Bull riding has long been considered one of the most individual sports a person could find, but organizers have found a way to inject a team element.
At the Professional Bull Riders tour stop on Sunday, Aug. 13, at Honda Center, eight teams consisting of five riders each went head to head in four afternoon matchups.
When the dust settled, it was the Austin Gamblers who once again finished on top, only this time they needed overtime to be officially crowned the weekend winner.
Austin and the Oklahoma Freedom were the only two teams that finished 2-0 over the two-day event, so they met up in a winner-take-all finale that was akin to extra innings in baseball.
Coaches from both teams chose three of their best riders and a pen of bulls to ride.
The Freedom selected Thiago Salgado as their first rider of the sudden-death overtime, but he was unable to stay on July for the full eight seconds, opening the door for two-time world champion and fellow Brazilian Jose Vitor Leme to win the event if he could stay on Brusta the required time.
Leme did more than hold on, he conquered Brusta so convincingly that he was rewarded with a score of 91, the highest of the day.
“It’s hard to put into words just what this means,” said Leme, who turns 27 on Tuesday. “The whole team is working hard, being disciplined, and I’m so glad to have my teammates supporting me.”
With the wins on Saturday night and Sunday, the Gamblers improved to 7-0 after three stops on the 11-event season, which culminates in October with the team championships in Las Vegas.
“That’s what we’re working for, just winning and staying humble,” Leme said.
The Kansas City Outlaws nearly handed the Gamblers their first loss of the season during the third head-to-head matchup of the event.
Austin needed a successful ride from Austin Richardson in the final frame after he was picked for a re-ride aboard Wicked Warrior. He completed the ride and earned a score of 89.25 to give the Gamblers…
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