2020 Season Rewind: Top 5 Rides in Little Rock

By: Darci Miller

PUEBLO, Colo. – Through nine events of the Unleash The Beast schedule, there has been no shortage of rank rides and incredible moments.

The Bad Boy Mowers Mowdown, held in Little Rock, Arkansas, was held the first weekend of March, and afforded riders quite an opportunity. With the world No. 1 and No. 2 riders both out due to injury, any rider could step up and make his presence known. Ramon de Lima did just that in the city where he was cut from the Unleash The Beast in 2019, while rookie Andrew Alvidrez made the most of his premier series debut.

The PBR may be on hiatus, but you don’t have to miss out on all the action. Read on to relive the Top 5 rides, and tune into CBS Sports Network on Sunday, March 22 at 1 p.m. ET to watch the Bad Boy Mowers Mowdown.

1. Ramon de Lima – 90.5 points on Big Black, championship round

 
In 2019, premier series veteran Ramon de Lima was cut from tour following his lackluster performance in Little Rock, and it would take him more than seven months to return to the elite level. 2020, however, was a different story. Lima went 3-for-3 to earn the event win, capping off his performance with 90.5 points on Big Black in the championship round – the first 90-point ride of his premier series career.

2. Joao Ricardo Vieira – 89.5 points on Crossover, Round 1

 
Vieira was only in Little Rock for one round of competition, as he was also competing at The American the same weekend, but what a round it was. The world No. 3 bull rider won Round 1 with his 89.5-point ride on Crossover, a score that would hold up to give him a third-place finish in the overall aggregate. Not bad for 8 seconds of work.

3. Marco Eguchi – 89.25 points on Let’s Gamble, Round 2

 
Eguchi has struggled with injury thus far in 2020, most recently having to sit out for four weeks following a concussion sustained at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event in Memphis, Tennessee, on Feb. 15. He returned to action in Little Rock, and he didn’t skip a beat, winning Round 2 with his 89.25-point ride on Let’s Gamble.

4. Ezekiel Mitchell – 88.75 points on Shownuff, Round 2

 
Following a run at the Rookie of the Year title in 2019, Mitchell hasn’t had the same form in 2020. In Little Rock, however, he showed a glimpse of his potential, finishing second in Round 2 with 88.75 points aboard Shownuff. The ride would secure him a fifth-place overall finish for his second Top-5 finish of the season.

T5. Ramon de Lima – 87.5 points on Rocket Man, Round 2

 
Lima was the only rider to go 3-for-3 in Little Rock, and he only got stronger as the event went on. Following an 85.25-point ride on Choctaw Bingo in Round 1, he rode Rocket Man for 87.5 points in Round 2.

T5. Andrew Alvidrez – 87.5 points on Non-Profit, Round 2

 
Alvidrez, the 2018 Touring Pro Division champion, made his premier series debut in Little Rock, five years after he turned pro as an 18-year-old. But it was a moment worth waiting for, as he went 2-for-3 to finish in second place overall. His 87.5-point ride on Non-Profit was good for a third-place tie in Round 2.

© 2020 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.