RIDGEDALE, M.O. – After the dust settled on Championship Sunday at the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Camping World Team Series stop at the scenic Thunder Ridge Nature Arena, the Texas Rattlers stood above the rest, winning Thunder Days for the second consecutive season.
The Rattlers, who went 2–1 in game play this weekend, are the fourth team to win an event this year, joining the Arizona Ridge Riders, Kansas City Outlaws and league-leading Austin Gamblers. With three regular season events remaining, they improved to 10-9, now in second place behind the Gamblers (14-5).
In one of the most thrilling PBR Teams events this season, the Rattlers’ Brady Fielder and Daniel Keeping continued to deliver, both recording two clutch rides this weekend.
Keeping and the Rattlers walked off the Nashville Stampede 248.25–171.25 on Friday but fell to the hometown Missouri Thunder 264.5–89 on Saturday night.
Undeterred, Head Coach Cody Lambert’s squad battled back, ending the Arizona Ridge Riders’ six-game winning streak via a game-winning ride from Keeping to go 2-1 on the weekend and force Extra Outs. In that contest, Rattlers’ veteran Joao Ricardo Vieira recorded his 400th career ride, continuing to prove at 39 years old that he is still one of the best bull riders in the world.
In addition to defeating the Texas Rattlers, the hometown Missouri Thunder rallied behind event MVP Joao Lucas Campos, who led off with a ride for Missouri in all three games. While the team fell to in-state rival Kansas City 172.5–87 in the final game on Friday, Kade Madsen posted a monstrous 90-point ride to help beat the Rattlers Saturday evening.
Now back on track, both Campos and Madsen made the horn again on Sunday to defeat the Oklahoma Freedom 175.75–173.5 and earn a chance to win their homestand.
In Extra Outs, Arizona’s Nick Tetz rocketed out of the gates on Riser but was unable to hang onto the rope past 5.47 seconds.
Next up was Missouri’s Campos looking to win it for the home team. The young Brazilian was thwarted in his attempt to go a perfect 4-for-4 on the weekend by Mike’s Motive in 2.83 seconds with just two outs left.
The Rattlers’ Fielder was the third rider in the extra session, and he delivered, scoring 89 points aboard Lapua to give Texas the lead with just the Carolina Cowboy’s Boudreaux Campbell left in the chutes on Bandito Bug.
Campbell thundered out of the chutes and was in control until a change of direction ousted him after 6.47 seconds, allowing the Texas Rattlers to win the second PBR Teams event at the beautiful Thunder Ridge Natures Arena in as many years. Their 2022 win was a turning point for the Rattlers’ season, in which they finished second in regular season play.
PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer replays of all the PBR Teams Camping World Series action from Ridgedale, Missouri. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.
The PBR Camping World Team Series returns next weekend at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, for three days of action on Friday, September 22, beginning at 7:45 p.m. EDT, Saturday, September 23, at 6:45 p.m. EDT and Sunday, September 24, at 1:45 p.m. EDT.
The game matchups for the opening night of competition in Greensboro on September 22 are:
Kansas City Outlaws @ Oklahoma Freedom
Missouri Thunder @ Austin Gamblers
Texas Rattlers @ Nashville Stampede
Arizona Ridge Riders @ Carolina Cowboys
