2023 Unleash The Beast Game Notes: Albuquerque
By: Andrew Hatfield
2023 Unleash The Beast Game Notes: Albuquerque
The Unleash The Beast bucks into The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the 17th event of the 2023 Unleash The Beast campaign on March 24-26. Read on for what you need to know!
PETRI TAKES THE BIG EASY – Jesse Petri stormed back into the Top 10 with his first event win of the year in New Orleans last weekend. The affable Texan went 2-for-3 on the weekend, riding Dr. X in Round 1 for 87.75 points. He then secured the pick of the pen in the championship round thanks to an 86.25-point ride on Soul Train in Round 2. The bulls found the upper hand in the championship round, however, as not a single cowboy was able to post a qualified ride, including Petri, who was bucked off by Flapjack in 4.48 seconds. With his first victory since Manchester in October of 2021, Petri rocketed up to No. 9 in the UTB standings, 416 points behind Jose Vitor Leme. The win was also a welcome return to form for the Texan, as he had gone five events without recording a qualified ride after a solid start to the season. Petri’s previous best finish this season was second place in Manchester last December, and then he had two more top-10 finishes to start 2023, finishing fourth in New York and seventh in Sacramento. Petri, who went 1-for-3 in Albuquerque last season, is slated to face Whiskey Glasses in Round 1 and Bandito Bug in the 15/15 Bucking Battle
NATIVE AMERICAN INVITE – Every year, the Ty Murray Invitational invites the top Native American rider to compete alongside the world’s Top 40. This year’s invite will be 19-year-old Robbie Taylor Jr. of Chinle, Arizona. Taylor will be making his UTB debut after going 4-for-11 across the Touring Pro Division and the Velocity Tour, including three top-10 finishes, highlighted by his 10th-place finish at the PWVT event in Denver in January of this year. Taylor went 1-for-2, riding Centerfold for 86.5 points in Round 1. Prior to joining the PBR, Taylor competed in high school before entering the Indian National Finals Rodeo in October of 2022, placing first after going 3-for-4
SIDELINED LEME REMAINS NO. 1 – While unable to compete in Albuquerque this week due to injury, Jose Vitor Leme remains atop the Unleash The Beast standings for the seventh consecutive week after his second consecutive third place finish in New Orleans, going 2-for-3, and staying 107.5 points ahead of Dalton Kasel. After hanging onto Hog Wild for 72.5 points in Round 1, he rode Bread Basket in Round 2 for an impressive 88.5 points, but in the championship round was bucked off Fastfire, the second-ranked bull in the world. The previous weekend in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Leme went 2-for-3 to finish third, his first top-three finish since winning in Sacramento, but will now be forced to watch on as the race continues to heat up down south
For all of the statistics, stories and standings heading into this weekend’s PBR Ty Murray Invitational, presented by The Downs Racetrack & Casino, be sure to check out this week’s Game Notes and stay tuned to PBR.com and PBR social media channels!
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
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