(Editor's note: PBR release)
FORT WORTH, Texas – The already ferocious 2022 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) World Championship race reached a new level of intensity Saturday evening at the first-ever World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, when the world’s best riders put up seven 90-point rides during Round 2 of competition.
None of those big rides were bigger or more clutch than Daylon Swearingen’s (Piffard, New York). His 93-point ride that is now tied for the high-marked of his career nearly pulled the New York cowboy into a dead heat with world No. 1 Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil). Swearingen climbed within a mere 3.01 points of reclaiming the No. 1 rank he had entering 2022 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast on Friday night.
Swearingen returned to Dickies Arena for Round 2 eager to rebound from a 5.22-second buckoff dealt to him in Round 1 by Lil 2 Train (Jane Clark/Gene Owen).
Swearingen took to the back of the chutes poised and focused as he readied to take on a familiar opponent in Big Black (K-C Bucking Bulls/Joe & Nina Webb). In 2020, Swearingen rode the powerful animal athlete for 91.75 points en route to capturing his career-first Unleash The Beast event in Chicago, Illinois.
Swearingen was again in perfect time with Big Black, reaching the requisite 8 for 93 points. The impressive mark tied his career-best score registered earlier this year in Albuquerque, New Mexico, atop I’m Legit Too (Hart Cattle Co./Hale).
The score was the second-best of Round 2, netting Swearingen 49 world points and a check for $20,000.
Swearingen, who began the event 36.01 points back, is now with a slim 3.01 points of No. 1 Vieira and is seventh on the overall leaderboard for the World Finals event title.
Vieira retained his world No. 1 rank after delivering his second qualified ride of the World Finals in Round 2. Drafting Diddy Wa Diddy (Cord McCoy/Bill McCarty), Vieira was marked 86 points, the tenth-best score of the round, collecting 16 world points.
The affable Brazilian is now one of six riders a perfect 2-for-2 at the 2022 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast and is fourth in the event standings.
Should Vieira earn his first gold buckle at season’s end, he would become the oldest PBR World Champion in history. Currently 37, Vieira would surpass Adriano Moraes (Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil), who won his third title in 2006 at age 36.
Two-time reigning PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) also remained perfect in Round 2 of the World Finals, recording what tied for the sixth-best score of the evening to net 31 world points.
Leme conquered re-ride bull Lone Survivor (Whitman Bucking Bulls/Jenkins Cattle Co.) for a cheer-inducing 90.25 points.
While Leme slid back one position from No. 4 to No. 5 in the world standings, he lessened Vieira’s stronghold on the No. 1 rank. After beginning Round 2 280.67 points back, Leme will begin Round 3 within 265.67 points of the top spot.
Should Leme once again be crowned the PBR World Champion in 2022, the stoic Brazilian would become the first rider in history to claim the honor in three consecutive seasons and just the third three-time PBR World Champion.
Fellow Brazilian Mauricio Moreira (Gaviao Peixoto, Brazil) surpassed Leme in the standings after winning Round 2 with a gigantic ride.
Moreira rode WSM’s Jive Turkey (WSM Auctioneers/Clay Struve/Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger) for a career-best 94.25 points to earn $35,000 and a crucial 89 world points.
Compliments of the score, the surging 22-year-old rose four positions in the world standings from No. 8 to No. 4. He is now within 255 points of No. 1 Vieira.
World No. 3 Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) also struck gold in Round 2 of the 2022 PBR World Finals.
As one of seven riders to register a 90-point ride, Pacheco put his first points on the board at the sport’s most prestigious event when he conquered Bread Basket (TNT Bucking Bulls/Hart Cattle Co.) for 91.75 points.
Pacheco left Dickies Arena Saturday evening having earned $10,000 and 41 world points. He remained No. 3 in the world and lessened Vieira’s lead from 125.5 points to 100.5 points.
In the race for the PBR World Finals event win, Josh Frost (Randlett, Utah) is now the top man as the marathon event readies for Round 3.
Frost began the second night of competition at his first-ever World Finals sixth on the leaderboard after covering Big Wave (Lone Star/Outlaw/Maynes/D&H Cattle Co.) for 88.75 points.
The Utah native continued his momentum in Round 2, logging the first 90-point ride of his career on the premier series. He converted atop YETI PBR World Champion Bull contender Ridin Solo (Cord McCoy/Bill McCary) for 92.75 points.
The 26-year-old earned a check for $15,000 compliments of the bronze showing in Round 2, in addition to earning 45 world points. He catapulted six positions in the world standings from No. 41 to No. 35.
Round 2 of the 2022 PRB World Finals also featured the first of three outs for the top bulls in contention for the YETI PBR World Champion Bull honor. The top bucking bulls competing at the Finals will receive three outs, and World Champion contenders will be able to drop their lowest score in Fort Worth.
Compliments of his 45-point effort with Frost, Ridin Solo broke his tie with reigning World Champion Woopaa (Barker Bulls/Hookin’ W Ranch) for the top rank. Ridin Solo now holds a 46.11-point world average, leading No. 2 Woopaa by 0.25 points.
Woopaa was marked an uncharacteristic 43.25 points when he dispatched 2019 PBR Rookie of the Year Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas) in 5.64 seconds. The striking animal athlete now holds a 45.86-point world average.
The 2022 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast continues with Round 3 on Sunday, May 15 at 1:45 p.m. CDT.
PBR Unleash The BeastPBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast
Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, Texas
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Round 4-Round 5-Round 6-Round 7-Round 8-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Josh Frost, 88.75-92.75-0-0-0-0-0-0-181.50-77 Points.
2. Cody Jesus, 89-90.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-179.25-67 Points.
3. Ezekiel Mitchell, 88.5-89-0-0-0-0-0-0-177.50-52 Points.
4. João Ricardo Vieira, 90.25-86-0-0-0-0-0-0-176.25-61 Points.
5. Jose Vitor Leme, 85.75-90.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-176.00-47.33 Points.
6. Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 0-94.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-94.25-89 Points.
7. Daylon Swearingen, 0-93-0-0-0-0-0-0-93.00-49 Points.
8. Kaique Pacheco, 0-91.75-0-0-0-0-0-0-91.75-41 Points.
9. Luciano De Castro, 0-91.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-91.25-37 Points.
(tie). Brady Oleson, 91.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-91.25-89 Points.
11. Dalton Kasel, 90.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-90.25-45 Points.
(tie). Mason Taylor, 90.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-90.25-45 Points.
13. Eli Vastbinder, 87.5-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-87.50-24 Points.
14. Ednei Caminhas, 0-87.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-87.25-20 Points.
15. Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 85.75-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-85.75-16.33 Points.
(tie). Andrew Alvidrez, 85.75-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-85.75-16.33 Points.
17. Brady Fielder, 84.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-84.25-12 Points.
Austin Richardson, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Derek Kolbaba, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Chase Dougherty, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Dener Barbosa, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Eduardo Aparecido, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Manoelito de Souza Junior, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Lucas Divino, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Bob Mitchell, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Ramon de Lima, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Clayton Sellars, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Dakota Louis, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Cody Teel, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Matt Triplett, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
João Henrique Lucas, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Marco Eguchi, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Alex Marcilio, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Adriano Salgado, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Brandon Davis, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Casey Coulter, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Alex Cardozo, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
