FLORIDA FREEDOM DELIVERY COMMANDING THREE RIDE SCORE VICTORY AGAINST THE MISSOURI THUNDER ON FINAL DAY OF THEIR DEBUT PBR CAMPING WORLD TEAM SERIES HOMESTAND IN SUNRISE, FLORIDA
League No. 1 Carolina Cowboys remain undefeated in tying Oklahoma Wildcatters, while Austin Gamblers conclude PBR Freedom Days with a perfect 3-0 record.
COACH OF FLORIDA FREEDOM, PAULO CRIMBER / PHOTO CREDIT: BULL STOCK MEDIA
SUNRISE, Fla. – The hometown Florida Freedom concluded their debut PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Camping World Team Series homestand in Sunrise, Florida, with a commanding win, defeating the Missouri Thunder by three ride scores inside Amerant Bank Arena, 331.25-85.25.
In their victory, the Freedom went 4-for-5 – the second time this season the Freedom covered 80% of their animal athlete opponents in one game.
“This is fun right here,” Freedom closerJohn Crimber said from the dirt after his team’s win. “If it weren’t for these fans right here, we wouldn’t be getting this W today. I appreciate you all coming out supporting us. I gotta thank my teammates, too. They fire me up. They went out and rode three bulls. I just put the cherry on top.”
Crimber is now 7-for-8 on the season and leads the 2024 MVP race.
While Missouri jumped to an early lead in the top of the second compliments of a score from Felipe Furlan, Florida quickly responded in the bottom of the frame as Alex Cerqueira covered Johnny Walker Red to put the Freedom within 4.75 points of tying the game.
FELIPE FURLAN RIDES HOKA HEY FOR 85.25 POINTS / VIDEO COURTESY OF PBR FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
Following the out, the Freedom rode lights out as Missouri stumbled. After a Thunder buckoff in the top of the third from Grayson Cole, Florida overtook the game lead by 82.5 points asJoao Lucas Camposrode Eyes On Me with ease.
JOAO LUCAS CAMPOS RIDES EYES ON ME FOR 87.25 POINTS / VIDEO COURTESY OF PBR FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
The Freedom’s momentum continued to roll in the fourth as they responded to Briggs Madsen’s Thunder buckoff with a qualified ride from Elizmar Jeremiason Modelo to clinch the game win early.
ELIZMAR SOUZA JEREMIAS RIDES MODELO FOR 74 POINTS / VIDEO COURTESY OF PBR FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
After Missouri again bucked off in the fifth, Florida concluded the game with an out that made the crowd inside Amerant Bank Arena erupt in deafening cheer. Florida’s closer and No. 1 draft pick Crimber put the cherry on top of their victory with a game-best, electric 89.5-point ride on Whip.
JOHN CRIMBER RIDES WHIP FOR 89.5 POINTS / VIDEO COURTESY OF PBR FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
With the final scoreboard reading a 246-point Florida victory against Missouri, 331.25-85.25, the Freedom concluded their homestand 2-1. They are now 3-4 this season. The win allowed them to climb from No. 8 to No. 6 in the league, now three games behind the No. 1 Carolina Cowboys.
The Thunder will return home having gone 1-2 at PBR Freedom Days, now 3-5 this season.
The red-hot No. 1 Carolina Cowboys remained undefeated, tying the Oklahoma Wildcatters,175.25-175.25 in the season’s first game to end deadlocked.
Carolina jumped to an early lead in the first out, courtesy of a game-best score from opener Cooper Davis, who is now 6-for-7 this season and No. 2 in the MVP race, but Oklahoma clawed within 3 points when leadoff man Eduardo Matos also made the whistle. In the bottom of the third, Oklahoma overtook the game lead by 86 points via a score from Cort McFadden.
COOPER DAVIS RIDES BOUJEE BOY FOR 89.25 POINTS / VIDEO COURTESY OF PBR FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
Buckoffs from both teams in the fourth set up a crucial fifth frame. Carolina closerSage Kimzeydelivered for the Cowboys, but his 86-point ride on Kenny was only enough to tie the game. While Oklahoma had the chance to win the game in walk-off form, Clay Guitonwas unable to answer the call for his squad, brought down in 5.99 seconds by Good.
The tie led Carolina to conclude Freedom Days 1-0-1, now 6-0-1 in 2024, while the Wildcatters left Florida having gone 1-1-1, now 4-3-1 this season. Carolina remained No. 1 in the league, while the Wildcatters climbed from No. 3 to No. 2 in the standings. Carolina leads Oklahoma by two game wins.
The Austin Gamblers continued to ride red-hot Sunday afternoon, defeating the 2022 PBR Teams Champion Nashville Stampede by two ride scores, 258-87, to conclude PBR Freedom Days a perfect 3-0.
After PBR’s animal athletes dominated the game’s first two frames, Austin was the first to strike, as Ezekiel Mitchellrode Pork Chop for 83.25 points in the top of the third, and never looked back. In the top of the fourth Ramon de Lima converted atop Wild Card to grow Austin’s lead to 171.5 points and force Nashville into a must-ride position.
EZEKIEL MITCHELL RIDES PORK CHOP FOR 89.25 POINTS / VIDEO COURTESY OF PBR FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
Cody Teeldelivered for the Stampede, covering Boo Ray for 87 points to keep his team in the hunt, but Austin’s closer Jose Vitor Lemesealed his team’s win in the very next out as he rode Peanut with ease. The two-time league MVP is now 6-for-7 this season.
CODY TEEL RIDES BOO RAY FOR 87 POINTS / VIDEO COURTESY OF PBR FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
Austin is now 4-3 this season, rising from No. 5 to No. 4 in the league, as they turn their attention to next weekend’s event in Brooklyn, New York.
The Nashville Stampede concluded their time inside Amerant Bank Arena having gone 0-2 and are now 3-4 this season. Following Sunday’s game, they slipped from No. 6 to No. 7 in the league.
The Kansas City Outlaws bounced back Sunday afternoon with a victory, holding off the league’s reigning Champion Texas Rattlers by 2.75 points, winning the five-on-five showdown 259-256.25.
SANDRO BATISTA RIDES SPOOKY FOR 85.25 POINTS / VIDEO COURTESY OF PBR FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
The Outlaws return to Missouri having gone 1-1 at PBR Freedom Days, now 4-3 this season. Their win against Texas allowed them to ride from No. 4 to No. 3 in the league.
The Rattlers were shut out inside Amerant Bank Arena, going 0-2, slipping to 2-5 this season. They remained No. 9 in the league.
PBR Freedom Days then concluded with the Shootout Round, featuring one rider from each of the winning teams. Florida Freedom Head Coach Paulo Crimber was intent on choosing John Crimber for the team’s bonus bull, but the white-hot rider wanted to give the opportunity to Thiago Salgado, who put up a monster 90-point ride on Ridgeway, and the Freedom won the special round with ease. The win marked their second in the Shootout Round, after 18-year-old Crimber dominated on Saturday night.
THIAGO SALGADO RIDES RIDGEWAY FOR 90 POINTS / VIDEO COURTESY OF PBR FOR TENN TEXAS MEDIA
Merit Street Media broadcast all three days of action from PBR Freedom Days with CBS Television Network carrying the Sunday Game of the Week. Viewers can watch on the Merit+ app or go to https://www.meritstreetmedia.com/channel-finder to find the Merit Street Media cable channel in their area. On-demand replays of all the PBR Teams action will be available the following day on the Merit+ app. RidePass on Pluto TV will also air Teams replays five days later.
The PBR Camping World Team Series next travels to Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, for Maverick Days, the fourth event of the 2024 season. The event will begin at 7:45 p.m. ET on Friday, August 9 and Saturday, August 10.
The game matchups for the opening night of competition in Brooklyn on August 9 are:
Here are the Team standings for the third day of competition for the PBR Camping World Team Series event in Sunrise, Florida:
Florida Freedom, 1-0-0-421.25
Kansas City Outlaws, 1-0-0-259
Austin Gamblers, 1-0-0-258
Oklahoma Wildcatters, 0-0-1-175.25
Carolina Cowboys, 0-0-1-175.25
Texas Rattlers, 0-1-0-256.25
Nashville Stampede, 0-1-0-87
Missouri Thunder, 0-1-0-85.25
*Note: The Arizona Ridge Riders and New York Mavericks had byes on August 4.
PBR TEAMS SEASON STANDINGS:
Here are the current Team standings for the regular season after the third day of competition for PBR Freedom Days in Sunrise, Florida:
Carolina Cowboys, 6-0-1-1,659.25
Oklahoma Wildcatters, 4-3-1-1,435.75
Kansas City Outlaws, 4-3-0-1,312.5
Austin Gamblers, 4-3-0-1,298.5
Arizona Ridge Riders, 4-3-0-1,291.75
Florida Freedom, 3-4-0-1,269.25
Nashville Stampede, 3-4-0-1,029.75
Missouri Thunder, 3-5-0-1,045.25
Texas Rattlers, 2-5-0-1,038.75
New York Mavericks, 2-5-0-513.75
About the Florida Freedom:
The Florida Freedom is based at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, joining NHL team tenant the Florida Panthers hockey club. The team, who competed in Oklahoma during the league’s first two seasons, will hold its inaugural Florida Freedom Days homestand on August 2-4. Freedom Days will mark the third event of the 2024 regular season for the PBR Camping World Team Series. The Florida Freedom is under the leadership of 10-time PBR World Finals qualifier and Head Coach Paulo Crimber, in addition to Owner and General Manager Heath Freeman. For more information about the Florida Freedom visit https://pbr.com/teams/florida-freedom, Florida Freedom on Facebook, @flfreedompbr on Instagram, or @FLFreedomPBR on Twitter.
About the PBR Camping World Team Series:
The PBR Camping World Team Series is an elite league featuring the world’s top bull riders competing on teams in five-on-five games leading to a Team Championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. During the 2024 season, the league’s third, each of the 10 teams – Austin Gamblers of Austin, TX; Arizona Ridge Riders of Glendale, AZ; Carolina Cowboys of Greensboro, NC; Florida Freedom of Sunrise, FL; Kansas City Outlaws of Kansas City, MO; Nashville Stampede of Nashville, TN; New York Mavericks of Brooklyn, NY; OK; Oklahoma Wildcatters of Oklahoma City, OK; Missouri Thunder of Springfield, MO; and Texas Rattlers of Fort Worth, TX– will host a homestand. Neutral-site games in Anaheim, CA and Duluth, GA are planned as well.
PBR Teams, launched in July 2022, builds on the existing structure of professional bull riding with the same basic rules for judging and scoring qualified 8-second bull rides. In events staged in a tournament-style format, all teams compete in head-to-head matchups against a different opponent each day. Each game features five riders per team squaring off against another team. Full team rosters are comprised of seven riders on the Protected Roster and five Reserve riders. The team with the highest aggregate score of qualified rides among its riders is declared the winner of each game. All PBR Teams events are carried on either the CBS Television Network, streaming live on Paramount+, or Merit Street Media.
