By Michael Kinney
OKLAHOMA CITY – As their second annual PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Camping World Team Series homestand got underway, the Oklahoma Freedom started the three-day event with
their best game of the season to defeat the Carolina Cowboys.
The PBR Freedom Fest took place Friday through Sunday at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The victory helped the Freedom rise to No. 2 in the eight-team league.
“I couldn’t be prouder of these guys,” Oklahoma Freedom Assistant Coach Kody Lostroh said. “We’ve had our ups and downs this season. They put it all together tonight in front of a great home crowd in Oklahoma City.”
However, by the time the PBR series left Oklahoma, the Freedom had to watch another team claim the overall title. It was the Arizona Ridge Riders who posted a perfect 3-0 record in gameplay to win PBR Freedom Fest outright.
The victory marks just the second time this season an event has not ended in Extra Outs, while the Ridge Riders are just the third team this season to win a Teams event, joining the Austin Gamblers and Kansas City Outlaws who had collectively won the five prior events.
For those who have never attended a PBR event, it consists of eight teams of five bull riders from around the country. Each team competes against another in a head-to-head competition each day. Whichever team has the best record at the end of the competition wins.
While team members can be from anywhere, there were several Oklahomans who competed this weekend. They included Trevor Kastner (Ardmore) on the Carolina Cowboys, Wyatt Rogers (Hulbert) on the Kansas City Outlaws and Caden Bunch (Tahlequah) on the Oklahoma Freedom.
With prize money, bragging rights and the risk of serious injury on the line, the PBR has started to gain interest throughout the country. In Oklahoma City, more than 10,000 combined fans showed up during the first two days of what has turned into a true spectacle.
Fans inside the Paycom Center were treated to two dramatic walk-off wins during the final day of competition for Freedom Fest.
As Championship Sunday got underway, it was a matchup between Oklahoma and Arizona to start the afternoon title. If Arizona won the match, they would also claim the event victory outright, but if they suffered a loss, PBR Freedom Fest would end in Extra Outs with both Arizona and Oklahoma joining the Texas Rattlers, Missouri Thunder and Nashville Stampede, all with 2-1 records.
However, the Ridge Riders made sure there was no overtime.
Riding their final two bulls after being shut out, the Ridge Riders defeated the Freedom by one ride score, 171.25-87.25. While Oklahoma was the first to convert, with Casey Roberts riding Show Me for 87.25 points, it was not enough to hold off back-to-back scores for Arizona powerhouses Aparecido and Luciano de Castro who both delivered to close out the game for their team.
The three consecutive wins at PBR Freedom Fest improved Arizona to 7-9 this season. They remained No. 6 in the league and are now within six games of the No. 1 Gamblers.
The Oklahoma Freedom dropped to No. 3 with a 9-7 record. They are tied with the Kansas City Outlaws record-wise, but KC owns the head-to-head. Both teams trail No. Austin by four games.
The PBR Series will travel to Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale (Mo.). The event will be held Sept. 15-17.
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