Fritzlan Enjoying ‘Best season he’s ever had’ Following Second Career Win
By: James Youness
PUEBLO, Colo. – If the proof is indeed in the pudding, then comparing and contrasting Colten Fritzlan’s first three seasons competing on the Unleash The Beast should lead us to some delicious desert, right?
Immediately making some waves during his first premier series competition, back on January 30, 2021, the Rifle, Colorado, native began his career with a bang, capturing the event title at the PBR Coors Banquet Invitational in Okeechobee, Florida.
Courtesy of his flawless 3-for-3 effort, Fritzlan beat out 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis in the aggregate by two points and was awarded 125 UTB points and a corresponding check for $23,996. While that win would represent his only victory of the season, he went on to rack up three Top 10 finishes en route to punching his ticket to the 2021 World Finals.
Eventually ending the season ranked No. 25 with an 11-for-31 (37.14%) record, Fritzlan earned some respect, and $55,320 in winnings during his five months on tour. Not bad for a rookie.
After learning a ton from experiencing the rushes of competing against the best bull riders in the world in year one, his second trip around the circuit would be much shorter, as the now Texas resident endured major shoulder surgery and the associated recovery process.
Forcing him to miss a majority of the 2022 campaign, Fritzlan rejoined the tour, healthy again, in April of 2022, but suffered a 0-for-6 record upon resuming his place on tour. Eventually shaking off the rust, Fritzlan finished his last two events with a 4-for-6 record en route to securing a second-place finish in Nampa, Idaho, parlayed with a tenth-place finish at the regular season finale in Billings, Montana.
Completing his second season, albeit in limited fashion, with a 4-for-12 (33.33%) record, Fritzlan wasn’t able to pile up enough last-minute points for a berth at the 2022 World Finals, but with a taste of success in his late-season action, he again had something to build on.
Now ranked No. 20 during his third season competing on the industry’s biggest stage, the cowboy captured the tour’s most recent event title last weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as one of only two riders to log multiple rides inside The Pit.
Going 2-for-3 on the weekend, including an opening round ride scored 87.25 points atop Pearl’s Ghost and an 85-point effort aboard Prime Tested in Round 2, Fritzlan was the first rider to log a second ride Sunday.
Seeing his name surge to the top of the event leaderboard just seconds before chatting with CBS Sports Network’s Kate Harrison following his second conversion, he attested his success to the work behind the scenes.
“Just trust in yourself,” an exhausted Fritzlan shared with Harrison after the ride.
“At the house, the work you put in, just letting it show here.”
Working out in the gym Monday through Thursday, riding horses and staying active keeps the 22-year-old busy most weeks, with some practice bulls sprinkled in as well.
“It’s going to be the best season I’ve ever had,” he said, with a smile.
Seeing Kaique Pacheco post an 86.75-point ride atop Kevin later in the second round, Fritzlan brought a one-point lead in the aggregate into Sunday’s championship round.
With Round 1 winners Dalton Kasel and Flavio Zivieri doctored out of the short go, two of the weekend’s top threats were eliminated from contention, but a talented Pacheco and company still remained.
Nevertheless, Fritzlan was dispatched from his opponent UTZ BesTex Smokestack, whom the rider selected first overall in the championship bull draft, in 4.88 seconds. Now, forced to be a spectator for the duration, the young cowboy watched on as the remaining athletes competed.
Nearly stealing the event win, Pacheco lasted a heartbreaking 7.94 seconds, but wasn’t able to complete the 8, thus surrendering the victory to Fritzlan.
Just his second-ever premier series win, the victory earned him 109.5 UTB points, but more importantly, a spot inside the tour’s Top 20 as the talented rider continued to position himself for a shot at what would be his second World Finals appearance.
Building on the first two years of his career, literally and figuratively, Fritzlan is now 11-for-28 (39.29%) during his 2023 UTB season, just two qualified rides from tying his most-ever in a single campaign and three away from setting a new personal-best with six regular season events remaining.
With the 2023 World Finals set to invade Fort Worth, Texas, May 12-21 as the race to be crowned the 2023 World Champion comes to an electric finish, Fritzlan saluted the New Mexico crowd, just 622 miles away from the season-ending spectacle’s location, following his victory.
“This is legendary here, I tip my hats to y’all,” Fritzlan shared on CBS Sports Network.
“These are the best fans a guy could ask for and made me ride, so thank you.”
Doubling down on his appreciation for the overall success of the event while praising the talented rider, Ty Murray, PBR Co-founder and host of the weekend’s showcase, shared some concluding sentiments as the event came to a close.
“He’s a very talented, young guy coming up,” Murray shared during a post-event interview on CBS Sports Network.
“This is our 26th year and I don’t think I’ve seen bulls so rank anywhere. They just keep getting bigger and ranker and stronger and this is a young guy who’s won a bull riding here, which in my opinion, there isn’t one harder to win than this one, and that speaks to the talent that he’s got and the future that’s ahead of him.”
As to what Fritzlan will concentrate on during the final stretch of the UTB regular season? Not looking too far ahead, and riding his bulls, of course.
“Every week is a new week, so it really is just one bull at a time, one day at a time.”
Photo courtesy of Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media
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