SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — For many riders, the first weekend on American soil is a test. New bulls, new lights, new pressures. For Gustavo Luiz da Silva, it was more than a test. It was a statement. At just 19 years old, fresh off a Triple Crown season in Brazil, he climbed into the chutes in Springfield. Springfield became his stage, and beneath the spotlight he showed the Nashville Stampede and the rest of PBR Teams that a new star was ready for his encore.
It wasn’t just the scores. It was the way he carried himself. Confident, composed and businesslike, Silva looked nothing like a teenager navigating his first trip abroad. He looked like a young man who had been preparing for this moment his entire life. And, in many ways, he has.
From Brazil’s Brightest Star
Before his name ever hit an American draw sheet, Silva had already carved his place in bull riding history. In 2025, the Inocência, MS, native clinched the Brazilian Championship before the National Finals even began. He went on to add the Rookie of the Year buckle and the Barretos Finals title, sweeping the sport’s three biggest prizes in a single season.
Only two riders had ever done that before: Luciano de Castro in 2015 and José Vitor Leme in 2017. Both went on to make waves in the U.S., with Leme becoming a three-time World Champion. For Silva, that path was always the dream.
“It was my goal to win these three titles, and everything worked out,” Silva said after clinching his Brazilian crown. “I joined PBR in search of this title and to go to the United States. I am accomplishing everything I planned in a short time. I just have to thank God, my family and my friends for all this.”
Now, that plan is unfolding on the sport’s biggest stage.
Springfield Debut: Riding Into America
Springfield became his proving ground, and Silva wasted no time putting points on the board.
Friday: 85 points on Lost In The Sauce
Saturday: 84.25 points on Cash On Black
Sunday: A brief buckoff against American Made in 6.48 seconds became symbolic — a young Brazilian facing not just a bull, but the weight of proving himself against America and its homegrown talent. Where others might have faltered, Silva’s composure set him apart. He took the re-ride, climbed back into the chutes and delivered an 86.25-point encore on Red Bull, his highest score of the weekend.
Many Brazilian riders take time to adjust to the different kick and timing of American bucking bulls. Silva made it look easy. His style, a blend of old-school Brazilian poise with a touch more forward lean, translated immediately, leaving little doubt that he can match up anywhere.
A Champion’s Foundation
Silva was born into bull riding. His father and cousin both rode, and he grew up chasing them in dusty pens, dreaming of bigger stages. In Brazil, he didn’t always have coaches or mentors. But now, he has both.
Most notably, he has Silvano Alves, the three-time World Champion he idolized as a kid, now riding under his guidance in Nashville colors.
“In Brazil, you don’t always have a coach,” Silva said. “Now I have someone [Silvano]. So, it’s amazing. There’re no words to explain it, and I’m very happy.”
And from the Stampede’s perspective, they may have more than just a protégé. Legendary coach Justin McBride has already seen enough to know the teenager is different.
“He rides a little more like the old-school Brazilian guys, the great champions of the past,” McBride said. “You kind of forget that he’s only 19, because he is very focused and businesslike. A lot of [bulls] are going to be good matchups for him because of the way he rides.”
Life in America
Off the dirt, Silva is settling quickly. He previously lived with Pablo Soares in Brazil, and by coincidence — or maybe fate — the two now live together again in Decatur, Texas. They train together, eat together and support each other through the transition.
He’s already developed a taste for Mexican food, laughs easily about learning the culture and admits that, so far, everything in America feels different than back home. But when it comes to the sport, his focus hasn’t shifted an inch.
Upon landing in the U.S., he typed a line into his translator app that said it all: “I’m only 19, but I have the heart and mindset of a champion.”
The Stampede’s Turning Point?
That champion’s mindset has already carried him from rookie debut to a closer’s role. By his second weekend, Silva will be slotted into the Stampede’s fifth rider position, the one reserved for the calmest, toughest competitor on the team.
It comes at a critical moment. At 6-11, Nashville sits near the bottom of the standings, tied in record with Carolina but trailing the field’s leaders. The Stampede’s riding percentage sits at just 36.5%. But with Kaiden Loud back from IR and Silva catching fire immediately, the team has the chance to spark a second-half surge.
McBride’s verdict? Gustavo doesn’t flinch. The lights, the roar, the weight of the moment — he blocks it all out and just goes to work.
And so, just like Leme before him, Gustavo Luiz da Silva has announced himself in America with authority. Springfield was just the beginning. Nashville’s newest closer rides with ice in his veins, and with Loud returning to form, the Stampede may be primed for a late-season charge.
New country, same champion. Gustavo Luiz da Silva is here to stay.
Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media