Texas Rattlers Secure Shutout Win Against Oklahoma Freedom

Nashville Stampede closer Silvano Alves records 500^th career ride as his team upsets the No. 1 Austin Gamblers, thwarting their quest to clinch a second consecutive regular-season league title

FORT WORTH, Texas – The Texas Rattlers began their second annual PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Camping World Team Series homestand in Fort Worth in captivating form, winning bull riding’s Red River Showdown with a shutout win against the Oklahoma Freedom to remain in the hunt for a first-round bye at the league’s October Championship.

On the opening night of the last event of the 2023 Teams season, the Rattlers outscored the Freedom by 262.75 points.Brady Fielder and Trace Redd delivered early scores, leading Texas to clinch the game win in the fourth, while Cody Jesus added to the team’s margin of victory in the fifth.

The win not only started Texas 1-0 at their PBR Rattler Days, presented by Ariat, homestand, but more importantly improved their season record to 14-12. Within two games of the No. 2 Kansas City Outlaws, the Rattlers remain in the hunt for a first-round bye at the PBR Camping World Team Series Championship, Oct. 20-22 in Las Vegas. To clinch the bye, Texas needs to win their remaining two games, coupled with consecutive Kansas City losses.

The Rattlers will look to continue their winning ways when their homestand resumes on Saturday in a Lone Star State showdown against the league No. 1 Austin Gamblers.

Oklahoma left Dickies Arena Friday evening with a 0-1 event record and 13-13 season record. The defeat also eliminated them from contention for the two coveted Championship byes. Oklahoma will look to rebound when they next play the Arizona Ridge Riders.

The night also featured the chance for the Austin Gamblers to clinch their second-consecutive regular-season No. 1 rank. A Gamblers win or a Kansas City loss would have delivered the team their back-to-back title.

Kansas City was the first to take to the chutes, competing in the second game of the evening inside Dickies Arena as they played the Arizona Ridge Riders. Fresh off their event-winning, 3-0 effort the weekend prior in Glendale, Arizona, the Outlaws continued to ride lights out, defeating Arizona by two ride scores, 262.5-89.75.

While Kansas City trailed following the first frame, as Nick Tetz delivered Arizona’s lone score of the game, scores from Sandro Batista in the second, Bob Mitchell in the fourth and closer Cassio Dias in the fifth delivered them the come-from-behind win. Dias’s 86.75-point score on Skippy also kept his hopes of winning the 2023 PBR Teams MVP title alive, pulling within a then-83.5-points of leader Jose Vitor Leme.

Kansas City, who improved to 16-10 throughout the season and 1-0 at PBR Rattler Days, presented by Ariat, kept their hopes of making a come-from-behind surge to the regular-season No. 1 rank alive, but their chance could quickly be extinguished in the very next game.

After watching Kansas City throttle Arizona by two ride scores, Austin took to the chutes for their showdown against the league’s reigning Champion Nashville Stampede, the very team that upset them in the second round of the 2022 PBR Teams Championship.

Nashville again rode in seemingly unstoppable form, going a near-perfect 4-for-5, to thrash Austin 342.25-88 and upset the Gamblers for the second time this season. Nashville clinched the game win early by beginning the game with three consecutive qualified rides from Chase Outlaw, Mason Moody and Kaiden Loud, matched with three-straight buckoffs by Austin.

The game, however, ended in dramatic form. In the fifth frame, after Austin’s closer Leme rode Whiplash for a game-best 88 points, growing his MVP lead back to 171.5 points, he was jerked toward the bull, knocked out, and left motionless on the dirt, ultimately carried out by PBR’s sports medicine team. As the crowd awaited an update on Leme, Nashville’s closer Silvano Alves made history, becoming just the fourth rider in history to deliver 500 qualified rides in premier PBR competition as he topped True Religion for 84.75 points.

The loss prevented Austin, who slipped to 18-8 in 2023 and 0-1 inside Dickies Arena, from clinching the regular-season No. 1 title Friday evening in Fort Worth, while also keeping Kansas City’s title hopes alive.

Awaiting the squads on Saturday are a pair of in-state rivalry games, as Austin readies to play the host Texas Rattlers and Kansas City prepares to take on the Missouri Thunder. Austin needs either a win or a Kansas City loss to clinch the regular-season title, while Kansas City needs a win of their own paired with an Austin loss to keep their chances of clinching a bye alive.

Arizona, who fell to Kansas City, left Dickies Arena Friday evening with a 12-14 overall record and 0-1 event record ahead of their Saturday showdown against the Oklahoma Freedom.

Nashville’s win against the Gamblers improved their season record to 10-16 and event record to 1-0 as they get ready to take on the Carolina Cowboys.

The regular-season PBR Camping World Team Series finale began with a showdown between the Carolina Cowboys and Missouri Thunder. Courtesy of scores from Cooper Davis and Trevor Kastner, the Cowboys beat the scoreless Missouri Thunder, 177.25-0, snapping the team’s five-game loss streak.

Carolina is now 1-0 at PBR Rattler Days, presented by Ariat, and 11-15 this season, while Missouri is 0-1 at the Texas event and 8-18 this season. They play the Nashville Stampede and Kansas City Outlaws, respectively, when gameplay continues.

PBR Rattler Days, presented by Ariat, continues Saturday, Oct. 7, at 6:45 p.m. CDT. Tickets for the crucial, final 2023 PBR Camping World Team Series regular-season event are still available and start at $22; taxes and fees not included. They can be purchased online at TicketMaster.com and PBR.com, at the Dickies Arena Box Office, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727.

Before the event, the Rattler Days Alley Rally will continue in the Fort Worth Stockyards, and the Rattler Days Fan Fest will continue on Simmons Bank Plaza at Dickies Arena.

On Saturday, programming at the Rattler Days Alley Rally will include a pancake breakfast at 9 a.m. CDT in benefit of the Arlington FFA. The event is open to the public, with donations encouraged.

Following the pancake breakfast, Alley Rally attendees will be able to take in the Rattler Days parade at 11:30 a.m. in the Stockyards following the iconic cattle drive, followed by viewing parties from 12-5 p.m. on the West side of the East Exchange Building lawns for that day’s key college football matchups.

Additionally, at Dickies Arena, before the start of Rattler Days, presented by Ariat, fans can enjoy music, games, vendor activations and more on Simmons Bank Plaza.

PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer replays of all the PBR Teams Camping World Series action from Fort Worth, Texas. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.

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Press release courtesy of @PBR