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Souza goes the Extra Mile to Compete on Hallowed Ground

By: Darci Miller
July 24, 2018

Alisson de Souza went 2-for-2 at the PBR at Cheyenne Frontier Days. Photo: Andre Silva.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Alisson de Souza was on a mission, and he was not going to let a little bit of mud get in his way.

He wasn’t going to let a lot of mud get in his way, either.

The 24-year-old covered both of his bulls at the PBR Cheyenne Frontier Days on Monday in Cheyenne, Wyoming, after a brief, but heavy rainstorm turned the outdoor arena into a sea of mud.

While other competitors found themselves in it, Souza rode Dirty Blonde for 83.75 points in the first round. In the championship round, he made the 8 seconds on Speckled Chicken, scoring 84.25 points to finish the night sitting in second place overall.

“It’s a big event,” Souza said of the Cheyenne Frontier Days with the help of Marco Eguchi translating. “I want to win, like everyone here.”

Three-time World Champion Silvano Alves finished 2-for-2 and is leading the event.

Action in Cheyenne continues Tuesday night with the 2018 CBR World Finals.

Still just a rookie on the PBR circuit, Souza is making a name for himself by going the extra mile. Literally.

Souza was in Salt Lake City for the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo on Saturday night. Souza advanced to Tuesday’s Gold Medal Round by making the 8 seconds aboard Nailed for 85 points.

On Monday, he was one of just second riders to go 2-for-2 in Cheyenne.

Now he will head back to Salt Lake City to compete for the gold medal at Days of ’47.

Is his travel schedule grueling?

Perhaps?

“It’s not bad,” Souza said with a picture of nonchalance.

To be fair, bouncing back and forth between two cities is nothing new for Souza, who made his 25th PBR: Unleash The Beast debut in the midst of a 70-hour, 4,500-mile road trip across America.

He was part of a group of riders that competed in the UTB event in Billings, Montana, on a Friday night, trekked to Des Moines, Iowa, for a Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour event on Saturday, and returned to Billings by 11 a.m. on Sunday morning for the final rounds of his first premier series event. Not only did he manage to successfully compete in both events, he did far more than just show up: he placed third in Des Moines and ninth in Billings.

Souza hopes to make a similar double in Cheyenne and Salt Lake City.

Should he earn the win at Days of ’47, he says that would be his biggest win in the U.S. to date.

The winner of the bull riding gold medal will also earn 120 world points and $50,000. Each victor of the rodeo disciplines automatically qualifies for the next three WCRA $1 million rodeos.

CBS national television will air “B&W Trailer Hitches Days of ’47” on July 29 at 1 p.m. ET.

“It’s a lot of good riders,” Souza said. “Everybody knows the event.”

Though he didn’t win the round in Cheyenne, competing on the storied grounds of Cheyenne Frontier Days was significant in and of itself.

“I used to watch the rodeo on TV,” Souza said. “Being here is a pleasure for me. It’s something I’m going to have for my whole life.”

© 2018 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.

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