Oklahoma Freedom: 178.5 

Nashville Stampede: 175.5 

RIDGEDALE, Mo. – The Oklahoma Freedom made the most of two qualified rides to narrowly edge the Nashville Stampede 178.5-175.5 during the opening night of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series competition in Ridgedale, Missouri, earning their eighth consecutive win. As the game got underway, 2018 PBR World Champion Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) was first out for the Nashville Stampede in the lead-off position. In perfect time with Black Friday (H-H Bucking Bulls/Hadley Cattle Co), Pacheco reached the requisite 8 for 87 points to give his team an early lead. Chase Outlaw (Hamburg, Arkansas) then looked to start the night off strong for the Freedom but failed to reach the 8, bested by Roll Tide (Blake Sharp/Henry Wilson) in a quick 4.75 seconds. In the top of the second, the Stampede’s Joao Henrique Lucas (Bastos, Brazil) conquered Happy Gambler (Sho-Me Rodeo/Austin) for 88.5 points, putting his team two bulls ahead of the Freedom. Aboard Midnight Flyer (Jane Clark/Gene Owen), Briggs Madsen (Tremonton, Utah) was unable to deliver the first qualified ride for the Freedom, bucked off in 5.27 seconds. At the conclusion of the second, Nashville held an impressive 175.5-0 lead.

As the game approached the midway point Thiago Salgado (Navirai, Brazil) was next to nod for the Stampede as he looked to continue the team’s early momentum. The young Brazilian, however, was bested by Canadian-born Norse God (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) in 4.22 seconds, unable to add to Nashville’s lead. Needing to step up for the Freedom, Casey Roberts (Minford, Alabama) rose to the occasion aboard familiar opponent Falcon Eddie (Lari Crane/Gene Owen), but his ride was quickly put under official review. After careful inspection, judges gave the thumbs up and a commanding score of 89.5 points. Compliments of the score, the Freedom dented Nashville’s lead to 86 points, as the scoreboard read 175.5-86. 

In the top of the fourth, the Stampede found themselves with opportunity to move two bulls ahead of the Freedom when Matt Triplett (Canton, South Dakota) came out of the chute aboard Hawkeye (Jane Clark/Gene Owen), but he was brought down in 5.55 seconds. In the Freedom’s fourth out, down a bull, first-round draft pick and Captain Eli Vastbinder (Statesville, North Carolina) dominated Chanler’s Dream (Universal Pro Rodeo) for 89 points, giving the Freedom a 3-point lead, 178.5-175.5. In a must-ride situation as the fifth began, the Stampede looked to unretired Ryan Dirteater (Hurlbert, Oklahoma) to put his team back in the lead. Dirteater, however, was brought down in 6.4 seconds by Blazer (Universal Pro Rodeo/Rachel & Dustin Powell), an outcome challenged by Head Coach Justin McBride due to an equipment malfunction, earning a re-ride opportunity. Coming into the weekend with three walk-off rides in Oklahoma City, Derek Kolbaba (Walla Walla, Washington) was unable to convert for the Freedom as his bull Casper (Crescent City Bucking Bulls/Lari Crane/Gene Owen) stumbled. Head Coach Cord McCoy initially considered pressing the challenge button, but opted to hold off in anticipation of the final out of the game. With one boot broken, Dirteater took the re-ride aboard Uncle Gangster (Pick-It Hammers) in hopes of upsetting the Freedom and ending their winning streak. Unable to hold on, Dirteater could not rise to the occasion, sent to the dirt in a hard-fought 6.4 second, and the Freedom won their eighth game in a row.  The victory allowed the Freedom (12-8) to overtake the No. 2 position in the league standings. Additionally, the Freedom are now tied with the Austin Gamblers for most consecutive wins in a season. As competition continues Saturday night, the Oklahoma Freedom will look to continue their torrid streak when they take on the Austin Gamblers (10-10), while the Nashville Stampede, now 5-14-1 this season, and will play the host Missouri Thunder (10-10). 

PBR Thunder Days continue Saturday, Sept. 24 at 6:45 p.m. CT.

PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer replays of all the PBR Team Series action from Thunder Ridge Nature Arena. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule. 

RIDGEDALE TEAM STANDINGS:

Here are the current Team standings for the Ridgedale, Missouri, PBR Team Series event after the opening day of competition for PBR Thunder Days:

  1. Carolina Cowboys, 1-0-0
  2. Oklahoma Freedom, 1-0-0
  3. Kansas City Outlaws, 1-0-0
  4. Texas Rattlers, 1-0-0
  5. Nashville Stampede, 0-1-0
  6. Missouri Thunder, 0-1-0
  7. Austin Gamblers, 0-1-0
  8. Arizona Ridge Riders, 0-1-0

PBR TEAM SERIES SEASON STANDINGS:

Here are the current Team standings for the regular season after the opening day of competition for PBR Thunder Days in Ridgedale, Missouri:

  1. Carolina Cowboys, 13-7-0-53
  2. Oklahoma Freedom, 12-8-0-30
  3. Arizona Ridge Riders, 11-8-1-25
  4. Austin Gamblers, 10-10-0-41.5
  5. Missouri Thunder, 10-10-0-29
  6. Texas Rattlers, 8-12-0-26
  7. Kansas City Outlaws, 8-12-0-24.5
  8. Nashville Stampede, 5-14-1-23

SEPTEMBER 24 GAME SCHEDULE:

Here are the game matchups for the second day of action for PBR Thunder Days on Saturday, September 24:

Nashville Stampede @ Missouri Thunder

Oklahoma Freedom @ Austin Gamblers

Texas Rattlers @ Kansas City Outlaws

Carolina Cowboys @ Arizona Ridge Riders

ENGAGE WITH THE STAMPEDE:

For more information about Nashville Stampede, visit pbr.com/teams/stampede/, Nashville Stampede on Facebook, @NashvilleStampede on Instagram, or @Nash_Stampede on Twitter.

ASSETS & INTERVIEWS:

Following each game, photo and video assets of the Nashville Stampede will be made available. Remote interviews with team leadership, including Head Coach Justin McBride, and competing riders will also be made available upon request.

ABOUT THE NASHVILLE STAMPEDE:

Nashville Stampede are based at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, where the team held its inaugural Stampede Days homestand on August 19-21, 2022, the fourth event of the 10-event PBR Team Series regular season. The Stampede are coached by two-time PBR World Champion Justin McBride. Under the leadership of General Manager Tina Battock, the Stampede are owned by Morris Communications Company, LLC (MCC), which is part of a privately held company with diversified holdings in media, real estate, property development and agribusiness. MCC is based in Augusta, Georgia. MCC’s current media holdings include Morris Media Network (MMN) which reaches millions of consumers with diversified content brands in print, digital, products and live events including Western Horseman, Barrel Horse News, Quarter Horse News, Road to the Horse, EquiStat and the National Barrel Horse Association. A portfolio of lifestyle publications and digital assets serve outdoor/sporting/travel enthusiasts with Alaska Magazine, Milepost, Gray’s Sporting Journal, Charlotte Magazine, Orlando Magazine, Savannah Magazine, Where Visitor publications and more, including the Nashville Stampede, one of eight founding teams in the new PBR Team Series.

ABOUT THE PBR (PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDERS) TEAM SERIES:

The PBR Team Series is an elite new league that features the world’s top bull riders competing on teams in five-on-five bull riding games during an 11-event season beginning in July and culminating in a team championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas November 4-6.  During the 2022 season, each of the eight teams representing teams in Austin, TX; Fort Worth, TX; Glendale, AZ; Kansas City, MO; Nashville, TN; Oklahoma City, OK; Ridgedale, MO; and Winston-Salem, NC will host a three-day homestand.  There will also be neutral site games in Cheyenne, WY and Anaheim, CA. To determine team rosters, the league held a rider draft on May 23 prior to start of the 2022 season among any bull riders who have declared for the draft during a league eligibility window. The PBR Team Series builds on the existing structure of professional bull riding with the same basic rules for judging and scoring qualified 8-second bull rides. Events will be staged in a tournament-style format with all teams competing in head-to-head matchups against a different opponent each day. Each game will feature five riders per team squaring off against another team. Full team rosters will be comprised of seven riders on the core roster and three practice squad members. The team with the highest aggregate score of qualified rides among its riders will be declared the winner of each game. The event winner will be the team with the most game wins across an event, with a special bonus round designed as a tie-breaker to determine final event standings. All PBR Team Series events will be carried on either the CBS Television Network, streaming live on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, or RidePass on PlutoTV.