From the Vault: Silvano Alves Wins Three World Titles
By: Darci Miller
PUEBLO, Colo. – This past weekend at PBR Rattler Days in Fort Worth, Texas, Silvano Alves became just the fourth rider in PBR history to reach 500 qualified rides.
It was an emotional night for the 35-year-old, whose latest accomplishment further etched his name in the record books that he’s already had a hand in re-writing.
“It’s not easy to stay near the top and ride 500 bulls,” Alves said. “There’s only four now. I’m so blessed and happy for this tour and the PBR.
“When I started riding bulls, I think and say, my parents and my family, I just want to be the best bull rider near my house,” he says, voice thick with emotion. “Not that my name would be big in Brazil and big in the world.”
Alves has come a long, long way from his start in Pilar do Sul, Brazil. He’s one of four riders to have 500 career rides, joining Guilherme Marchi (637), J.B. Mauney (538), and Mike Lee (525). He’s also one of two riders ever to win three PBR World Championships – the other is Adriano Moraes (1994, 2001, 2006) – and the only one ever to do it in back-to-back seasons (2011-12, 2014).
Now, Alves is the rock of the PBR Camping World Team Series’ Nashville Stampede, winning the inaugural PBR Teams Championship in 2022. He’ll next be in action at the 2023 PBR Teams Championship on Oct. 20-22 in Las Vegas.
Today, PBR.com’s From the Vault series looks back on Alves’s three world titles.
LAS VEGAS – His friends call him shy.
But everyone calls him a World Champion.
On Sunday afternoon, Silvano Alves covered two bulls to claim the PBR title just 18 months after arriving in the United States.
His 2011 season was a study in contrasts.
Alves won $93,875 in Las Vegas and $1,456,964.07 over the course of the entire year. He and his fellow Brazilians dominated 2011, yet he went about claiming the World Championship quietly.
It wasn’t about Built Ford Tough Series event wins – Robson Palermo and Validron de Oliveira both won more than he did. Alves won in Anaheim, Calif., Springfield, Mo., and Columbus, Ohio, though.
It wasn’t about spectacular 90-point rides: He had only two in the regular season. His 92.25 points on Yellow Jacket Jr. in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round on Sunday afternoon was just his third.
He had no 90-point rides in 2010, but today’s championship round score ranks among the Top 30 scores in the 18-year history of the PBR World Finals.
Alves is wearing a gold buckle and is $1 million richer simply because he rode more bulls than everyone else.
Alves humbled by history-making season (2012)
FORT WORTH, Texas – He’s been described as stoic and classy. Others call him boring and mundane.
Whatever you think of him, the record books now indicate Silvano Alves is the first rider in PBR history to win back-to-back world titles and only the fourth rider – following Adriano Moraes (3), Chris Shivers (2) and Justin McBride (2) – to win the world title more than once.
Alves also set the mark for surpassing $3 million in career earnings quicker than anyone else. He did so in 28 months.
“I’m still getting ahold of that,” said a humbled Alves, who spoke with the help of his translator, Tab Barker.
“No one’s ever done this before and I didn’t think I could ever do it. From when I was little I never would have dreamed I could do this.”
Regardless of whatever adjectives are used to describe the 24-year-old, his popularity is at an all-time high as well – evident by the fact that alternate plans had to be made in order to escort the reigning two-time World Champion from the shark cage to the media room.
Alves cements his legacy (2014)
LAS VEGAS – Silvano Alves grinned, slowly moved his head backward, and leaned against the gray wall inside the Thomas & Mack Center on Sunday afternoon when asked once again about how many World Championships he envisions himself winning before the end of his career.
It remains a difficult question for the 26-year-old from Pilar Do Sul, Brazil, after he tied Adriano Moraes’ PBR record of three World Championships by going 6-for-6 at the 2014 Built Ford Tough World Finals.
“I don’t know,” he replied through translator Miriaham Contreras. “No, no I don’t know. I just want to ride. As long as I am riding, I am happy.”
Minutes earlier he said during the post-event press conference with the help of Megan Bradford, “I respect Adriano, but for me, this isn’t important. I want to win championships, but that’s not the important thing. I want to ride my bulls.”
Yet by riding his bulls and becoming the most consistent rider on the Built Ford Tough Series, Alves has done the unthinkable of winning three world titles in his five-year career in the United States.
It is still hard for the shy and modest Alves to even talk about his legacy as a bull rider. He doesn’t want to be viewed as boastful or cocky. He calls himself a “normal” guy competing alongside the greatest bull riders in the world.
His mantra has always been to just ride his bulls and everything else will take care of itself. It is why he still shies away from any predictions of how many gold buckles he sees in his future.
Photo courtesy of Matt Breneman/Bull Stock Media
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