Rookie Souza Wins Career-First Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Event to Surge 70 Positions in World Standings

By: Kacie Albert

CASPER, Wyo. – At the penultimate regular-season PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event of 2020, rookie Andre da Cruz de Souza (Brazil) reached an important career milestone, capturing his career-first PBR event victory at the PBR Casper Invitational, driven by Wyoming Ford Dealers, to surge 70 positions in the world standings.

As one of only two riders to go a perfect 2-for-2, the 34-year-old began the event with an 85.5-point effort aboard Jokers Wild (Melton Bull Co.), allowing him to reaching his career-first championship round on the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour.

Continuing the momentum, Souza delivered his second 8-second effort of the evening, bringing the raucous, socially-distanced crowd inside the Casper Events Center to its feet when he won the final round with an 87-point score aboard Kyno (Harrison/Swearingen/Berger).

Souza’s efforts netted him a check for $4,064.81 in addition to a crucial 37 world points. He additionally earned an invited to compete on the elite PBR Unleash The Beast in Nampa, Idaho, on Oct. 16-17 at the PBR Cooper Tires Take The Money and Ride, presented by Union Home Mortgage.

Entering the event No. 133 in the world, Souza is now ranked No. 63, 58.16 points outside of the Top 35 and a berth at the 2020 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast on Nov. 12-15 in Arlington, Texas at AT&T Stadium. Should Souza qualify it would mark his first appearance at the sport’s most prestigious event.

In addition to the final night of competition for the PBR Casper Invitational, driven by Wyoming Ford Dealers, and his upcoming debut on the elite Unleash The Beast, Souza will have one additional opportunity to collet world points: the 2020 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals, presented by First PREMIER Bank and PREMIER Bankcard on Nov. 6-7 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.

World Finals qualifier Alex Cardozo (Indaiatuba, Brazil) was second, collecting a check for $2,964.56 along with an ever-important 25.33 world points.

First covering Skinny (Frontier Rodeo Company) for 86.5 points in Round 1, Cardozo remained flawless in the championship round when he went the distance aboard Diamond Willow (Harrison/Swearingen/Berger) for 85 points.

Cardozo, who made his lone appearance at the PBR World Finals in 2015, climbed 14 positions in the world standings courtesy of the runner-up effort Friday evening.

Now No. 59 in the world, rising from No. 73, the 30-year-old is within 50.33 points of No. 35 Amadeu Campos Silva (Atair, Brazil) and a return to the World Finals when it debuts inside the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in mid-November.

Third was Round 1 winner River Stephenson (Blackfoot, Idaho) who delivered the high-marked ride of the event when he covered Last Chance (Rio Vista Rodeo & Equipment/Sho-Me Rodeo) for a head-turning 88.5 points.

Compliments of his best finish to date on the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour in 2020, the Idaho native left the Casper Events Center $2,017.13 richer, having also earned 17 world points.

Stephenson is now No. 69 in the PBR world standings, rising from No. 93. He trails the Top 35 by 66.66 points as he seeks his career-first qualification to the season-culminating PBR World Finals.

Devon Weaver (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) and Rubens Barbosa (Iaciara, Brazil) tied for fourth after recording matching 87.5-point rides in the opening round. They covered Bring The Bling (GEM Bucking Bulls) and Lil Riz (Hudgins/Frensel), respectively.

Each rider’s 8-second effort earned him $1,143.04 and 8.5 would points.

In the world standings, the Top 5 finish allowed Weaver to rise from No. 63 to No. 60, while Barbosa climbed from No. 101 to No. 88.

In the bull pen, King Herod (Cunningham/Scoggins) was the high-marked bull of the event. The powerful bovine athlete delivered the event-best, 44.5-point bull score in Round 1 when he dispatched 11-time PBR World Finals qualifier Valdiron de Oliveira (Balcimo, Brazil) in 4.69 seconds.

Only one other bull posted a score of 44 points or more. Marked 44 points, Nutter Butter (Williams & Sanders) bucked off Pedro Fonesca (Itapui, Brazil) in a swift 2.21 seconds in the championship round.

Fans can relive all the action from the third night of competition in the Cowboy State on Saturday, October 10 at 8:00 a.m. EST on RidePass, at RidePass.com or via the RidePass app available on iOS, Android and Roku.

PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour action from Casper, Wyoming, and the Casper Events Center concludes on Saturday, October 10. Action gets underway at 7:30 p.m. MDT.

PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour – PBR Casper Invitational, driven by Wyoming Ford Dealers
Casper Events Center – Casper, Wyoming
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Event Aggregate-Event Points)

1. Andre da Cruz de Souza, 85.5-87-172.50-37 Points.
2. Alex Cardozo, 86.5-85-171.50-25.33 Points.
3. River Stephenson, 88.5-0-88.50-17 Points.
4. Devon Weaver, 87.5-0-87.50-8.5 Points.
(tie). Rubens Barbosa, 87.5-0-87.50-8.5 Points.
6. Lucas Fideles Souza, 86.5-0-86.50-3.83 Points.
(tie). Zac Harris, 86.5-0-86.50-3.83 Points.
8. Marcus Mast, 86-0-86.00-0.5 Points.
(tie). Gage Gay, 86-0-86.00-0.5 Points.
10. Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 84.5-0-84.50
11. Chase Dougherty, 84-0-84.00
(tie). Kyle Jones, 84-0-84.00
(tie). Kache Moosman, 84-0-84.00
14. Luciano De Castro, 83-0-83.00
15. Pedro Fonseca, 79.5-0-79.50
16. Keyshawn Whitehorse, 78.5-0-78.50
17. Thor Hoefer II, 77.5-0-77.50
Daylon Swearingen, 0-0-0.00
Joao Henrique Lucas, 0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0.00
Junior Patrik Souza, 0-0-0.00
Paulo Ferreira Lima, 0-0-0.00
Wallace Vieira de Oliveira, 0-0-0.00
Bradley Brittain, 0-0-0.00
Keith Hall, 0-0-0.00
Kyler Oliver, 0-0-0.00
Eli Vastbinder, 0-0-0.00
Grayson Cole, 0-0-0.00
Alex Santana, 0-0-0.00
Javier Garcia, 0-0-0.00
Romildo Rodrigues, 0-0-0.00
Ky Hamilton, 0-0-0.00
Venn Johns, 0-0-0.00
Francisco Garcia Torres, 0-0-0.00
Hunter Ball, 0-0-0.00
Francisco Morales, 0-0-0.00
Sean Willingham, 0-0-0.00
Caleb Christian, 0-0-0.00
Laramie Craigen, 0-0-0.00
Valdiron de Oliveira, 0-0-0.00
Dalton Rudman, 0-0-0.00
Dylan Madsen, 0-0-0.00
J.T. Pettitt, 0-0-0.00
Trace Brown, 0-0-0.00
Leonardo Lima, 0-0-0.00

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