GRAND FORKS, N.D. – When the dust settled at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour’s (PWVT) Silencer Shop PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Grand Forks, Ethan Winckler (Winnie, Texas) emerged victorious, going 3-for-3.

Winckler rumbled out of the gate atop Black Ice (BMC Bucking Bulls/Rafter G Rodeo) for 86.5 points in Round 1. 

Now in a groove, the Texan topped Short Bus (Cross 7 Bucking Bulls) for 83.5 points in Round 2 to seize the lead heading into the championship round. 

Paired with Homer (Herndon Bucking Bulls) as his final animal athlete opponent, Winckler became the only cowboy to go a perfect 3-for-3, making the 8 for a round-winning 86 points in the championship round. 


The victory secured Winckler a critical 140 Velocity Global points. 

Dalton Krantz (Somers, Iowa) finished in second place. 

After bucking off Mouse Trap (CIL Cattle Co.) in 4.74 seconds in the opening round, Krantz rallied to top Triple Cross (BMC Bucking Bulls/Rafter G Rodeo) for 87 points to win Round 2. 

Now on a roll, Krantz catapulted out of the gate aboard Frank the Tank (LH Cattle/Buentello Bucking Bulls) for 85 points in the final round to temporarily take the lead before being overtaken by Winckler. 

The silver finish garnered Krantz 95 Velocity Global points. 

Grayson Cole (New Ringgold, Pennsylvania) went 2-for-3 and finished third.   

Cole’s only blemish of the weekend came in the opening round when he was bucked off by Rank Frank (BMC Bucking Bulls/Rafter Go Rodeo) in 6.38 seconds. 

Proving his mettle, the 2024 Velocity Tour Champion rode Red Rum (Campbell Cattle Co/Cannon Cattle Co) for 85 points in Round 2 and Back Drop (Dana White/DD Bucking Bulls) for 85.5 points in the championship round to briefly skyrocket to the top of the leaderboard. 

The final spot on the podium netted Cole 69 Velocity Global points. 

Courtesy of a double-entry, Winckler also finished fourth.  

After riding LP’s Hitman Harris (TDS/Buentello Bucking Bulls) for 83.5 points in Round 1, the cowboy from the Lone Star State was bucked off by Travelin Jones (JQH Bucking Bulls – Skip & Elaine Jones) in 5.40 seconds in Round 2. 

Undeterred, Winckler thundered out of the chutes atop Doze You Down (Premier Livestock/Rafter G Rodeo) in the final round for 84.5 points. 

Winckler returned home with an additional 51.5 Velocity Global points for his second entry. 

Rounding out the Top 5 was Marcus Mast (Middlebury, Indiana).

In Round 1, the veteran danced in perfect time with Sizmagraf (Silver Creek/Sellers/UTC/H5 Bucking Bulls) for a round-winning 87 points. 


Mo Money (Sappington Bucking Stock/Rafter G Rodeo) got the better of Mast in the second round, bucking him off in 7.14 seconds. The Indianan suffered a similar fate in the championship round, where he was bested by Julian 282K (Julian Cattle #2) in 2.42 seconds. 

Mast left the Alerus Center with 45 Velocity Global points. 

Velocity Global points contribute to the Velocity Global Standings and determine which new riders are added to the elite Unleash The Beast throughout the season. The Top 3 Velocity Global riders who have not already qualified are also invited to the PBR World Finals in May. 

While the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour bucked in Grand Forks, the elite Unleash The Beast bucked in Billings, Montana. 

PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour
Silencer Shop PBR Grand Forks 
Alerus Center – Grand Forks, North Dakota
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Ethan Winckler [1], 86.5-83.5-86-256.00-140 Points.
2. Dalton Krantz, 0-87-85-172.00-95 Points.
3. Grayson Cole [1], 0-85-85.5-170.50-69 Points.
4. Ethan Winckler [2], 83.5-0-84.5-168.00-51.5 Points.
5. Marcus Mast, 87-0-0-87.00-45 Points.
6. Eli Vastbinder [2], 0-86.5-0-86.50-30 Points.
7. Eli Vastbinder [1], 0-86-0-86.00-21.5 Points.
(tie). Josh Stepp, 86-0-0-86.00-22 Points.
(tie). Jess Lockwood, 0-86-0-86.00-21.5 Points.
10. Alex Cerqueira [1], 84-0-0-84.00-18 Points.
11. Pokey Houghton [1], 83.5-0-0-83.50-15.5 Points.
12. Dustin Herman [2], 0-83-0-83.00-12.5 Points.
(tie). Luke Parkinson, 83-0-0-83.00-13 Points.
(tie). Thiago Salgado, 0-83-0-83.00-12.5 Points.
15. Afonso Quintino, 81.5-0-0-81.50-12 Points.
(tie). Alex Cerqueira [2], 0-81.5-0-81.50-10.5 Points.
(tie). Brody Robinson [1], 0-81.5-0-81.50-10.5 Points.
18. Weslei Ferreira de Jesus [1], 77.5-0-0-77.50-3 Points.
Grayson Cole [2], 0-0-0-0.00
Zane Cook, 0-0-0-0.00
Pokey Houghton [2], 0-0-0-0.00
Carlos André de Oliveira [1], 0-0-0-0.00
Carlos André de Oliveira [2], 0-0-0-0.00
Dustin Herman [1], 0-0-0-0.00
Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 0-0-0-0.00
Weslei Ferreira de Jesus [2], 0-0-0-0.00
Brody Robinson [2], 0-0-0-0.00
Eric Henrique Domingos, 0-0-0-0.00
Andy Bohl, 0-0-0-0.00
Thomas Hudson, 0-0-0-0.00
Francisco Morales, 0-0-0-0.00
Wade Berg, 0-0-0-0.00
Marcelo De Souza Dias Junior, 0-0-0-0.00
Cole Brewer, 0-0-0-0.00
Stetson Long, 0-0-0-0.00
Jesse Kline, 0-0-0-0.00

Photo courtesy of Andre Silva/Bull Stock Media