After competing in a PBR event in Sydney, Australia, bull riders Thomas Triplett and Jack Brodrick boarded a jet for a 15-hour flight to Dallas.

They touched down in Texas and immediately started Googling “bucking bulls near me.” 

It’s safe to say these boys have one thing on their minds. And they have four legs, not two. 

If they weren’t bull riders, Brodrick and Triplett say, they’d be bullfighters. If they weren’t bullfighters, they’d be raising bucking bulls. 

“We love riding bulls and are pretty hungry to come over here,” Brodrick, 22, said. 

Even with a sore hand, Triplett was eager to find a practice pen to keep his good habits flowing. Before riding in Sydney, on May 3 in the Origin Series opener in Newcastle, the 19-year-old helped Team Queensland beat Brodrick and Team New South Wales by recording scores on two difficult bulls.

Brodrick and Triplett got on a few bulls in Texas, took in the 2025 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Championship inside the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, and then embarked on the final leg of their trip down to Austin for the 2025 New Rider Draft set for Tuesday, May 20, at ACL Live at Moody Theater, which will be followed by a concert by Shane Smith & The Saints.

The Aussie duo doesn’t care which team drafts them. Their goal is a spot anywhere with guaranteed money on the biggest stage in bull riding. 

Of course, riding on the Texas Rattlers next to fellow countryman and the rider they most look up to, Brady Fielder, would be a dream come true. 

Brodrick also acknowledges that the Oklahoma Wildcatters, coached by his two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney – his hero because “he tried until his head hit the ground” – would be a solid destination.  

Beyond the money and the spotlight, each athlete shares a genuine connection to the team riding format – something they’re already familiar with through their country's popular six-year-old Origin Series, which features 10 riders per team.

“On a team, you’re helping your buddies to get better. You help your buddies, and they’ll help you,” Brodrick said.

While it’s a generalization to suggest riders from any one country are more receptive to coaching in an individual sport like bull riding, Australian riders often prove to be particularly well-suited to strong coaching.

Brady Fielder, who finished the 2025 Unleash The Beast season ranked No. 3 in the world, proves that point, according to PBR play-by-play man Craig Hummer, who has a unique perspective of Australian athletes. For a five-year period of his life, he spent on average four months each year living Down Under while competing professionally in Surf Lifesaving in the Uncle Toby’s Super Series.

“Aussies in general have a laid-back style, but a steely resolve,” Hummer said. “Brady Fielder has both qualities, which are important in bull riding, along with an uncanny ability to not overcomplicate things. At the same time, he doesn’t get too attached to the outcome, especially if the outcome is negative.” 

Those personality traits profile Cody Lambert, who is now Fielder’s coach with the Texas Rattlers.

“Lambert at his best had those qualities as a rider and now as a coach,” Hummer said. “He’s the perfect teacher, coach and mentor for Brady. Everywhere Brady turns, he’s reminded of the path he wants to be on.” 

Being able to move on from a fruitless night or weekend is essential in a sport where success half the time can bring fame and riches. In fact, on both of the first two nights of Eliminations at Cowtown Coliseum, Fielder missed a qualified ride by less than a second. He looked ahead, held his head high before nodding it, and knocked down his next ride on Bueno for 86 points.

Fielder has also found a perfect teacher, coach and mentor in Cody Lambert, according to Hummer.

For his part, softspoken Fielder says, “There’s a lot of living and learning to be done in this experience and opportunity on a team for any bull rider who wants to be great. You hang around greats, you become one yourself.”

During the PBR Teams New Rider Draft, a fan-ticketed event that will begin at 7 p.m. CDT, the league’s 10 teams will select from dozens of newly declared bull riders for the 2025 season.

The inaugural PBR Teams draft was held in Arlington, Texas, in 2022, followed by Fort Worth, Texas (2023), and Nashville (2024). The selection process has significantly impacted each Teams season.

In 2022, the Austin Gamblers selected Jose Vitor Leme with the first overall pick, followed by the Nashville Stampede, who nabbed Kaique Pacheco and won the inaugural Teams title. Leme would be named the league’s MVP in the first two seasons. Pacheco signed with the Gamblers mid-season in 2024, helping lead the team to that year’s PBR Teams championship.

In 2023, the Carolina Cowboys selected Sage Kimzey with the first overall pick. Following the 2024 season, he would also join the Gamblers, now helping defend the championship. Also of note, the Kansas City Outlaws selected Cassio Dias in the first round with the fifth overall pick. He went on to win the PBR World Championship in 2024.

In 2024, the Florida Freedom used their No. 1 overall pick to select John Crimber, who led the team to a third-place regular-season finish as the league’s MVP. 

Riders were able to declare for the 2025 Draft until May 1.

Also from Australia, Macaulie Leather and Boston Leather, popular sibling riders known as the Leather Brothers and winners of the 2023 and 2024 PBR Australia Championships, respectively, are on the draft board. 

A strong Brazilian contingent includes Jhon Carlos Moreira, Alex da Silva Oliveira, Elzisclay Rodrigues dos Santos, Eudimar Novais and Riquelme Silva dos Santos, who were evaluated at a scouting combine all 10 teams attended in February in Icem, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Additionally, rising Brazilian star Vinicius Pinheiro Correa, already riding in the U.S., has declared for the draft. 

Via the 2024 PBR Camping World Team Series results and trades made, the Arizona Ridge Riders hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 Draft, along with the No. 1 pick in the second and third rounds.

The New York Mavericks will pick second in the first round, followed by the Kansas City Outlaws, who have a league-record six picks, including No. 3, 4 and 9. The Missouri Thunder have the fifth pick, followed by the Texas Rattlers (No. 6), Florida Freedom (No. 7), Austin Gamblers (No. 8), and Carolina Cowboys (No. 10).

The PBR Teams 2025 Draft will be broadcast live on PBR’s YouTube Channel, RidePass and the PBR app beginning at 7:30 p.m. CDT on May 20.