Freedom Days Draws Top Talent for High-Stakes Competition

PBR Teams has officially rolled into sunny Sunrise, Florida, and every team brought the heat as the third event of the 2026 PBR Teams season kicked off. With many riders making their season debut, the steaks were high. Luckily, the riders delivered.

Game 1: Oklahoma Wildcatters vs. Kansas City Outlaws

The No. 9 and No. 8 teams in the league opened up the night with an exciting game 1. Although there was only one qualified ride from each team, they fought tooth and nail with each rider. One of the most notable rides of the night was Hayden Welsh, the 1st overall 2026 Draft Pick who made his debut in the PBR Teams league with a strong 84.35 point ride. Sadly for Hayden, he was the only member of his team able to secure a qualified ride on night 1. For a majority of the game, it seemed as though Welsh’s debut ride would be enough to earn his team the win. That is until Eduardo Matos secured a much-needed ride following Kase Hitt’s overturned ride, scoring the team a winning 88.60 points.

Game 2: Nashville Stampede vs. Austin Gamblers

This was a highly anticipated matchup as Nashville has never won at Freedom Days and the Austin Gamblers have never lost. Furthermore, Nashville currently holds the series lead after an amazing performance at the Wildcatter Days, leaving them to lead going into Freedom Days; a first for the team. With 4 of their riders in the top 15, their season is only looking brighter, especially as they added yet another win to their roster. The first qualified ride of the game came from the Austin Gamblers, though it was not one that seemed fitting for the PBR Teams series.

Dalton Kessel rode Real Deal, a bull who was not the real deal tonight. With a bull score of only 22.80 points, Kessel was awarded 47.65 points and a shot at a reride. Typically, this is not the kind of ride that riders would chose to keep. However, Austin head coach Michael Gaffney took a gamble and refused the reride, keeping the score of 47 points. This proved to be a bad bet when the Nashville Stampede rode all three of their remaining bulls, racking up 263.30 points to win the game.

Game 3: Carolina Cowboys vs. Arizona Ridge Riders

The Arizona Ridge Riders have made a habit of racking up monster rides and sweeping their competition on the opening night of a Teams event. Once again, the Ridge Riders racked up 3 qualified rides, one for 89 point flat and the other two scoring over 90 points. Lucio Del Castro was the first Ridge Rider to leave the chutes, and he was thrilled to break his buck-off streak with a monster score. Clay Guitin, though back from injury, has still been unable to get a qualified ride in the 2026 season. However, two of his teammates, Tiago Salgado and Adriano Salgado, were able to get some points on the board. In the end, it was the Arizona Ridge Riders who were able to secure the game win.

Game 4: Texas Rattlers vs. New York Mavericks

A highly anticipated matchup with a surprising ending, game four was a non-stop battle of excitement and skill. The Texas Rattlers were the clear favorite going into the night as they have led the series for the majority of the 2026 season, while the New York Mavericks sit dead last without a game win. With both ends of the spectrum pinned against each other, the pressure was on; and the Mavericks delivered. Despite Rattler Daniel Keeping getting the highest-scoring ride of the night, the New York Mavericks absolutely swept the win out from under them with four qualified rides.

The Mavericks are now one of only three teams this season to secure four qualified rides in a single game, earning their first game win of the season while they did it. Both of their first two rides were awarded as qualified rides after booth review as both rides were originally clocked at less than 8 seconds. Both rides, however, were deemed as qualified after review, giving the Mavericks the boost they needed to best one of the best teams in the league.

Game 5: Missouri Thunder vs. Florida Freedom

Boosted by their home dirt, the Florida Freedom flew away with the game win against Missouri Thunder with a score of 268.40 points. This game was truly a nail-biter. As the game came close to an end, both teams made it clear that they came to win. Missouri attempted to challenge one of Florida’s qualified rides, but the challenge was failed, putting Florida in the lead by just over 1 point. Kade Madsen then entered the chutes and had a great ride straight up to the buzzer.

Knowing it would be a high-scoring ride if confirmed, Florida challenged the ride. Under review, it was clear that Kade did not ride for the full 8 seconds but rather was bucked off just before. This overturned ride put Florida safely in the lead with three qualified rides. However, had this ride’s score been kept, Missouri would have added another 90.5 points to their total, winning the game. In the end, it was Florida Freedom who took home the win, proving that strategy can be just as important as skill in PBR Teams.

Overall, Night 1 of Freedom Days as an action-packed medley of excitement. With two more nights of competition ahead, fans are at the edge of their seats to watch the upcoming matchups.