The 2025 PBR Camping World Team Series kicked off this past weekend in high gear at Wildcatter Days in Oklahoma City. Across three nights of hard-hitting matchups, fans saw elite talent, gritty efforts, punishing buck-offs, walk off wins, and early-season statements from veterans and rookies alike.
Here’s a full recap of the season opener at Paycom Center in OKC:
Day One – Friday Night
Florida Freedom def. Austin Gamblers (259.25 – 175.25)
What a start to the season. Florida pulled off an early-season upset—especially with both Sage Kimzey and Dalton Kasel delivering qualified rides for Austin. But when newly crowned and reigning PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme hit the dirt, Florida saw a small crack in the doorway and kicked it wide open.
In the bottom of the fifth, John Crimber sealed the deal with the final ride of the game, giving Florida a big-time win to open the 2025 season in dramatic walk-off fashion.
Kansas City Outlaws def. New York Mavericks (163 – 0)
Kansas City was steady and composed, while New York struggled without Rookie of the Year Hudson Bolton, going 0-for-5.
Missouri Thunder def. Arizona Ridge Riders (171.75 - 74)
Missouri didn’t need to be flashy—just consistent. They made the whistle twice and held on for a narrow one-bull win.
Carolina Cowboys def. Nashville Stampede (331.5 - 0)
Carolina didn’t notch a clean sweep, but they came close—dominating Nashville in a one-sided affair that set the tone for their weekend. It was a strong statement that the Cowboys came to compete, and they’re not just here to ride—they’re here to win.
Texas Rattlers def. Oklahoma Wildcatters (343.5 – 87.75)
Josh Frost delivered the lone score for Oklahoma with an 87.75, but Texas was dominant from top to bottom on their way to putting up the most aggregate points on the weekend.
Day Two – Saturday Night
Kansas City Outlaws def. Texas Rattlers (352 -264)
In a thrilling back-and-forth battle, Kansas City edged Texas with clutch rides from Sandro Batista and Koltin Hevalow before Maikon Calixton Rocha, who had a qualified ride on Friday, walked it off in the bottom of the fifth. The Outlaws moved to 2–0.
Florida Freedom def. Missouri Thunder (90.5 - 0)
Joel Lucas Campos’ 90.5-point ride was the only qualified score of the game in a low-scoring bull-dominated grind as John Crimber was unable to replicate Friday night’s heroics in the final frame.
Austin Gamblers def. Carolina Cowboys (173.5 - 0)
Austin bounced back behind leadoff man Kimzey and the always affable Divino, while Carolina surprisingly failed to convert after a hot start Friday.
Nashville Stampede def. New York Mavericks (84.5 - 0)
Kaiden Loud delivered the only score of the game late to get Nashville in the win column. New York was again shut out.
Arizona Ridge Riders def. Oklahoma Wildcatters (341.5 – 88.25)
After riding only one bull on Saturday night, Arizona came out focused and covered four bulls. Cort McFadden’s 88.25 was strong, but not enough for Oklahoma.
Day Three – Championship Sunday
Game 1 – Kansas City Outlaws def. Missouri Thunder (260.5 - 174)
Trace Redd of the Thunder and the Outlaws’ Sandro Batista traded opening rides, but Kansas City pulled ahead behind Mikael Calestino’s 89-point effort. Andrew Alvidrez kept Missouri alive with an 86.75, but Paulo Rosetto couldn’t hang on for the required eight, allowing the Outlaws to move to a perfect 3–0 on the weekend.
Game 2 – Carolina Cowboys def. Florida Freedom (263 – 84.75)
Carolina’s World Champion riders stepped up: Cooper Davis (2016) looked sharp with an 89.5, and Daylon Swearingen (2022) sealed the win for Carolina. Florida’s lone ride came from Campos and 2024 MVP John Crimber bucked off again, going 1-3 on the weekend. Both teams finished 2–1.
Game 3 – Arizona Ridge Riders def. New York Mavericks (72.75 - 0)
With neither team converting early, it came down to Arizona’s final rider. Keyshawn Whitehorse showed incredible heart and grit to hand on nearly parallel to the ground and then get centered for a hard-earned 72.25-point ride – his fourth walk-off effort as a Ridge Rider. Not the highest score—but easily one of the most meaningful. That kind of effort is what this sport is all about. Arizona leaves Oklahoma 2–1.
Game 4 – Texas Rattlers def. Nashville Stampede (176.75 – 174.5)
Brady Fielder, coming off a strong run but denied in the Unleash The Beast World Championship, set the tone with a weekend-best 90.75-point ride. Dawson Branton would add another score. Austin Richardson kept Nashville in it with a strong re-ride, and Kaiden Loud nearly pulled off the comeback, but his 85-point ride came up just short. Texas leaves Oklahoma 2–1. Nashville starts the season 1–2.
Game 5 – Austin Gamblers def. Oklahoma Wildcatters (3–1)
Sage Kimzey came down early, but Lucas Divino and Dalton Kasel stepped up to put Austin in front. Oklahoma answered with a 84.5-point score from Guilherme Valleiras but missed several key opportunities. Jose Vitor Leme iced the win with a textbook ride on Drago. Josh Frost needed 90.25 for a walk-off win but came down late in the ride. The reining world champion Austin Gamblers close out Wildcatter Days at 2–1. Oklahoma finishes 0–3 in front of the home crowd.
For a complete score breakdown from each matchup and full bull stats from Week One, click HERE.
Looking Ahead to Duluth...
The 2025 PBR Camping World Team Series season opener did not disappoint in Oklahoma City. There were some outstanding rides, a lot of great animal athletes (putting a serious punishing to a few riders) and true to Oklahoma bull power, the action was fast, wild, and unpredictable.
Sizzling like a Kansas City Bone-in Strip, the Outlaws rode 9 of 15 bulls, emerging as the weekend’s top story.
Head coach J.W. Hart wasn’t overly impressed. He knows it’s early and wants his guys to ride every single bull.
“We rode two in the first game and three in the third game, so I feel like there’s room for some clean up,” Hart said. “But overall, we never wavered or gave up. We’ve got plenty to be proud of and things to build on.”
This sport always brings ups and downs, but one thing remains constant – I’ll support every rider who nods their head and gives it everything they’ve got. And we saw that all weekend long.
One of the most meaningful moments in Oklahoma City didn’t happen inside the bucking chutes. It was hearing the stories and memories shared as the PBR honored the late, great Gene Owen—a man who spent 40-plus years in this industry hauling some of the best bulls the sport has ever seen, including Cochise and two-time reigning World Champion Man Hater.
Gene was respected by all, loved by many, and known not just for his passion for bulls but also for his love for Christ and his family. My thoughts and prayers remain with Gene’s family. As Cord McCoy, Matt West, and others shared from the heart—you could tell Gene now has the best seat in the house.
We also saw some high-marked rides this weekend, including Brady Fielder’s weekend-high 90.75-point ride. With a strong energy all weekend, it was a reminder of just how special this series really is.
On a personal note, I wasn’t able to attend all three nights in person due to receiving life-saving medical treatment overseas. I apologize for not going as deep as I normally would with analysis and stats, but a real cowboy keeps his word. I promised to cover every event this season, and that’s exactly what I intend to do. As my health improves, you’ll see even more detail, more data and more storytelling in the weeks to come.
We’ll be back in two weeks when PBR Teams roll into Duluth, Georgia.
*James Phillips is COO & Co-Founder, Midwest Outdoors Adaptability Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping civilians with mobility challenges experience true freedom in the outdoors by raising funds to provide adaptive all-terrain wheelchairs to those who need them most but don’t qualify for military or insurance assistance for an Action Trackchair. To learn how to support that mission, visit www.moafoundation.org.
Photos courtesy of Bull Stock Media