PBR | 2020 Season Rewind: Top 5 rides by Rookie of the Year contenders

PUEBLO, Colo. – The PBR’s Rookie of the Year title is often a harbinger of things to come.

While no success is guaranteed, a number of PBR World Champions first won the rookie title before taking home their gold buckles. Two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney won Rookie of the Year in 2006. Three-time World Champion Silvano Alves did so in 2010. 2018 World Champion Kaique Pacheco joined the club in 2015.

Two-time and reigning World Champion Jess Lockwood won Rookie of the Year honors in 2016, and immediately turned around and won his first world title in 2017.

Tune in to the PBR’s Facebook page on April 22 at 5 p.m. ET to relive Lockwood’s first career premier series win in 2016.

From the Vault: Lockwood taking it all in with first victory

Could there be a future World Champion amidst 2020’s crop of rookies? Only time will tell. Until then, read on for the Top 5 rides by this season’s Rookie of the Year contenders, and catch them in action this weekend at the Las Vegas Invitational, presented by Union Home Mortgage (CBS Sports Network and RidePass on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET, and Sunday LIVE at noon ET).

1. Mauricio Moreira – 91.25 points on Big Black, Gwinnett Invitational championship round

The highest-scoring ride by a rookie so far in 2020 also cracks the list of the Top 10 rides of the season. Mauricio Moreira made his Unleash The Beast debut in Little Rock, Arkansas, before breaking out at the Gwinnett Invitational in Duluth, Georgia. He went 2-for-3 to finish second overall, winning both Round 1 and the championship round, the latter with a 91.25-point ride aboard Big Black.

2. Cole Melancon – 89.75 points on Spotted Demon, Iron Cowboy Round 4

Cole Melancon made his premier series debut at Iron Cowboy in Los Angeles, a PBR Major and one of the sport’s biggest stages. But that didn’t shake this rookie: he went toe-to-toe with “Mr. Iron Cowboy” Joao Ricardo Vieira and came out on top, becoming only the second rookie in PBR history to win a PBR Major. Melancon rode Spotted Demon for 89.75 points in Round 4 for what would be his event-clinching ride.

3. Cole Melancon – 88.25 points on Bad Decisions, Iron Cowboy Round 2

Melancon went 3-for-5 in Los Angeles to secure the win in his PBR debut, and began the event a perfect 2-for-2. He advanced to Round 3 with his 88.25-point ride aboard Bad Decisions in Round 2.

4. Mauricio Moreira – 87.75 points on Freakin Wicked, Gwinnett Invitational Round 1

Moreira had gone 1-for-3 at the Bad Boy Mowers Mowdown in Little Rock, Arkansas, in his premier series debut, but immediately kicked things into a higher gear in Duluth. En route to his second-place overall finish, he won Round 1 with 87.75 points aboard Freakin Wicked for his first career round win.

5. Andrew Alvidrez – 87.5 points on Straight Profit, Bad Boy Mowers Mowdown Round 2

It took Andrew Alvidrez five long years to make his premier series debut after turning pro, but when it finally happened, it was worth the wait. Alvidrez went 2-for-3 to finish second overall in Little Rock, riding Straight Profit for 87.5 points in Round 2.