(Editor's note: Professional Bull Riders release.)
BILLINGS — The Professional Bull Riders 30th trip to Billings ended dramatically Saturday night at First Interstate Arena at MetraPark when the final rider, Luciano De Castro of Guzolandia, Brazil, put up an 87.25-point score in the championship round to walk off his second win of the season.
Castro, who rides for the Arizona Ridge Riders on the separate PBR Camping World Team Series, moved from No. 8 to No. 5 in the Unleash The Beast standings.
On Friday at the Cooper Tires PBR elite series event, Castro made the 8 atop Night Agent (Lee Bucking Stock/Viducic) for 88.5 points to enter the sold-out Saturday night ranked second in the event standings.
Having found his groove, Castro converted again in Round 2, riding Oyster Creek Brawler (Farris Cattle/Big Schott Rodeo) for 88.75 points to win the round.
With the first pick in the Championship Round Draft, Castro chose Lights Out (Blake Sharp/Henry Wilson/Hanks) as his final dance partner, and he converted for 87.25 points in the final out for the walk-off victory.
The perfect 3 for 3 performance garnered Castro 144 Unleash The Beast points, pushing him from No. 8 to No. 5 in the Unleash The Beast standings, 405.17 points behind No. 1 Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas).
The Texan went 1 for 3 and finished tied for 12th in the event to maintain his spot atop the standings with just two events left before the 2025 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast.
Kasel rode Whiplash (Blake Sharp/CB and Traci Lee/Richardson Land & Cattle) for 88.25 points in Round 1, but was bucked off by Hunter (Dozier Cattle Co/Martinez Bucking Bulls) in 5.74 seconds in Round 2 and by Cool Whip (Julian/Staci Addison/D&H/Crooked W) in 5.01 seconds in Round 3.
The 12th place finish netted Kasel 16.5 Unleash The Beast points.
No. 2 Brady Fielder (Clermont, Queensland, Australia) finished 11th, closing the gap on No. 1 Dalton Kasel to just 36 points.
A member of the 2023 PBR Teams Champion Texas Rattlers, Fielder won the opening round in Billings by riding Lieutenant Dan (Farris Cattle/Big Schott Rodeo) for 87.75 points.
In Round 2, the Aussie cowboy was bucked off by Magic Spider (Martinez Bucking Bulls) in a heartbreaking 7.11 seconds before he was bested by Buck Nasty (Chapman/Buck/Moore/D&H Cattle) in 3.82 seconds in the championship round.
Going 1 for 3 on the weekend, Fielder earned 29 Unleash The Beast points.
John Crimber (Decatur, Texas) held firm at No. 3 in the Unleash The Beast standings after going 1 for 2 and tying Kasel in 12th.
The teenage phenom for the Florida Freedom on the separate PBR Camping World Team Series converted aboard Karizma (Triplett Bucking Bulls/Melvy) for 88.25 points in Round 1 but was bucked off by Washita Lightning (D&H Cattle Co./Buck Cattle Co.) in 1.72 seconds in Round 2.
Crimber left Montana with 16.5 Unleash The Beast points, putting him 329.5 points off of the lead in the 2025 gold buckle race.
The final spot in the Top 5 of the Unleash The Beast standings belongs to No. 4 Sage Steele Kimzey (Strong City, Oklahoma), who finished tied for 14th in Billings.
After bucking off Shank (Triplett Bucking Bulls) in 2.68 seconds in Round 1, Kimzey rallied to ride Twisted Sister (Triplett Bucking Bulls) for 87.25 points in Round 2.
Kimzey netted 14.5 Unleash The Beast points and is currently 348.25 points behind No. 1 Kasel.
Rookie Hudson Bolton (Milan, Tennessee) was the only rider other than Castro to go 3 for 3, finishing second.
Bolton rode Prince Charming (Viducic/Julian Cattle) for 87 points in Round 1 and Country Club (Blake Sharp/Hanks) for 83.25 points in Round 2 to secure a spot in the championship round.
Sharing a chute with Rockville (Blake Sharp/Koe Wetzel/Giovanni/Morris), Bolton converted once again, this time for 87 points. He sat in the event lead until Castro’s final ride, and took the second spot on the podium.
With the silver finish Bolton earned 86 Unleash The Beast points, catapulting from No. 35 to No. 31 in the Unleash The Beast standings. He also rose to third in the Rookie of the Year race, 166.83 points behind Rookie of the Year frontrunner Anderson de Oliveira (Novo Mundo, Brazil).
In third place was Paulo Eduardo Rossetto (Colorado, Brazil).
The ambidextrous rider bucked off Greasy Bend (Chapman/Buck Cattle/D&H Cattle) in 6.85 seconds in Round 1.
Rossetto then rebounded to ride Destinations Unknown (Vold Rodeo) for 88.25 points in Round 2 and Army Slasher (Bernard Tallman/Farris) for 88.25 points in the championship round.
Securing the final spot on the podium, Rossetto secured 81 Unleash The Beast points, but he fell from No. 5 to No. 6 in the Unleash The Beast standings.
Bruno Carvalho (Alvares Florence, Brazil) finished the event fourth.
Despite bucking off The Empire (5G Farms/BS Cattle/Lone Star/Parker/D&H Cattle) in 4.04 seconds in Round 1, Carvalho proved his mettle by making the 8 in his final two outs.
In Round 2, the Brazilian cowboy covered Night Agent (Lee Bucking Stock/Viducic) for 88.5 points before riding Big Chili (Blake Sharp/Bull Mamas/UB Bucking Co.) for 87 points in Round 3.
Going 2 or 3 on the weekend, Carvalho netted 55.5 Unleash The Beast points, pushing him from No. 43 to No. 40 in the standings.
Two-time PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) rounded out the Top 5 in his second event after missing nine due to injury.
In Round 1, Leme rode Rank Hank (Blake Sharp/Hanks) for 88 points before converting aboard Vindicated (D&H Cattle Company) for 87 points in Round 2.
Choosing Ricky Vaughn (WinRock/D&H Cattle/Buck Cattle) as his final animal athlete opponent, Leme initially sat tall before being bucked off after 3.74 seconds.
Leme left Billings with 43.5 Unleash The Beast points, rising from No. 30 to No. 27 in the standings.
