping World Team Series, the black and white squad has their work cut out for them this weekend as they prepare to challenge the (2-0) Carolina Cowboys, (1-1) Texas Rattlers and (1-2) Missouri Thunder during the second of 12 regular season events.
But before they return to Teams action, three of the squad’s members, including Castro, Aparecido and Whitehorse, will be giving it a go during a rare midweek showdown as PBR prepares to host the Camping World PBR Last Cowboy – Cheyenne Frontier Days July 22-23.
So, get ready to kick back, relax and soak in the trio of Ridge Riders as they compete against 2024 World Champion Cassio Dias, John Crimber and tons of the world’s best cowboys Monday and Tuesday night!