Missouri Thunder Draft Joao Lucas Campos with 3rd Overall Pick, Kade Madsen with 4th Overall Pick
By: Andrew Hatfield
RIDGEDALE, Mo. – The Missouri Thunder of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series drafted Joao Lucas Campos (Porto Feliz, Brazil), Kade Madsen (Honeywell, Utah), Eduardo Matos (Emilianópolis, Brazil), and Felipe Furlan (Sales Oliveira, Brazil) in the 2023 PBR Team Series Draft Wednesday evening. These riders are guaranteed a place on the Thunder’s rosters for the first two events of the 2023 PBR Team Series season in Cheyenne, Wyoming, July 24-25, and Kansas City, Missouri, Aug. 3-5.
Campos will join the team after competing at his first World Finals, where he became the first Brazilian since Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) in 2017 to record his first premier series ride on his first out at the PBR World Finals, as he topped Shameless (D&H Cattle Co. / Futrell) for 85 points in Round 1 at Dickies Arena.
The young Brazilian qualified for the PBR World Finals by winning the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals in Corpus Christi, Texas, his first PBR event on US soil. After going 32-for-42 in PBR Brazil events this season, Campos went 2-for-3 at the Velocity Tour finals, beating out PBR veteran Ednei Caminhas (Indaiatuba, Brazil) for one of the last five spots at the World Finals.
“Joao is one of the superstars of Brazil,” said Assistant General Manager and Head Coach Luke Snyder. “From our first meeting during our trip south, we knew he was our guy. Fast forward a couple months later, he was the Velocity Tour event champion and adjusted to American bulls quite well. We are excited about what he brings to the Thunder this season.”
Prior to the draft, the Thunder traded Colten Fritzlan to the Arizona Ridge Riders for the fourth overall pick in the 2023 Draft, where the Thunder took Kade Madsen, brother of the Oklahoma Freedom’s Briggs Madsen (Tremonton, Utah).
“Colten Fritzlan was a great asset to the Missouri Thunder on and off the dirt,” Snyder said. “We wish him continued success with the Arizona Ridge Riders. They are gaining a great individual within their organization.”
While Madsen has only competed in two PBR events, he won his second, a Touring Pro Division event in Perry, Georgia. The Utahn upstart has long been in the eyes of PBR General Managers, as he won the 21st annual Lane Frost Challenge in 2021 while just 15 years old, the youngest rider ever to win the event.
“Kade Madsen is the all-American cowboy kid we were looking for to add to an already strong roster,” Snyder said. “He exudes confidence and natural ability that will be a great addition to our team. We’re thrilled to have him.”
In the second round, the Thunder selected Eduardo Matos out of Brazil with the 10th overall pick. The 20-year-old Brazilian has competed in two events for PBR Brazil, going 4-for-8.
With the 13th overall selection and the only pick in the third round, Missouri took Felipe Furlan, who has competed with PBR Brazil for three years. Furlan really found his stride in 2023, however, going 15-for-29.
In addition to their selections in the PBR New Rider Draft, the Missouri Thunder also added Paulo Eduardo Rossetto (Colorado, Brazil) and Andy Bohl (St. Cloud, Florida) in the practice roster draft.
Campos, Madsen, and returning veterans Andrew Alvidrez (Seminole, Texas) and Marcelo Procopio Pereira (Rinopolis, Brazil) hit the dirt at the scenic Thunder Ridge Nature Arena on Friday, September 15, for PBR Thunder Days, the seventh event of the 2023 PBR Team Series regular season.
For more information about Missouri Thunder, visit https://pbr.com/teams/thunder/, Missouri Thunder on Facebook, @missouri_thunder on Instagram, or @MissourThunder on Twitter.
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