What to Watch For: 2024 Rookie Class Wasting No Time in Proving to be Contenders
By: James Youness
PUEBLO, Colo. — To define a rookie is to measure his resume. To judge a rookie requires more.
But for fans who spent their summer experiencing the thrills of the PBR Camping World Team Series only to see the surging wave of youthful reinforcements overflow into the waters of premier series competition, suddenly it’s easy to cheer for the rookie(s).
PBR Tucson quickly became quite the encore for up-and-coming riders, with 20-year-old Caden Bunch exiting the three-round showcase with his first UTB event title.
Recording a flawless 3-for-3 performance during the 2024 season-opener after pacing the Florida Freedom, then Oklahoma Freedom, with a squad-best 11-for-17 record (competing in the second half of the 5-on-5 season and finding instant success), Bunch has been one of the industry’s hottest riders since storming onto the PBR Teams scene on Sept. 8, now 14-for-20 since that fall night.
Bringing a 38-point lead over No. 2 Joao Ricardo Vieira into this weekend’s showdown in St. Louis, Missouri, Bunch will look to keep his productive streak alive beginning Saturday night, but is far from the only rookie who’s blazed their way to an encouraging start during their first year on tour.
While Bunch’s 125 UTB points are indeed good for No. 1 overall as things sit heading into the second event of the season, four other first-year riders enjoyed similar success in Tucson, including Sage Steele Kimzey (No. 3), Cassio Dias (No. 6), Ednelio Almeida (No. 8) and John Crimber (No. 9).
Officially occupying five of the Top 10 spots within the Unleash The Beast standings, the youngsters proved they aren’t wasting time “getting their bearings.”
They are here to ride bulls.
Matching Bunch’s perfect 3-for-3 showing with his own heroic efforts, Kimzey came up just half a point (.5) short of tying Bunch, 86 points or better in all three of his outs, yet able to elevate his score each round as the weekend progressed (86 points, 88 points, 89 points).
Rookies come in all shapes and sizes, as we mentioned, but there’s something special about seeing a seven-time PRCA title-winner (29 years old) go head-to-head with a 20-year-old cowboy trying to make a name for himself.
Add in the 2023 PBR Camping World Team Series’ MVP runner-up in Dias, who also produced a perfect 3-for-3 record in Tucson, albeit including a 69.5-point conversion atop Coach K sandwiched between a pair of rank 89 and 89.25-point rides, respectively, and we’ve suddenly got one hell of a race for the 2024 Rookie of the Year honors.
Of course, let’s not forget 29-year-old Almeida, who was just .12 seconds away from closing the opening weekend with a flawless finish (dispatched to the dirt after 7.88 seconds aboard I’m Legit Too in Sunday’s Championship go).
Finishing eighth overall, Ednelio Almeida went right back to the grindstone six days later to capture the Nov. 16 Stockyards Showcase event title and earn his spot atop the Touring Pro Division – USA standings. Which tour he succeeds on doesn’t matter right now, he’s just looking forward to the next bull and the next event.
Similar to one John Crimber, who spent the summer tuning up via some Challenger Series events before making his PBR Canada debut last month. Enjoying plenty of success within Stockyards Showcase events during his first year as an 18-year-old professional, it was his Round 2-winning dance with Sky Walker (89 points) which turned heads during the rookie’s UTB debut.
Each of these five riders will have the opportunity to embark on their own unique journeys with the hopes of qualifying for the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast en route to the chance of earning several other accolades.
The best part about the new kids on the block coming in and finding some early success?
They also serve as a driver, a reminder, to the tour’s established veterans. With JRV (No. 2) and two-time World Champion Jose Vitor Leme (No. 4) very much anticipated to be amongst the top competitors in looking to secure a world title, seeing the young guns fire on all cylinders might be the exact spark they need as the UTB season prepares to charge full steam ahead!
With the 2024 Unleash The Beast season set to continue inside Enterprise Center on Saturday, Dec. 2, let’s take a look at who’s drawing into the lineup during this weekend’s PBR St. Louis:
ROUND 1 MATCHUPS
Flavio Zivieri vs. Bootlegger
Braidy Randolph vs. Grindstone
Alex Cerqueira vs. Levy
Daniel Keeping vs. House Fire
Rafael dos Santos vs. High Class
Wyatt Rogers vs. Shivers
Alan de Souza vs. Redneck
Koltin Hevalow vs. Crunch Time
*Vitor Losnake vs. God Bless America
Julio Cesar Marques vs. Buffalo Heifer
Thiago Salgado vs. Blood Moon
Jesse Petri vs. Skeeter Peter
Luciano De Castro vs. Blackstone
Dener Barbosa vs. Nitty Gritty
Andrew Alvidrez vs. Time Bomb
Kaiden Lous vs. Off Campus
Austin Richardson vs. Whatever
Conner Halverson vs. Show Me
Kyler Oliver vs. Double R Hat House Pepper Shaker
*Silvano Alves vs. Mighty Mike
Joao Lucas Campos vs. Fowl Play
Lucas Divino vs. Rank Frank
Ednei Caminhas vs. Hulk
Paulo Eduardo Rosseto vs. Rustic Pearl
Eduardo Aparecido vs. Risky Business
Keyshawn Whitehorse vs. Skippy
Daylon Swearingen vs. Alphonse
Bob Mitchell vs. Doze Off
Brady Fielder vs. Lost Pearl
Dalton Kasel vs. Don’t Come Easy
Trace Redd vs. Sky’s The Limit
Boudreaux Campbell vs. Night Hawk
John Crimber vs. Caesar
Cassio Dias vs. Buzz
*Brady Oleson vs. Midnight Magic
Ednelio Almeida vs. Pearl’s Ghost
Jose Vitor Leme vs. Old School
Sage Steele Kimzey vs. Hillbilly Rock
Joao Ricardo Vieira vs. Pearl Snapped
Caden Bunch vs. Soul King
* denotes a rematch
OUT BECAUSE OF INJURY/OTHER
Jess Lockwood
Kaique Pacheco
Dakota Buttar
Mason Taylor
Chase Outlaw
Marcus Mast
Derek Kolbaba
Colten Fritzlan
Tate Pollmeier
Cooper Davis
Kade Madsen
Wingson Henrique da Silva
Elizmar Jeremias
Felipe Furlan
Nick Tetz
Cody Jesus
Eli Vastbinder
Briggs Madsen
ROUND 1 REMATCHES
Brady Oleson vs. Midnight Magic (6.42 seconds in Springdale, Arkansas)
Silvano Alves vs. Mighty Mike (2.88 seconds in Glendale, Arizona)
Vitor Losnake vs. God Bless America (3.47 seconds in Sacramento, California)
CADEN BUNCH BRINGS EARLY 38-POINT LEAD INTO ST. LOUIS
It may only be through one premier series event, but a lead is a lead! Holding a 38-point lead over No. 2 Joao Ricardo Vieira heading into St. Louis, Caden Bunch sits atop the UTB standings courtesy of his stellar 2024 debut. Representing the first premier series win of his budding career, the Tahlequah, Oklahoma native initially burst out of the chutes atop Ah Hell in Round 1. Scored a quality 86 points for his first conversion of the season, he kept the momentum flowing on day two, this time posting a solid 88.25-point ride aboard Mighty Mike. With his short round ticket punched, he elected to go head-to-head with Concho in the short round. The decision quickly proved to be a smart choice, as the 20-year-old logged an event-winning 89.25-point strike to take home 125 UTB points and a career-best earnings of $41,955, $30,000 more than his previous personal-high winnings.
FROM THE CHUTES TO THE BOOTH
When the premier series came through St. Louis last winter, it was 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis who earned the event win courtesy of a dominant 3-for-3 showcase. Finishing the weekend with 7.75 more points than second-place finisher Luciano De Castro in the aggregate, Davis produced a pair of healthy conversions (86.75 points atop Bottom’s Up, 89 points aboard Casper) before claiming his event title via an event-high 91.75-point ride dancing with the legendary Woopaa. Less than 365 days later, he’ll be featured in the broadcasting booth during this weekend’s PBR St. Louis after recently announcing his retirement from Unleash The Beast competition and signing a deal with CBS Sports Network. However, six of the Top 10 from last year’s edition will be around this weekend, including Castro, Silvano Alves and beyond.
FOLLOW ALONG
The two-day, three-round showcase inside Enterprise Center is set to begin Saturday, Dec. 2 at 6:45 p.m. CST, with Round 1 action being broadcast on RidePass on Pluto TV. The second round and championship go are slated to take place on Sunday, Dec. 3 at 1:45 p.m. CST and air live on CBS Sports Network at 2 p.m. CST.
Fans can stay tuned to PBR.com and PBR social media channels throughout the weekend for the latest scores, wrecks, injury updates and beyond as Unleash The Beast prepares to invade St. Louis during the second event of the 2024 season!
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
© 2023 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.