Arizona Ridge Riders Trade for Colten Fritzlan, Set Roster Ahead of 2023 PBR Team Series Season
By: Mandi McCary
FORT WORTH, Texas – As one of the foundational partners of the first team-based league in the extreme sport of bull riding, Western lifestyle and entertainment brand Teton Ridge announced on Thursday that it would re-sign five world-class athletes and had negotiated a landslide last-minute trade with the Missouri Thunder to acquire Colten Fritzlan (Rifle, Colorado), for their 2023 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team, the Ridge Riders.
In the hours before the 2023 draft on Wednesday, the Ridge Riders traded their first-round draft pick to the Missouri Thunder to acquire Fritzlan. The 22-year-old Coloradan, the Missouri Thunder’s first-round draft pick in 2022, currently sits at No. 18 in the PBR standings and is a fourth-generation roughstock competitor. Having won the 2020 PRCA Resistol Rookie of the Year at the age of 19, he went on to clinch the NFR average title that same year. In addition, the rising star claimed the title of champion at The American Rodeo in 2021.
After 2022’s inaugural 11-event season, which concluded in early November in Las Vegas, Arizona’s first-ever professional bull riding team ended the season with a second-place finish. The team is eager to start the new season, which begins on July 24-25 at Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Each of the league’s eight teams will have ten riders in total, including seven “Protected Roster” riders and three “Practice Squad” developmental riders.
The bull riding games that make up the 13-week season will feature five-on-five competition between two teams. Each regular season event day will feature all teams in a head-to-head game.
Ridge Riders General Manager Casey Lane, joined by Technical Coach Paulo Crimber (10-time World Finals Qualifier) and Team Manager Colby Yates (five-time World Finals Qualifier), will continue to lead the all-star squad.
“Our inaugural season was incredible,” said Lane. “2022 came right down to the final moments of the Championship, and we almost brought the title home to Arizona for our fans. We are beyond proud of our team of extremely talented bull riders who will continue on as Ridge Riders this season and very excited for Colten to join the team. Now, more than ever, we are dedicated to claiming the championship at the end of the season.”
A combination of grit, determination and resilience wrapped into one steadfast group of athletes with a strong lineage in Western sports is what makes up the Ridge Riders. In addition to Fritzlan, the 2023 team is a collection of the world’s top competitors, including Luciano De Castro (Guzolandia, Brazil), Eduardo Aparecido (Gouvelandia, Brazil), Chase Dougherty (Decatur, Texas), Keyshawn Whitehorse (McCracken Spring, Utah) and Vitor Losnake (Bauru, Brazil).
With the 11th overall pick in Wednesday’s draft, the Ridge Riders selected Pro Rodeo veteran Jeff Askey (Athens, Texas). Askey’s career includes five NFR qualifications and more than a million dollars in earnings.
The Teton Ridge-owned Ridge Riders will again call Glendale, Arizona’s Desert Diamond Arena home and will host their second-annual homestand event and surrounding festivities Friday, September 29 through Sunday, October 1. Tickets for the action-packed, three-day event can be purchased at Ticketmaster.
The Ridge Riders represent one of several elevated Western sports properties that Teton Ridge has assembled under its portfolio. The sports division was created with the singular focus of elevating the Western lifestyle and culture to the world stage while broadening and diversifying audiences through enhanced production, technology, and innovation. From acquiring and producing The American Rodeo and The American Contender Tournament, which awarded more than $6 million in cash and prizes in 2023, to assembling a team of the most accomplished and elite champions in the industry, Teton Ridge Sports is committed to strengthening, enriching, and furthering Western sports for future competitors across all disciplines.
To follow the Ridge Riders’ journey, please visit www.pbr.com/teams/arizona_ridge_riders, or follow @arizonaridgeriders on Facebook and Instagram, or @AZRidgeRiders on Twitter.
© 2023 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.