BALTIMORE – Even with the start of the New Year and a new season, the ice in Silvano Alves’ veins remains the same and the three-time World Champion has once again found a way to add his name to the PBR record books at just 27 years old.
The defending World Champion rode his 16th consecutive bull on the Built Ford Tough Series dating back to last season when he made his strongest ride of this weekend’s season-opener at Royal Farms Arena by earning a tough 88 points aboard Yo Yo during Saturday night’s Built Ford Tough Championship Round.
Alves withstood a fierce buck from the bovine athlete within the first 3.5 seconds of the ride, and wasn’t fooled with a last-second turn back by Yo Yo near the arena exit gate.
The 16 consecutive rides on the BFTS puts Alves tied with J.B. Mauney, who broke Terry Don West’s record of 15 in Chicago last year, for the longest streak in PBR history.
“I am very happy because I needed to just stay on the bull,” Alves said. “I am excited to start this year to ride all three bulls. I am just happy for the support of my family, fans and sponsors.”
Alves finished the Baltimore Invitational 3-for-3, and third overall, after riding Little Red (81 points) and Rough‘em Up Tuck (86.25) in the first two rounds.
He explained that even though he had previously ridden Yo Yo the other two times that he faced him at the 2013 and 2011 World Finals, familiarity wasn’t necessarily why he picked him. Instead, Alves said he tried to earn a high enough score to potentially win the Baltimore Invitational based on where he was at in the event standings at the start of the championship round draft.
“I was number eight in the draw and I needed a good bull,” Alves said. “I think I have a good bull because he is hard. Yo Yo is a good fit for me for a high score.”
Before Alves prepared to face Rough‘em Up Tuck in the second round, Mauney stated that the Pilar Do Sul, Brazil, bull rider would easily ride the bull and qualify for the championship round. He then watched on as the bull rider he edged for his 2013 world title tied the consecutive ride streak record atop Yo Yo.
“It’s hard. You are not just getting on the easiest bulls, you are getting on the rankest bulls in the world and that is what is hard,” Mauney said. “To ride that many bulls in a row – and he will probably break it next week – that is saying a lot.”
Mauney averaged 87.84 points per ride during his streak and posted four 90-plus rides.
Alves’ 88 points on Yo Yo was his second-highest scored ride of his current streak, which began in Biloxi, Mississippi, on Oct. 3, 2014, in the second-to-final regular season event last year when he turned down a re-ride option and kept his 72.25 points on Living the Dream. He finished the event 3-for-3 and went 3-for-3 the following week in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he posted the highest-scored ride of his streak — an 88.25-point ride on UR Next.
The Pilar Do Sul, Brazil, native then turned down his re-ride option after riding Alright, Alright, Alright for 80.5 points at the Monster Energy Bulls on the Beach 15/15 Bucking Battle before going 6-for-6 at the World Finals to rally for his third world title in four seasons.
Alves has averaged 82.05 points per ride during his streak, which included four re-ride options that he declined. However, seven of his past nine rides have been scored 85 points or higher.
He also ended Asteroid’s streak of 30 consecutive buckoffs when he rode the 2012 World Champion Bull for 87.25 points in the championship round of the Finals.
Mauney and Alves’ streaks both involved 6-for-6 showings at the World Finals, helped clinch a world title and spanned over the course of two seasons.
“Silvano is pretty solid every time,” said nine-time World Champion Ty Murray, who is listed in the PBR Media guide with earning a streak of 14 consecutive rides. “He doesn’t let the highs get too high and he never lets the low get too low. He never lets anyone get into his head. He stays calm, cool and collected. He is humble. He knows how to avoid injury as good as anyone I have ever seen.”
Just as he was last season when he tied Adriano Moraes’ record of three world titles, Alves remained modest about answering whether he thought he could continue his streak next weekend in Chicago.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Alves said.
Guilherme Marchi was much more candid, sharing Mauney’s belief that Alves has a good chance of taking over sole possession of the record next week in Chicago and add to his rising total.
“He rode the 16 bulls and he is going to break a lot of records,” Marchi said. “I think he is going to pass the 16 bulls.”
Marchi is no stranger to consecutive ride streaks. He sits fifth all time with a streak of 13 consecutive rides during his 2008 World Championship season. He also has posted streaks of 11 consecutive rides in 2005 and 2007.
He believes the key is confident riding.
“It takes confidence,” Marchi said. “(Alves feels) no pressure, nothing. He rode all of his bulls in the Finals and he win the (world) title. I think his confidence is so high right now and he don’t care about nothing. I think he wants to be a champion this year again, and we see how good he rides because he loves what he is doing. That guy is so cold with what he is doing, and he deserves what he is doing.”
Murray concluded that he came away impressed with the bull rider that showed up in Baltimore.
“Silvano looks really good,” Murray said. “He stepped up today in the championship round and picked a rank bull and rode him easy. Now, who knows what his strategy is going to end up being. I am just going off what we saw here and I always felt like if he believed in himself as much as I believed in him, he would be unstoppable.
“If he starts going at it like that, we are going to watch his riding get better.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko.
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