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Keeping Wins Minneapolis Invitational, Vaults to No. 1 with Dramatic Walk-Off 90-Point Ride

By: Mandi McCary

MINNEAPOLIS –The bull rider who was one of the biggest surprises in the recently concluded PBR Team Series, Daniel Keeping (Montague, Texas), finished a scorching 3-for-3 weekend on Saturday night with a dramatic ride to win the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast (UTB) Minneapolis Invitational in walk-off fashion.

The 23-year-old Keeping soared to No. 1 in the PBR Unleash The Beast Standings 28 points ahead of Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas). He is now a sizzling 7-for-9 on the season.

Tonight’s championship round featured three 90-point scores, with Keeping’s sealing his first elite series win.

After a standout inaugural season for the Texas Rattlers during the PBR Team Series, going 11-for-16, Keeping started the weekend off at No. 5 in the Unleash The Beast standings with his eye on the end-of-season gold buckle prize. As one of three men to tie for the second-place finish in Friday’s Round 1, courtesy of his ride aboard Pearl Jam (D&H Cattle Co./ Buck Cattle Co), Keeping kept the fire going in Round 2.

Paired with MagicBru (D&H Cattle Co./ Buck Cattle Co.) as Saturday evening began, the talented Texan exploded from the chutes. The solid 88.25-point ride punched his ticket to the final round in the No.1 spot on the event leaderboard.

Keeping, who arrived in Minneapolis having ridden 4-for-6 in the 2023 season’s first two events, then selected Flapjack (Parker/ OK Corralis/Gordon/D&H Cattle) as his bovine opponent in the championship round. As part of a three-man slugfest for the event win, Keeping was in a must-ride situation as the last rider out, needing a huge 90.5-point score or better to win the event.

With fans inside Target Center on the edge of their seats, Keeping made big moves on the fast-moving muscular animal athlete, dismounted following the 8-second buzzer, and immediately pumped his arms in the air. The cheers from fans and his fellow riders alike rose to a roar as his 92.5-point score was announced for the win.

“This is a dream come true, but we ain’t done yet,” Keeping said from the dirt immediately after the win. “Having love and faith in my heart, that’s been helping.”

For his career-first UTB win, Keeping was handed a check for $45,982 as one of only three men to ride all three of their bulls in the two-day event, the third of the season. He also collected 142 points and now tops the UTB standings in the 2023 race for the world title.

Keeping’s win pushed 2016 PBR World Champion Cooper Davis to the No. 2 position in the standings. Davis’ 1-for-3 weekend in Minnesota leaves him trailing Keeping by a mere 28 points on his hunt for a second world title.

For video highlights of Round 2 and the championship round, including Keeping’s winning ride, courtesy PBR, click here.

As the second-to-last man to ride in the championship round, just ahead of Keeping, Brazil’s Rafael Jose De Brito (Potirendaba, Brazil) temporarily held the No.1 spot on the leaderboard but ultimately took home the second-place finish.

After tying for second place in Round 1 on Friday night with Keeping at his career-first UTB event, Brito was paired with Twisted Feather (Blake Sharp/ Michael Floyd/ Cain Kobert) for Round 2. His 87.75-point score paved his way to the championship round.

Knowing he had a lot on the line, Brito chose Mike’s Motive (Blake Sharp/ High Voltage/Wetzel/Knott) in the championship round.

The 30-year-old Brazilian cowboy’s flawless 90.75-point score on the fast-spinning bull, the third of his career, put him in the driver’s seat and set to win until Keeping’s gigantic out. For his efforts, he earned 99 points and $21,102.

Brito now holds the No. 8 spot in the UTB season standings.

Sandro Batista (Pedra Preta, Brazil) rounded out the 3-for-3 streak in Minneapolis with his third-place finish.

After an 81.75-point ride in Round 2 aboard Fearful (Hookin’ W/ LeFlore Bucking Bulls), his spot was secured in the championship round.

Batista boldly selected 2021 World Champion bull Woopaa (Barker Bulls/ Hookin’ W Ranch) as his matchup for the final round.

Matching the crowd’s energy, the 23-year-old cowboy climbed aboard the talented animal athlete known for the three highest scores in league history.

Batista was ecstatic as he flipped to the ground and heard the announcement of his 91.25-point ride score, his highest-scored ride on the premier tour. He held the event lead until Brito and ultimately Keeping unseated him.

Collecting 77 points and $13,332, Batista vaulted from No. 33 in the UTB standings to No. 9 as the battle for the next world title heats up.

Colorado man Colten Fritzlan (Rifle, Colorado) finished fourth, courtesy of going 2-for-3 during the two days of competition.

In Friday’s opening round, the 22-year-old bested Get Western (Blake Sharp) for a solid 84 points.

Paired with WSM’s Sun Country (WSM Auctioneers/ Clay Struve/ Dakota Rodeo/ Chad Berger) in Round 2, Fritzlan launched from the chutes with dirt flying for an 87.25-point score.

The Missouri Thunder’s first-round draft pick then selected Sneaky Situation (Dakota Rodeo/ Chad Berger) for the championship round in hopes of catapulting himself up the leaderboard.

Despite his best efforts, Fritzlan was no match for the talented animal, being thrown to the dirt after 6.52 seconds.

Headed into the fourth event of the season, Fritzlan now holds the No. 14 spot in the standings after collecting 45 UTB points to move up from No. 24.

Braidy Randolph (Jonestown, Pennsylvania) rounded out the Top 5 with a 2-for-2 weekend.

On Friday night, Randolph secured an 83.25-point score for his Round 1 matchup with Willis (OG Cattle Co).

He was then paired with Marciano (Hookin’ W Ranch) in Saturday’s long round, recording an 86-point score to sail into the championship round as the No. 4 man on the leaderboard.

After a rough dismount, a visibly rattled Randolph walked off the dirt and later doctored out of the championship round.

Despite the less-than-ideal conclusion to his weekend, Randolph earned 35 points to move from No. 17 to No. 13 in the UTB standings.

PBR RidePass on PlutoTV will offer re-airs and on-demand replays of every PBR UTB event including the season opener in Tucson. PBR RidePass is available on desktops, laptops and mobile devices via www.pluto.tv. Tune to channel 720 for the latest programming schedule.

The PBR Unleash The Beast next travels to Manchester, New Hampshire for the PBR Manchester Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 6:45 p.m. EST and Sunday, Dec. 18 at 1:45 p.m. EST.

During the 2023 UTB season, the PBR is celebrating its 30th anniversary since 20 cowboys broke away from the traditional rodeo with the belief that bull riding could be a standalone sport. Throughout the seven-month individual season, UTB will hold 23 events, travelling to cities across the country including New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles, culminating in the 2023 PBR World Finals May 12-21 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media

© 2022 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.

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