AUDACIOUS Wreck Relief Ready to Ride Report: Outlaw Returning in Little Rock
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – Little Rock PBR fans better get their popcorn ready on Friday night at Simmons Bank Arena.
Home state cowboy and huge fan favorite Chase Outlaw is set to return to action for the first time since injuring his left groin in the practice pen at the end of January when Round 1 of the PBR Bad Boy Mowers Mowdown gets underway Friday night (8:30 p.m. ET on RidePass on Pluto TV).
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Outlaw has missed five consecutive UTB events since he had to withdraw from the Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic, presented by Bass Pro Shops, in Sacramento, California.
The 29-year-old grew up two hours south of Little Rock in Hamburg, Arkansas, and always has a strong contingent of fans whenever the PBR stops in The Rock.
Outlaw has been plagued by a series of injuries (shoulder, knee, and groin) since finishing third in the 2019 world title race, but he seemed ready to finally get back to a full-time PBR run before his practice pen injury.
The eight-time PBR World Finals qualifier is 2-for-6 in three events this season, which already matches his yearly ride totals from 2020 and 2021.
Outlaw is down to his final Unleash The Beast exemption, but the No. 47-ranked bull rider in the world is still very much in contention for an alternate position for future events. Outlaw is only 58.5 points outside of the Top 25.
He has drawn Night Moves (0-0, UTB) for Round 1, which is an ABBI Classic round featuring the sport’s top up-and-coming 3- and 4-year-old bulls.
There will be another Arkansas native in the draw with No. 56 Brandon Davis competing in his second career premier series event and first since 2017. The 32-year-old is from Cabot, Arkansas, only 30 minutes northeast of Little Rock.
Davis faces Figure 8 (1-0, UTB) in Round 1.
TOP 30 RIDERS OUT OF COMPETITION
No. 11 Austin Richardson (left knee)
No. 21 Cole Melancon (torn right groin)
No. 23 Alex Cardozo (right hip)
No. 24 Cannon Cravens (left hip)
No. 28 Cooper Davis (left shoulder surgery)
On Thursday, Austin Richardson explained to PBR.com that he reaggravated his previous left knee injury when he rode Buck Wild for 86 points in Round 1 in Los Angeles.
“I felt like it was in my best interest to not go to Little Rock,” Richardson said. “And it would give me about two weeks until Glendale (March 12-13) to recover.”
Little Rock will have a lineup of 40 contestants on Friday night. As part of the 2022 UTB event structure at select events, any rider who is not seeded based on Unleash The Beast tour event standards (Top 25 available plus any Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour invites or injury exempt riders) will need to earn a qualified ride in Round 1 to advance to compete in Round 2.
Here is a list of this weekend’s riders who need a qualified ride on Friday night to advance to Round 2.
No. 39 Francisco Morales
No. 41 Brennon Eldred
No. 42 Dawson Branton
No. 43 Keyshawn Whitehorse
No. 48 Jesse Petri
No. 52 Lane Nobles
No. 56 Brandon Davis
SWEARINGEN TAKES 75.66-POINT LEAD INTO LITTLE ROCK
New world No. 1 Daylon Swearingen is back on top of the world standings for the first time since being the world leader heading into the UTB season-opener in Indianapolis.
Swearingen has a 75.66-point lead over No. 2 Joao Ricardo Vieira after winning back-to-back events in St. Louis and Los Angeles. Swearingen won the two events in four days, the fastest in PBR history.
Swearingen has ridden three consecutive bulls and four of his past five. He won the PBR Pluto TV Invitational Tuesday with 91.25 points on Nasty Wishes.
“Perfect bull,” Swearingen said. “I was really happy to get that bull. It was either him or Buckin for Cash, and I am glad it worked out.”
The 22-year-old has never been the No. 1 rider in the world this late in a season. He will look to keep his momentum going during his Round 1 matchup against Wilson (0-0, UTB).
“I am just really thankful to be No. 1 in the world,” Swearingen said. “I just have to keep moving forward now and not mess up. These guys behind me are not going to mess up.”
HEVALOW GETS ANOTHER CRACK AS VELOCITY TOUR INVITE
Eighteen-year-old Koltin Hevalow made his PBR debut as an alternate last weekend in St. Louis, lasting 3.92 seconds on Spastica. Hevalow will now be competing in Little Rock on both nights of competition as the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour invite courtesy of his win in Youngstown, Ohio.
Hevalow will look for his first premier series qualified ride when he faces JWH 911F (1-0, UTB).
2018 World Champion Kaique Pacheco, the No. 46-ranked rider in the world, is in the draw with the first of his five World Champion exemptions. Pacheco has drawn Time for Magic (1-0, UTB) for Round 1.
TEAM AUSTRALIA’S FIELDER MAKING HIS SEASON DEBUT
Team Australia will have a representative this weekend at Simmons Bank Arena with Brady Fielder making his season debut vs. Hank (0-0, UTB).
Fielder – the No. 1-ranked rider in PBR Australia – is No. 33 in the world standings following his 9-for-17 start to the Australian season. Fielder heads to the United States following back-to-back victories in Australia on Feb. 5 (Scone, New South Wales) and Feb. 7 (Rockhampton, Queensland).
Little Rock is Fielder’s first event on American soil since leaving the U.S. in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began. At the time of his departure, Fielder was 51st in the world standings after qualifying for his first World Finals in 2019.
The 22-year-old is expected to be one of the leaders for Australia at the PBR Global Cup USA, presented by Monster Energy, on March 5.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
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