Two World Champion Legends to Coach New York’s First-Ever Professional Bull Riding Team

By: Kacie Albert

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The New York Mavericks, one of the PBR Camping World Team Series’ newest teams, today announced the appointment of two World Champions as the coaches of New York’s first-ever bull riding team. Kody Lostroh, 2009 PBR World Champion and Ring of Honor inductee, will lead the team as Head Coach, and Ednei Caminhas, 2002 PBR World Champion, will be Assistant Coach. In addition, Chris Pantani has been named as the General Manager of the New York Mavericks.

With the addition of the New York Mavericks and Oklahoma Wildcatters to the PBR Teams league, 10 teams will compete in the 2024 PBR Camping World Team Series in five-on-five bull riding games in the 12-event season beginning in July. The New York Mavericks’ inaugural homestand is scheduled for August 9-10, 2024 at Barclays Center – the first time the Brooklyn arena will host a Bull Riding event in its nearly 12-year history.

Lostroh, a ten-time PBR World Finals Qualifier, reached the pinnacle of the sport in 2009 when he was crowned World Champion following a feverish battle with J.B. Mauney. Following the 2014 season, Lostroh retired from the sport, having won 10 premier series events, while recording 51 90-point rides across all levels of competition. Earning more than $3.2 million during his competitive career, Lostroh currently ranks No. 12 in all-time money earned by all PBR riders. Last September, Lostroh added another accolade to his resume, inducted into PBR’s Ring of Honor, regarded as the highest honor a professional bull rider can receive. Lostroh joins the New York Mavericks with two years of coaching experience as Assistant Coach of the then Oklahoma Freedom.

Caminhas, who is one of the longest-tenured bull riders in PBR history, began his career with nine consecutive World Finals appearances from 2000 to 2009, and in 2002 reached the sport’s most elite level when he was crowned World Champion. A decade after winning the coveted gold buckle, in 2022, he qualified for his 10th career World Finals, becoming the oldest rider ever to compete at the event at the age of 46. Caminhas has remained an active rider with PBR, competing across all the organization’s tours including the elite Unleash The Beast, Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour and Challenger Series.

Pantani most recently was Senior Brand Marketing Manager – Customer Partnership Marketing, Event Marketing and Sponsorships at Goodyear Tire. Over more than 20 years, he served in senior roles within the Customer Partnerships, Event Marketing, Sponsorships group at Cooper Tire, which was acquired by Goodyear in 2021. His responsibilities included management of the company’s sponsorship of the PBR over multiple years.

“We are thrilled that Kody Lostroh, Ednei Caminhas and Chris Pantani have joined as leaders of the New York Mavericks as we work to build a championship bull riding team in the heart of Brooklyn,” said Marc Lasry, Avenue Capital’s Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder. “These three highly experienced professionals are well positioned to oversee the launch and growth of this team in the exciting PBR Teams league.”

The New York Mavericks team is owned by Avenue Sports Fund, which acquired the sanctioning rights from Professional Bull Riders in February 2024. Avenue Sport Fund provides capital solutions to a wide variety of established teams and leagues across the globe, as well as investments in emerging sports to capitalize on areas of exponential growth. The Sports Fund is led by Avenue’s Marc Lasry.

The bull riding action for the 2024 PBR Camping World Team Series’ Mavericks Days at Barclays Center begins at 7:45 p.m. ET on Friday, August 9, and 6:45 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 10.

Tickets for the event go on sale Monday, March 4 at 10 a.m. EST, and start at $20, taxes and fees not included. They can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com and PBR.com, at the Barclays Center Box Office, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727.

Two-day ticket packages are available, offering fans a 15% discount on select price levels.

Stay tuned to PBR.com for more information on the New York Mavericks and the 2024 PBR Camping World Team Series season.

Photos courtesy of Bull Stock Media

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