Challenger Series Round-Up: Riders Staying Loose with PBR Teams Returning July 24-25
By: James Youness
PUEBLO, Colo. – As the best bull riders in the world continue to stay in shape with season two of PBR Teams officially less than a month away, cowboys around the country participated in a variety of Challenger Series events as the summer session surged on.
By now, everybody knows that Thursday is the new Friday, but when competition returned to Cowtown Coliseum on Thursday, June 22 for the 18th iteration of the Stockyards Showcase, there was a bit of a surprise when things were said and done.
Representing his first-ever Challenger Series victory, and just third win at a PBR-sanctioned event (including a pair of Touring Pro Division wins in 2015 and 2019), it was veteran Dustin Ratchford who exited the contest with 46 Challenger Series points and a check for $4,193.
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First besting UR 815 with an 85-point, round-winning effort, he was eventually met with a heartbreaking 6.99-second buckoff in Round 2, as Armageddon wouldn’t allow the perfect 2-for-2 slate. Thankfully for Ratchford, his 85-point journey was enough to seal the deal on a night where only three cowboys recorded qualified rides.
Sharing the second-place honors, courtesy of matching 82-point rides, 48-year-old Ednei Caminhas and Anthony Lyons found the 8 in respective second-round efforts Thursday.
After failing to dance with UR 08 in the opening go, dispatched in a quick 2.32 seconds, Caminhas returned to form, eventually posting his 82-point score paired against Blue Moon. Also rising to the occasion after some first-round woes (4.46 seconds aboard UR 808), Lyons went on to post his 82-point outing matched with CMSR 68 to secure his spot on the podium.
Both Caminhas and Lyons brought home 29.5 Challenger Series points for their Top 3 finishes.
After helping the Texas Rattlers to a come-from-behind effort during last summer’s inaugural PBR Teams action, will the experienced veteran find a spot within one of the eight teams for year two?
As the weekend approached, a pair of events in Mill Spring, North Carolina, and Belcourt, North Dakota, welcomed a variety of skilled riders as summer continues to heat up.
Posting the lone qualified ride in Friday’s Round 1, it was Dustin Herman who took home the opening-round honors, courtesy of his flashy 85-point journey atop Don’t Come Easy.
But eventually seeing Austin Gamblers’ star Ezekiel Mitchell and Carlos Garcia come alive on Saturday, paired with his 0-for-2 performance in the final two rounds, Herman exited the contest in third place.
While Mitchell and Garcia each needed a night’s work to get warmed up at the PBR Ironpeddlers Chute Out at Tryon International, they both provided a spark on Saturday night by finding the whistle as two of just four riders to meet the mark throughout the two-day showcase.
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Seeing Garcia convert against Tall Boy for 86 points earlier in the slate, Mitchell was able to best Nighttime Crime in Round 2 to meet the event-best, 86 point-score, while also tying Garcia atop the leaderboard as the second round came to a close. But with neither of the riders able to find the 8 in the final go, the pair exited the event tied for first-place honors, earning a quality 88 Challenger Series points.
Meanwhile, a couple thousand miles north in Belcourt, more than 20 riders gathered to compete at the Sky Dancer PBR, presented by Sky Dancer Casino & Resort, as the always-lovely North Dakota faithful welcomed some of the biggest names in the sport, including 2022 World Champion Daylon Swearingen, 2022 PBR Canada Champion Nick Tetz, Missouri Thunder captain Andrew Alvidrez, Arizona Ridge Riders’ veteran Chase Dougherty and beyond.
While Dougherty’s flawless 2-for-2 performance was an encouraging showcase for Ridge Rider fans, which included a Round 1 conversion aboard Cat Ballou (86 points) and 83-point ride atop Dennis The Menace in the second go, the Decatur, Texas, native finished just one point back of the contest’s eventual victor, Alan de Souza.
Since the beginning of June, the talented Brazilian has been on a bit of a tear, racking up five Top 5 finishes this month, including a fourth-place finish, two runner-up efforts and a pair of Challenger Series event titles.
Turning in a perfect performance on Saturday, de Souza first went to work paired against Corn Pop, whom he conquered for an 84.5-point score. Quickly doubling down in the second round, this time facing off with Dippin’ Dot, the overall Challenger Series standings leader went on to post an 85.5-point, slightly edging out Dougherty for the event win.
Rounding out the Top 3, it was de Souza’s brother, Alisson de Souza, who produced his second podium finish of the month after missing a majority of the Unleash The Beast season recovering from injuries down south in Brazil. The former Ridge Riders’ star, known for loving a good milkshake, began his run with an 80-point effort against Beetlejuice in the opening round before capitalizing on his Round 2 matchup with Puckered Up, which was scored a friendly 85.5 points.
As the only other rider to stay perfect inside Sky Dancer Casino & Resort this past weekend, Briggs Madsen of the Oklahoma Freedom continued to get back into the swing of things. Finding success atop both Kyno (82 points: Round 1) and Pale Face (81 points: Round 2), the Tremonton, Utah, native delivered his best placement in an individual event since winning the PBR at Tuacahn Amphitheater (Touring Pro Division) in his home state back on April 1, 2022.
While Swearingen, Tetz and Alvidrez each dressed for the event, it was the latter who found himself without a qualified ride at the event’s conclusion, while both Swearingen (1-for-2; 87.5 points on Country Boy) and Tetz (1-for-2; 82.5 points aboard Ol’ Brindle) managed Top 6 finishes, respectively.
Originally scheduled to take place Saturday, June 24, the Binford PBR was rescheduled to take place on Saturday, July 29.
Challenger Series action is set to resume on Thursday, June 29 with the 19th iteration of the Stockyards Showcase set to invade Cowtown Coliseum, quickly followed by the 24th Annual Boot Barn Jerome Davis PBR Invitational June 30-July 1 in Archdale, North Carolina. Rounding out this weekend’s upcoming slate, the Slick Rock Challenger will welcome riders to Rocksprings, Texas, June 30-July 1 as the summer continues to heat up. Internationally, PBR Brazil is set to compete in Salto de Pirapora June 29-July 2.
PBR fans can stay tuned to PBR.com and PBR social medica channels as the Challenger Series continues to provide an opportunity for new and experienced riders alike to stay loose leading up to the return of PBR Teams next month.
Photo courtesy of Andre Silva/Bull Stock Media
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