Sage Steele Kimzey went four for four and delivered two 90-point rides to win at a sold-out Madison Square Garden, vaulting to third in the standings as Julio Cesar Marques surged past Marco Rizzo to take over the Unleash The Beast lead.
On the Unleash The Beast…
Madison Square Garden delivered a three-day sprint that felt like a season turning point, capped by a championship round that featured five 90+ point rides and five lead changes before Kimzey posted the biggest score of them all. The veteran went a perfect 4-for-4 on the weekend to claim the PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden presented by Ariat, highlighted by 87.05 points on Snuggles in Round 3 and a tour-best 92.05-point hammer on Lights Out in the short go after selecting first in the draft.
Marques finished runner-up, but left “The World’s Most Famous Arena” with the biggest standings move, taking over the No. 1 spot in the UTB standings with 236 points after earning 112 event points to overtake Rizzo (223.50). After entering Sunday 2-for-2 and bucking off Big Dawg in the long round, Marques answered with a 91.10-point ride on UTZ BesTex Smokestack in the championship round to keep the pressure on until Kimzey’s final monster score.
Clay Guiton closed the weekend strong to finish third, riding Holy Roller for 85.35 points to advance into the final 12 before adding a 91.10-point score on Big Mac in the short go. Callum Miller, competing with his jaw wired shut following a wreck in Chicago, battled his way to fourth, finishing with an 89.85-point ride on Hoobastank. Leandro Zampollo rounded out the Top 5 after rebounding from a Friday-night buckoff to post three straight qualified rides, including 90.85 points on Bex Red Eye to close.
New York also kept the 2026 momentum rolling out of the gate, with PBR selling out all three days at Madison Square Garden after selling out both nights in Boston the weekend prior.
Monster Energy Team Challenge...
Game 1: The Austin Gamblers knocked off the Texas Rattlers, 264.40–170.15, paced by Kimzey’s 90.60-point ride on Blue Duck. The Gamblers also cashed in on re-rides, with Miller (87.15 on The Player) and Kaique Pacheco (86.65 on Let’s Roll) both converting after re-ride awards.
Game 2: The New York Mavericks topped the Carolina Cowboys, 257.30–176.10, led by Marques’ 88.65-point ride on Tulsa Time and Hudson Bolton’s 86.60 on Ducati New York’s War Wagon, while Rizzo added the walk-off 82.05 points aboard Big Chili.
On the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour…
The Velocity Tour doubled up with momentum-shifting rides and late-round drama, with winners cashing in big points as the early-season standings continue to take shape.
Spokane: Dalton Rudman captured his first Velocity Tour win of 2026 after going 2-for-3 at Numerica Veterans Arena, putting together scores of 83.20 points on Just Be Cool and 81.50 points on Hostile Arrows to claim the event. Jason Landing finished second (2-for-3), while Conner Halverson placed third after winning Round 2 with an 83.60-point ride on Nigel’s Pet. Trace Redd highlighted the weekend with an 85.80-point ride on Buzz Lightyear to split the Round 1 win with Shane Scott.
North Charleston: Joao Paulo Fernandes was the weekend’s only rider to cover three bulls, going 3-for-3 to win GOVX PBR North Charleston for his fourth career event victory and first of the season. Fernandes opened with 85.35 points on Erner Permer, followed with 85.15 points on Pinecone, then stayed steady in the championship round with a 64.30-point ride on Evil Eyes, declining the re-ride and letting the gamble pay off.
Manoelito de Souza Junior finished second, powered by 86.05 points on Delta Line and 88.75 points on Whiskey Business, while Ezekiel Mitchell climbed onto the podium in third after rebounding from an opening-round buckoff and improving his short-round score via re-ride option (86.35).
Through the lens with BullStockMedia
Check out the best photos from New York.
Looking ahead
The action keeps rolling across all tours as January heats up.
The Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour heads to Denver Jan. 12–14 for the Denver PBR Chute Out at the National Western Stock Show, bringing three straight nights of competition to the historic arena in downtown Denver.
The Unleash The Beast tour returns Jan. 16–17 with Busch Light PBR Milwaukee presented by Cooper Tires at Fiserv Forum, with Night 1 also featuring the PBR Monster Energy Team Challenge, highlighted by Game 1: Oklahoma Wildcatters vs. Kansas City Outlaws and Game 2: Arizona Ridge Riders vs. Missouri Thunder.
Meanwhile, the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour doubles up Jan. 16–17 with two events across the country, as Kubota PBR Charleston takes over the Charleston Coliseum in West Virginia, while PBR Ontario unfolds inside Toyota Arena in Ontario, California. Catch Velocity Tour event action on the PBR App and RidePass as the race for Unleash The Beast berths and World Finals qualification continues to tighten.
The week wraps Sunday, Jan. 18, back in Fort Worth with Ultimate Bullfighters: Bull Games at Cowtown Coliseum.
Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media