TACOMA, Wash. – After taking more than a week off from competition to let his body heal, Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas) was on fire Saturday night, winning Round 1 of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast (UTB) PBR Tacoma, presented by Cooper Tires, with a standout 88.5-point ride.
VIDEO COURTESY OF PBR FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
Launching from the chutes aboard Pookie Holler (Dakota Rodeo/ Brian & Ashley Pintar/ Clay Struve/ Chad Berger), a bull that bucked him off in a mere 5.15 seconds in March at the Ty Murray Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Kasel was in complete control.
“It felt amazing,” said Kasel following the win. “I took a little break to make sure that I am healthy going into Finals – and it paid off tonight. I don’t think I have ever been this motivated in my life. I got on practice bulls this week, just my wife, daughter and I there- it really kept things simple and brought it back to having fun.”
The 25-year-old, who rides for the Austin Gamblers in the separate PBR Teams League, was one of 17 men out of a field of 40 to record a qualified ride as the animal athletes had their extreme power on full display in Washington.
With a high-scoring 88.5-point ride, he earned 28 Unleash The Beast points to hold tight to No. 4 in the standings.
The round win puts him 601.33 points behind world leader Cassio Dias (Sao F de Sales, Brazil) and 95 points behind No. 3-ranked man Eduardo Aparecido (Gouvelandia, Brazil).
The two-day event at the Tacoma Dome marks the third consecutive season and 15th overall that the elite tour has visited Tacoma and the 22nd UTB event of the 2024 season. Following this weekend, just one event remains before the 2024 PBR World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, beginning on May 9.
As the season rolls to a close, Dias had a less than ideal score of 85.25 points in Round 1, coming in tenth as Sky Walker (Lacey Scott/ Dakota Rodeo/ Chad Berger) tested his skills.
Despite the low hold on the event aggregate, last weekend in Billings, Dias clinched the top spot in the Unleash The Beast standings heading into the Elimination Rounds of the PBR World Finals and a chance to ride for the PBR Championship inside AT&T Stadium the following weekend.
Now enjoying his fourteenth consecutive week occupying the No. 1 spot in the standings, the 22-year-old Brazilian cowboy is currently 10- for-15 (66.67%) in Championship Rounds, the second-highest riding percentage in the final round for all riders with multiple championship round performances.
John Crimber (Decatur, Texas), Jessi Petri (Dublin, Texas) and Shane Scott (Molalla, Oregon) shared second place with matching 87.25-point scores.
VIDEO COURTESY OF PBR FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
Up first in the trio, 18-year-old Scott fired from the chutes aboard Zeus (Blake Sharp/ Michael Floyd) as the capacity crowd cheered. Followed not long after by Petri, who successfully covered Regulator (Humpz and Hornz/ Frances Dandy).
VIDEO COURTESY OF PBR FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
All eyes then turned to Crimber as the event wound to a close on Saturday night inside the Tacoma Dome.
Having narrowly missed a second premier series win earlier in the week when he was ousted by Alan de Souza (Taubate, Brazil), finishing second in Everett, Crimber was laser-focused on the back of the chutes.
Bursting from the chutes aboard Kwik Lock (Long Ranch/ Diamond C Cattle Co), the rookie sensation was flawless.
VIDEO COURTESY OF PBR FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
For their shared runner-up finish, all three cowboys earned 17 Unleash The Beast points.
Scott edged his way toward the Top 40 with the finish in the opening round, sitting at No. 58 in the standings. While Petri, who arrived in Tacoma in the No. 35 spot, moved ever so slightly up to No. 32.
Crimber’s second-place finish moved him back into the No. 2 spot after a week at No. 3.
The Nashville Stampede’s Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas) rounded out the Top 5 on the opening night in Tacoma.
VIDEO COURTESY OF PBR FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
After going 1-for-3 in Everett to finish tenth over the mid-week event, Taylor was matched with Wing Man (D&H Cattle Co.) for his first partner of the two-day weekend.
For his solid 86.75-point trip, the Texas cowboy netted 15 Unleash The Beast points to hold his spot at No. 40 in the Unleash The Beast World Championship standings.
PBR Tacoma, presented by Cooper Tires continues with Round 2 followed immediately by the championship round on Sunday, April 21, at 1:45 p.m. PT.
PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer re-airs and on-demand replays of every PBR Unleash The Beast event. PBR RidePass is available on desktops, laptops and mobile devices via www.pluto.tv. Click here for on-demand PBR programming.
PBR Unleash The Beast– PBR Tacoma, presented by Cooper Tires
