With Flawless Debut, Campbell Leads Team Pendleton Whisky to Dominant 5-For-6 Victory

By: Darci Miller

PUEBLO, Colo. – Boudreaux Campbell had to miss the first weekend of Division B play at the Monster Energy Team Challenge, presented by U.S. Border Patrol, and watched from the sidelines as Team Pendleton Whisky went 2-1 in his absence.

This week, however, Pendleton Whisky General Manager Justin McBride swapped Campbell in for Junio Patrik Souza, and the move worked out perfectly for McBride.

Campbell went 2-for-2 on Friday as Team Pendleton Whisky went a whopping 5-for-6, defeating Team Cat 411.75-88.25.

With the win, Pendleton Whisky not only improved to 3-1, but also set a new scoring record at the METC as the first team to ride five of its six bulls in a single game.

Campbell was the first man out of the gate for Pendleton Whisky, riding Losing My Religion for 87.25 points. Two rides later, teammate Lucas Divino, who also went 2-for-2, chipped in 69.25 points aboard Twinkle Toes, and Team Captain Marco Eguchi followed that up with 84 points aboard Hurricane Tested.

 
Alex Cerqueira ended the first half with a ride for Team Cat, making the 8 aboard Nailed for 88.25 points and the highest-scoring ride of the game.

Divino would clinch Pendleton Whisky’s win with his 86.26-point ride on Jaynettes Pet 2.

“That was ridiculously easy for Lucas, too,” McBride said on CBS Sports Network. “This is complete and utter control. Look at the ROB, 44.5 right there over a 41-and-change bull. That’s complete control. Opened up with the outside leg a little bit at the end. Made a good get-off, which I was glad to see. You want to see that guy make a good, controlled ride, and then get off clean to take care of himself.”

Campbell, the first man up and the last man out, capped off the night with 85 points aboard Little Okie.

“I just blocked everything out once I got in there,” Campbell told CBS Sports Network’s Kate Harrison. “I knew my bull was going to be tough, and it’s all bull riding when you get down in the chute. I am just glad I could get it done for my teammates.”

Team Pendleton Whisky has been all but ravaged by injuries, though its performance Friday at the Pendleton Whisky Let ‘Er Buck Saloon at the South Point Arena didn’t look like it. Eguchi is struggling with a partially torn left groin and did not attempt his second bull. Amadeu Campos, who did, is battling through an unstable left shoulder.

The responsibility of getting Pendleton Whisky across the finish line and into Championship Weekend July 10-12 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, therefore, rests primarily with Campbell and Divino.

The No. 3-ranked rider in the PRCA and No. 56 in the PBR world standings, Campbell made his Unleash The Beast debut at the Las Vegas Invitational in Guthrie, Oklahoma, in April. The 21-year-old made the leap to the PBR in 2020, mostly competing on the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour, and finished second at the Denver PBR Chute Out at the National Western Stock Show.

Divino, meanwhile, is having a breakout season. Ranked No. 7 in the world standings, he’s the only rider not named Jose Vitor Leme to have won two premier series events this season, and won the final event of the first half.

 
With just two games remaining in Las Vegas, Divino is 4-for-8, Campbell is 2-for-2, and Pendleton Whisky is ranked No. 2 in Division B, trailing only Team Ariat (4-0).

The Monster Energy Team Challenge features 12 teams, and two Divisions (A & B). The Top 3 teams in each division, based upon win-loss record, qualify for Championship Weekend and a single-elimination tournament in Sioux Falls in front of fans.

Following Division A competition, Team Cooper Tires, Team Las Vegas and Team Can-Am have clinched playoff berths.

Team Pendleton Whisky will next face off against Team Lucas Oil (1-3) on Saturday beginning at 11:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network and RidePass. On Sunday, it will take on an opponent to be determined by the division standings.

Campbell has drawn Mortimer and Cut The Cord on Saturday, while Divino will take on Total Feeds Bushwacked and Soy El Fuego.

If Team Pendleton Whisky can replicate what it did on Friday – and Campbell can keep riding the way he has – they could very well be packing their bags for Sioux Falls.

“I’m so proud right now,” Eguchi said. “I know Boudreaux, and he rides good, even on a tough bull like tonight. I’m proud of him already for what he’s done here.”

Professional Bull Riders – Team Challenge – Game 28
Las Vegas, NV, 2020
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Event Aggregate-Event Points)

1. Boudreaux Campbell, 87.25-85-172.25
2. Lucas Divino, 69.25-86.25-155.50
3. Alex Cerqueira, 88.25-0-88.25
4. Marco Eguchi, 84-0-84.00
Joao Henrique Lucas, 0-0-0.00
Amadeu Campos Silva, 0-0-0.00
Manoelito de Souza Junior, 0-0-0.00
Clayton Sellars, 0-0-0.00

© 2020 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.