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What 2 Watch 4: Campbell Excited to be One of Seven Riders to Make UTB Debut at Lazy E Arena

By: Justin Felisko

PUEBLO, Colo. – Boudreaux Campbell still remembers being a little kid in Crockett, Texas, aspiring to become a professional bull rider.

Campbell would watch some of his favorite bull riders of all time – World Champions like Justin McBride and J.B. Mauney – make 90-point rides on television that would bring everyone at sold-out arenas all over the United States to their feet.

He dreamed of one day doing the exact same thing.

Campbell will get his first opportunity to compete on the PBR’s premier series this coming Saturday and Sunday at the Las Vegas Invitational, presented by Union Home Mortgage, at the Lazy E Arena in Oklahoma.

The difference is his debut will be unlike anything he ever dreamt about as a boy.

There will be no fans inside the Lazy E Arena as the Unleash The Beast event will be a closed-to-the-public event because of the on-going COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak throughout the world.

 
“It is going to be a little different because when you think about the PBR, and me watching as a little kid, watching all those people in the stands on TV and stuff, I was like, ‘Wow! I can wait to ride in front of all those people,’” Campbell said. “It is going to be a little different, but it is still bull riding. I am really excited that I am getting to go back to riding bulls. I have been bored at the house, and I have been doing too much labor around here. I am ready to go make that easy money riding bulls.”

Campbell – the No. 54-ranked bull rider in the world standings – is one of seven riders who will be making their premier series debuts under unique circumstances. The other six riders debuting are No. 46 Keith Hall, No. 51 Grayson Cole, No. 66 Rafael H. dos Santos, No. 66 Romildo Rodrigues, No. 66 Venn Johns and No. 69 Brady Portenier.

Johns is going to set a new PBR record when he nods for the gate Saturday night at the Lazy E Arena. The 45-year-old will become the oldest rider to compete on the premier series, breaking the previous record held by 2002 World Champion Endei Caminhas (42 years, 3 months old).

 
Fans can watch Round 1 Saturday night on RidePass and CBS Sports Network beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

Campbell has drawn Skeeter Peeter (3-3, UTB) for Round 1.

There may be no fans inside the Lazy E Arena this weekend, but that does not take away from reaching a career milestone, says Campbell.

“I am still extremely excited,” Campbell said. “I have called all of my buddies and told them I am getting to go. I am extremely excited to get to go. No, it doesn’t change for me. When I get there, I am going to try to ride every single bull I get on and go away with first place.

“I am not going to be worrying just about everybody being there. I won’t be getting too fired up. I will be just worrying about what bull is under me, and take it one bull at a time. It is going to be different. It is going to be like something I have never been to, and so I am really excited for this weekend at Lazy E. I think there is going to be a lot of good bull rides and it is this sports time to grow.”

Campbell, who is also sitting fourth in the 2020 PRCA world standings, went 0-for-2 at the 2020 WinStar World Casino and Resort Global Cup USA, presented by Monster Energy, for the victorious Team USA Eagles.

The 21-year-old is 5-for-9 on the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour in five events in 2020, but he is also an experienced rodeo athlete. Campbell finished runner-up in the 2019 PRCA standings to six-time champion Sage Kimzey.

The Western and rodeo world is one of many industries in the United States that has been at a standstill because of the pandemic. Thousands of cowboys and those with income tied to events and rodeos remain out of work amid multiple postponements and cancellations of events throughout the world.

“Everybody is enjoying their time home, but I think they are starting to get a little too much time at home right now because I am starting to get some more calls from people I haven’t talked to in a couple weeks wanting to rodeo and asking if I know anything about anything,” Campbell said. “I ain’t got no answers. I will find out when they find out kind of thing.”

Campbell said he is thankful for the opportunity the PBR is providing the 42 riders competing this weekend at the Lazy E Arena.

“Everybody is wanting to get back on the road,” Campbell said. “A lot of them, this is how they make their living. They have families and stuff like that. They go out on the road and make money for their families, and so to get the rodeo started back up, I am really glad to be a part of the PBR this year because PBR is giving me a chance to go make money before anybody else has. I am really glad that they are doing that.

“They have done everything they could to get these events back. It is crazy times right now, but you can definitely tell PBR is working hard to get us back to work.”

WHO IS IN / OUT FOR THIS WEEKEND

This weekend’s event at the Lazy E Arena is non-mandatory for all bull riders, and the PBR has invited 42 riders to compete. The first 30 draw spots were filled based on the 2020 world standings. Riders with World Champion exemptions, riders with guaranteed event exemptions or riders with approved injury exemptions filled remaining spots. The remaining draw spots were then filled based on the current season’s world standings.

Many of the PBR’s top international riders had returned home to Australia, Brazil and Canada once the PBR went on hiatus following the last Unleash The Beast event in Duluth, Georgia, on March 15, and are unable to make it back to compete in Oklahoma this weekend or have elected not to compete.

Riders inside the Top 35 that are not competing this weekend:

No. 2 Jess Lockwood (reconstructive hamstring surgery)
No. 3 Joao Ricardo Vieira (in Brazil)
No. 5 Kaique Pacheco (in Brazil)
No. 6 Dener Barbosa (in Brazil)
No. 8 Eduardo Aparecido (in Brazil)
No. 9 Ramon de Lima (in Brazil)
No. 12 Claudio Montanha Jr. (in Brazil)
No. 15 Aaron Kleier (in Australia)
No. 20 Dakota Buttar (ineligible)
No. 21 Ryan Dirteater (thoracic fractures)
No. 24 Lachlan Richardson (ineligible)
No. 28 Bruno Scaranello (in Brazil)
No. 29 Bradley Brittain (shoulder)
No. 30 Cooper Davis (neck fracture)
No. 31 Brock Radford (in Canada)

Alternates this weekend

No. 37 Marcus Mast
No. 38 Jake Lockwood
No. 41 Brady Sims
No. 44 Cody Casper
No. 45 Dakota Louis
No. 46 Keith Hall
No. 47 Silvano Alves
No. 51 Grayson Cole
No. 52 Wallace de Oliveira
No. 53 Cody Teel
No. 54 Boudreaux Campbell
No. 56 Keyshawn Whitehorse
No. 57 Lindomar Lino
No. 57 Junio Patrik Souza
No. 59 Cannon Cravens
No. 60 Paulo Lima
No. 62 Kyle Jones
No. 66 Rafael H. dos Santos
No. 66 Romildo Rodrigues
No. 66 Venn Johns
No. 69 Brady Portenier
No. 169 Dalton Kasel

KASEL RETURNING FOR FIRST TIME SINCE IRON COWBOY

 
2019 Rookie of the Year Dalton Kasel highlights a group of riders not named Jose Vitor Leme returning to action from injury. This weekend will be Kasel’s first event since he tore his right groin at the 2020 Iron Cowboy, presented by Ariat, on Feb. 7 in Los Angeles.

Kasel had missed the first month of the season recovering from offseason core muscle repair surgery on both his groins, and returned in Los Angeles only to suffer another setback in his recovery.

The 21-year-old believes he is healthier this time around and is set to square off against Crash (0-0, UTB) in Round 1.

Meanwhile, 2012 PRCA champion Cody Teel is returning to competition for the first time since riding in St. Louis on Feb. 22-23. Teel aggravated a right knee injury from the 2019 PBR World Finals when he was bucked off by Acting Crazy in 5.44 seconds.

Cannon Cravens is also back after leaving the 2020 Global Cup USA because of a multitude of injuries. Cravens sustained a concussion and an ankle injury in Arlington, Texas, after already trying to compete at AT&T Stadium with a broken leg.

Teel takes on Pennywise (15-6, UTB) in Round 1, while Cravens has drawn Identity Crisis (11-2, UTB).

WORLD TITLE RACE UPDATE

 
This weekend will be the first time fans have seen Leme outside of the practice pen since he broke three ribs attempting to ride The Right Stuff on Feb. 29 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Leme missed two Unleash The Beast events recovering from the injuries before the PBR went on hiatus.

He currently holds a 72.5-point lead on the injured Lockwood, and is one of only four riders in the Top 10 competing this weekend.

Leme has drawn Homegrown (3-0, UTB) for Round 1.

No. 4 Daylon Swearingen (-193.84 points back of Leme), No. 7 Cole Melancon (-342 points) and No. 10 Colten Jesse (-380.5 points) are also expected to ride on Saturday and Sunday night.

Swearingen, who finished in third place in Georgia at the last event, takes on Final Masquerade (0-0, UTB).

With the way the PBR Unleash The Beast scheduled has been altered in the last month because of the coronavirus, 640 points have been lost in the world title race for one rider. This may change as the PBR continues to work toward hosting non-public events in the future.

The 2020 YETI World Champion Bull race will also be on full display with No. 1 Chiseled, No. 2 and 2019 World Champion Smooth Operator, No. 4 Hocus Pocus and No. 6 Canadian Mist all set to buck in the championship round on Saturday. Meanwhile, three-time World Champion SweetPro’s Bruiser will also be making his PBR season debut in the championship round.

ROUND 1 REMATCHES

Cody Campbell vs. Dusty’s Revenge (0-2; 3.7 seconds in Bismarck, North Dakota in 2018)
Jake Lockwood vs. Evil Intentions (3 seconds in St. Louis)
Kyle Jones vs. Smooth Over (3.25 seconds at the 2016 Velocity Tour event in Wichita, Kansas)

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

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