CHEYENNE, Wy. – The Missouri Thunder made history Monday night, shutting out the Ariat Texas Rattlers to win the first-ever game of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series 89.25-0. As the game got underway, the intensity was on full display. Andrew Alvidrez (Seminole, Texas) was first out for the Missouri Thunder, and Cody Coverchuk (Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada) prepared to be the first Ariat Texas Rattlers rider to nod his head in regular-season competition. While Alvidrez was dealt a swift 4.73-second buckoff by Light’s Out (Jane Clark/Gene Owen), Coverchuk’s out with Sugar Boom Boom (Cornwell Bucking Bulls/Circle G) was not as clear. Despite seemingly making the 8, the clock was stopped at the 3.16-second mark for an apparent slap, which stood upon review. Thunder free agent Adriano Salgado (Batatais, Brazil) was quick to change the 0-0 scoreboard. Matched up with hard-bucking American Gangster (Jane Clark/Gene Owen), Salgado reached the requisite 8, awarded an 89.25-point score as the raucous Cheyenne Frontier Days crowd erupted in cheer. The Rattlers’ Cody Jesus (Window Rock, Arizona) was unable to answer, bested by Big Wave (Lone Star/Outlaw/Maynes/D&H Cattle Co.) in a heartbreaking 6.27 seconds.
Cody Jesus bucks off Big Wave / courtesy of pbr to tenn texas media
After both Cody Teel (College Station, Texas) and Clayton Sellars (Fruitland Park, Florida) for the Thunder and Brady Fielder (Clermont, Queensland, Australia) and Ednelio Almeida (Cacoal, Brazl) for the Rattlers failed to make the 8, the fate of the game came down to two riders – Thunder first-round draft pick Colten Fritzlan (Rifle, Colorado) and newly minted Rattlers free agent Braidy Randolph (Jonestown, Pennsylvania). Fritzlan was unable to clinch the win for his team early, bucked off by Shake & Bake (Ty Rinaldo TZ Bucking Bulls) in 3.55 seconds. As a result, the fate of the game rested in the hands of Randolph, making his PBR debut. The young gun, however, was unable to rise to the occasion, brought down early by Moonlight Party (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) in 1.69 seconds. As the action continues Tuesday, July 26, the Missouri Thunder will look to continue their momentum against the Nashville Stampede, while the Ariat Texas Rattlers will attempt to rebound when they face the Kansas City Outlaws.
Texas Rattlers Lineup / courtesy of pbr to tenn texas media
The PBR Teams Series: Cheyenne event continues Tuesday, July 26 at 7:45 p.m. MDT.
CBS Sports Network will televise all the action from the second day of action for the PBR Team Series season debut in Cheyenne, Wyoming, LIVE with coverage beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 26. CBS Sports will also air a one-hour highlight show from the season-launch PBR Team Series event on Sunday, July 31 at 1:00 p.m. ET.
PBR RidePass on PlutoTV will offer replays of all the PBR Team Series action from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.
CHEYENNE TEAM STANDINGS:
Here are the current Team standings for the week after the opening day of competition for the PBR Team Series: Cheyenne regular season event:
1. Nashville Stampede, 1-0-0-337.75
2. Arizona Ridge Riders, 1-0-0-171.5
3. Missouri Thunder, 1-0-0-89.25
4. Kansas City Outlaws, 0-0-1-0
5. Oklahoma Freedom, 0-0-1-0
6. Carolina Cowboys, 0-1-0-257.25
7. Austin Gamblers, 0-1-0-89
8. Ariat Texas Rattlers, 0-1-0-0
PBR TEAM SERIES SEASON STANDINGS:
Here are the current Team standings for the regular season after the opening day of competition for the PBR Team Series: Cheyenne regular season event:
1. Nashville Stampede, 1-0-0-0-337.75
2. Arizona Ridge Riders, 1-0-0-0-171.5
3. Missouri Thunder, 1-0-0-0-89.25
4. Kansas City Outlaws, 0-0-1-0-0
5. Oklahoma Freedom, 0-0-1-0-0
6. Carolina Cowboys, 0-1-0-0-257.25
7. Austin Gamblers, 0-1-0-0-89
8. Ariat Texas Rattlers, 0-1-0-0-0
JULY 26 GAME SCHEDULE:
Here are the game matchups for the second day of action for the PBR Team Series: Cheyenne regular season event on Tuesday, July 26:
Under the leadership of General Manager, Mark George the Texas Rattlers, coached by PBR co-founder Cody Lambert, are owned by the Fisher Family, founders of Gap Inc., one of the founding team owners for the launch of the PBR Team Series. Their team will be based in Fort Worth, Texas, competing at Dickies Arena for their inaugural Rattlers Days homestand on October 7-9, the 9th event of the league’s 10-event 2022 PBR Team Series regular season. For decades, the Fisher Family have made investments in footwear and apparel, real estate, and timberland and forest products, and education and sports, including ownership of the Oakland Athletics and San Jose Earthquakes. Through its Ariat brand, the official boot of PBR, the Fisher family have been longtime supporters of PBR. The family is actively involved with a number of philanthropic causes, including SFMOMA, The KIPP Foundation, and UCSF.
ABOUT THE PBR (PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDERS) TEAM SERIES:
The PBR Team Series is an elite new league that will feature the world’s top bull riders competing on teams in five-on-five bull riding games during an 11-event season beginning in July and culminating in a team championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas November 4-6. During the 2022 season, each of the eight teams representing teams in Austin, TX; Fort Worth, TX; Glendale, AZ; Kansas City, MO; Nashville, TN; Oklahoma City, OK; Ridgedale, MO; and Winston-Salem, NC will host a three-day homestand. There will also be neutral site games in Cheyenne, WY and Anaheim, CA. To determine team rosters, the league held a rider draft on May 23 prior to start of the 2022 season among any bull riders who have declared for the draft during a league eligibility window. The PBR Team Series builds on the existing structure of professional bull riding with the same basic rules for judging and scoring qualified 8-second bull rides. Events will be staged in a tournament-style format with all teams competing in head-to-head matchups against a different opponent each day. Each game will feature five riders per team squaring off against another team. Full team rosters will be comprised of seven riders on the core roster and three practice squad members. The team with the highest aggregate score of qualified rides among its riders will be declared the winner of each game. The event winner will be the team with the most game wins across an event, with a special bonus round designed as a tie-breaker to determine final event standings. All PBR Team Series events will be carried on either the CBS Television Network, streaming live on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, or RidePass on Pluto TV.
