No. 2 Kasel Leads Round 1 After Opening Night of PBR Ty Murray Invitational in Albuquerque
By: Mandi McCary
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – As night one of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast (UTB) Ty Murray Invitational, presented by The Downs Racetrack & Casino came to a close on Friday night, 34 of the top bull riders in the world were no match for Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas).
The 24-year-old, who rode for the Austin Gamblers during the inaugural PBR Team Series in 2022, was paired with Tortuga (Gene Owen Bucking Bulls). Catapulting from the chutes aboard the muscular animal athlete, Kasel recorded a standout 88.75 points to take the lead in Round 1.
The three-day event in Albuquerque marks the 26th time the elite tour has visited the city and showcases a unique format for UTB fans. The draw features 60 riders competing in Round 1, which will involve riders split into two groups across the first two nights of competition.
Friday’s Round 1 featured the riders that will compete in Saturday’s 15/15 Bucking Battle plus 20 additional riders, while Saturday night the 25 riders who did not compete on the opening night will finish out Round 1.
On Sunday, all seeded riders and riders with exemptions are guaranteed to ride, plus any of the additional riders that recorded a qualified ride in Round 1. This will be followed by the championship round, featuring the Top 12 in the event aggregate.
For video highlights of Friday’s start to Round 1, including Kasel’s ride, courtesy PBR, click here.
Not far behind Kasel in the chase to dominate Round 1 was Brazilian cowboy Eduardo Aparecido (Gouvelandia, Brazil), now sitting in the second-place spot as the round advances.
As the night began, Aparecido originally climbed aboard Falcon Eddie (Lari Crane/Gene Owen) for his Round 1 matchup. With judges immediately deeming his attempt deserving of a re-ride, Aparecido readied for another bull.
The 32-year-old 2022 Arizona Ridge Rider was then paired with Skippy (Skippy & Linda Johnson/Hookin’ W Ranch). The seasoned veteran matched his bovine partner jump-for-jump to record an 88-point score and sail into Sunday.
Showcasing the talent of his family legacy, Josh Frost (Randlett, Utah) clinched third place with his 87.25-point ride aboard Ah Hell (Copper/Scruggs Bucking Bulls).
Brazil’s Cassio Dias (Sao F. de Sales, Brazil) brought the rowdy crowd inside of The Pit to a roar when he conquered High Noon (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger). His ride score of 86.25 points landed him in fourth place on the leaderboard.
Rounding out the Top 5 of the night was Aparecido’s Ridge Rider teammate Chase Dougherty (Decatur, Texas). Standing on the back of the chutes in his typical stoic fashion, the 2022 Ridge Rider prepared for his matchup with Phantom Fury (Jane Clark/Gene Owen). The former Montana State cowboy recorded an 85.50-point score.
Round 1 of the PBR Ty Murray Invitational, presented by The Downs Racetrack & Casino continues on Saturday, March 25, at 6:45 p.m. MT, immediately followed by the special 15/15 Bucking Battle.
PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer re-airs and on-demand replays of every PBR UTB event. PBR RidePass is available on desktops, laptops and mobile devices via www.pluto.tv. Tune to channel 720 for the latest programming schedule.
PBR Unleash The Beast – PBR Ty Murray Invitational, presented by The Downs Racetrack & Casino
The Pit -Albuquerque, New Mexico
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Dalton Kasel, 0-88.75-0-0-88.75
2. Eduardo Aparecido, 0-88-0-0-88.00
3. Josh Frost, 0-87.25-0-0-87.25
4. Cassio Dias, 0-86.25-0-0-86.25
5. Chase Dougherty, 0-85.5-0-0-85.50
6. João Ricardo Vieira, 0-85.25-0-0-85.25
7. Kaique Pacheco, 0-84.5-0-0-84.50
8. Dalton Rudman, 0-83.25-0-0-83.25
9. Adriano Salgado, 0-70-0-0-70.00
Andrew Alvidrez, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Cooper Davis, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Boudreaux Campbell, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Rafael Jose de Brito, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Daniel Keeping, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Jesse Petri, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Dener Barbosa, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Wingson Henrique da Silva, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Kyler Oliver, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Eli Vastbinder, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Tate Pollmeier, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Koltin Hevalow, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Derek Kolbaba, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Manoelito de Souza Junior, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Ramon de Lima, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Braidy Randolph, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Ezekiel Mitchell, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Colten Fritzlan, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Marcus Mast, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Austin Richardson, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Chase Outlaw, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Nick Tetz, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Flavio Zivieri, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Dakota Louis, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Alex Cerqueira, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Vitor Losnake, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Aaron Williams, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Conner Halverson, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Cody Jesus, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Griffin Smeltzer, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Alex Marcilio, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-0-0-0-0.00
Dawson Branton, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Dustin Martinez, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Dakota Eagleburger, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Leonardo Lima, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Jaxton Mortensen, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Bill Henry, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Junio Quaresima, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Brandon Chambers, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Davi Henrique de Lima, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Robbie Taylor Jr., 0-0-0-0-0.00
Kyle Jones, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Garrett Jones, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Ray Mayo, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Brandon McDowell, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Guilherme Valleiras, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
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