PBR Jacksonville: The 2026 PBR Unleash The Beast season bucks into Jacksonville, Florida, for the 10th premier series event of the year inside VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Marking the tour’s 10th visit to The Bold City, Progressive PBR Jacksonville arrives at a pivotal point in the season with the fourth round of cuts set to take place following this weekend’s action.
Competition begins Friday, Feb. 20, at 7:45 p.m. ET with Round 1 and concludes Saturday, Feb. 21, at 7:45 p.m. ET with Round 2 and the Championship Round. All rounds will stream live on Paramount+, with Monster Energy Team Challenge games (Nashville Stampede vs. Texas Rattlers and Florida Freedom vs. Carolina Cowboys) airing on CBS Television Network on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 12 p.m. ET.
PLAYING ABOVE THE LINE
The UTB pack arrives in Jacksonville bracing for the season’s fourth cut. Following roster trims in New York (Jan. 9–11), Tampa (Jan. 23–24) and Salt Lake City (Feb. 6–7), riders ranked below No. 35 in the standings — excluding those with exemptions — will be relegated to Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour competition.
Invites for the weekend include Andy Guzman, who won the Everett, Washington, Velocity Tour event last weekend, and Mason Taylor, fresh off his second win of the season in Lexington. Also receiving invites via their Top 5 positions in the Velocity Global standings are Elijah Jennings, Ezekiel Mitchell, Wyatt Rogers and Kase Hitt, who delivered a career-best fourth-place finish in Pittsburgh. Felipe Furlan and Alison dos Santos enter as alternates.
The 2026 World Championship race remains razor tight:
• No. 1 John Crimber leads No. 2 Dalton Kasel by just 22 points and No. 3 Clay Guiton by 39.5 points.
• The Top 11 riders are separated by only 176 points, with No. 10 Marco Rizzo exactly 176 points back of the lead.
• Four Top 10 riders — Clay Guiton (63.64%), Sage Steele Kimzey (63.64%), Dalton Kasel (61.90%) and Alex Cerqueira (60%) — are converting at 60% or better at the halfway mark.
With the second half of the season officially underway, every out in Jacksonville carries gold buckle weight.
NOTABLE RIDERS TO WATCH
Cassio Dias — The 2024 World Champion reasserted himself last weekend in Pittsburgh, capturing his first premier series win since April 2024 with a flawless 3-for-3 effort. Climbing to No. 7 in the standings, Dias earned 154 UTB points behind consecutive rides aboard Hoobastank (89.20), Magic Touch (89.40) and Freedom Fighter (91.70). Momentum is firmly on his side entering Florida.
John Crimber — Despite a rare 0-for-2 outing in Pittsburgh, the world No. 1 remains in control of the standings. Prior to last weekend, Crimber had ridden seven of his previous eight bulls, earning a win in Sacramento and a runner-up finish in Salt Lake City. He also claimed his first UTB event victory in Jacksonville in 2024 and now returns to compete for his Florida Freedom in Monster Energy Team Challenge action.
Dalton Kasel — Matching Crimber’s 0-for-2 slate in Pittsburgh, Kasel still stands as the only rider with two event wins this season. The No. 2-ranked cowboy has logged 13 qualified rides in 21 attempts and has posted three straight Top 5 finishes prior to Pittsburgh. He trails Crimber by just 22 points entering the weekend.
Sage Steele Kimzey — Consistency defines Kimzey’s 2026 campaign. The No. 4-ranked veteran is 14-for-22 with Top 7 finishes in three consecutive events and four of his last five. He earned 43 points in Pittsburgh and remains firmly entrenched in the title mix. He is slated to face Wall Street TNT in Round 1.
Leandro Zampollo — Fresh off a career-best second-place finish in Pittsburgh, Zampollo arrives ranked No. 9 in the world. He went 3-for-3 against Rockville (88.45), Krispy Kreme (87.85) and UTZ BesTex Smokestack (88.40), collecting 96.5 points and surging inside the Top 10.
MONSTER ENERGY TEAM CHALLENGE RETURNS
The Monster Energy Team Challenge continues throughout the 2026 UTB season, bringing head-to-head intensity to select events. At 10 designated stops, teams compete in two 4-on-4 matchups per event, totaling 16 outs.
Friday night in Jacksonville opens with the 2022 PBR Teams Champion Nashville Stampede (1-1) facing the 2023 Champion Texas Rattlers (1-1). Immediately after, the reigning 2025 Champion Carolina Cowboys (0-2) look to secure their first win against the hometown Florida Freedom (1-1).
Teams will accumulate records across the 10-event slate, with the Top 4 advancing to the METC Championship Tournament during the UTB stretch run in Albuquerque (March 27), Billings (April 17) and Tacoma (April 24), where elimination-style 7-on-7 matchups will determine the inaugural Monster Energy Team Challenge champion.
REMATCH RECAP
Round 1 in Jacksonville features two familiar foes.
Koltin Hevalow looks to reclaim the edge against Washita Red, entering with a 1-1 record aboard the bull. The pair most recently met last February when Washita Red bucked him off in 4.95 seconds, though Hevalow previously rode him for 88 points in St. Louis in December 2024.
Paulo Eduardo Rossetto seeks redemption against Phe-Phe’s Soul Man. Rossetto scored 85.25 points in their first matchup in August 2025, but the bull responded by ejecting him in 6.91 seconds during their latest meeting at Madison Square Garden.
With the cutline looming, the standings separated by inches and team pride layered into the mix, Jacksonville promises high stakes and little margin for error. Catch it live on Paramount+ as the road to the gold buckle rolls on in The Bold City.
Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media