Who is the Best Bull Rider in PBR History? Current Riders Weigh in

By: Darci Miller

PUEBLO, Colo. – Who is the best bull rider in PBR history?

During the PBR’s 30th anniversary season – which will culminate with the 2023 PBR World Finals on May 12-21 in Fort Worth, Texas – we’re attempting to answer that question.

Key word: attempting.

While there’s no official metric to determine the GOAT, we do have one invaluable resource: experts. Later in the year, we’ll release the official Top 30 countdown of best bull riders in PBR history, as determined by those who know the sport best.

In the meantime, however, PBR.com spoke to the current bull riders of the PBR – some of them legends themselves – to get their thoughts on the matter.

We’ll check in with more riders as the year progresses, so stay tuned to see what your favorite riders have to say about the best of the best, both human and bovine.

But for now, read on to see what some of today’s top stars think.

Jose Vitor Leme: “For me now, it’s Silvano (Alves) and Adriano (Moraes) because they’ve got three world titles. So they’re the legends, and they have the buckles. J.B. (Mauney) is next for me. Those three are the best ones.”

Koltin Hevalow: “I have to go Justin McBride. Justin McBride’s always been my all-time favorite. One of my first PBR cards was Justin McBride, and I have a big poster still at the house – I folded it up, tucked it away – it was of Justin McBride. And I honestly believe he’s the best bull rider that ever walked the face of the earth. Tough. Grit. Did not care and would hang on until somebody said let go. That’s kind of the mentality I think I’ve got to go behind.”

Andrew Alvidrez: “Adriano Moraes, in my opinion, is the icon of bull riders because when he left Brazil and came here on his own, he had to build the foundation. He had to start from scratch, man. Don’t get me wrong, all these Brazilians are amazing. They all do the same thing. But he was the first one. He pioneered it. But not just him winning three world titles is what makes him great. Look what he’s done for people in Brazil. That’s more than riding bulls. That’s leaving a legacy for other people to follow, and to me, yeah, when you win a world title, that’s awesome. But how did you inspire people? How did you motivate people to chase what they want? Because at the end of the day, it’s all about spreading love and all about spreading awareness that these things are possible.”

 
Austin Richardson: “I’d have to say Guilherme Marchi. He was one of my favorites. I got to grow up with him when I was just a child. When he moved over here from Brazil, he moved like two and a half miles from my place, and that was really cool, from a young age, just to watch somebody have success, win world titles on this level. That was really cool to watch that.”

Griffin Smeltzer: “That is very tough for me to say. Right now, I would say Jose (Vitor Leme). The guy is very dominant. Very dominant. As much as anybody there’s ever been. I really like J.B. (Mauney). I think he rode all the good ones. So it would be a tossup between those two.”

Aaron Williams: “Well, I’m a bit biased because this guy, he really was the first professional to take time out of his own practice and bring me up, was Zack Brown. He was a phenomenal bull rider and a phenomenal human being. His character was awesome. So I think that he’s my personal favorite.”

Dalton Kasel: “I have to go with Justin McBride. He did some phenomenal things, and he is just a great guy. And the way he went about things really is kind of the same way I go about things, and I just like Justin McBride. And he’s a friend, so I’m a little partial to it.”

 
Jesse Petri: “I think Jim Sharp. He was a guy that, his form on bulls was perfect. He had a great mentality. And I get to work out with him sometimes in Texas, too. So he’s got the best mindset, I think, of any guy there is, just because he’s so positive. He’s kind of taught me that you’ve got to have a quick memory sometimes. You’ve got to forget what’s not good and remember what is good.”

Photo courtesy of Todd Brewer/Bull Stock Media

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