The Unleash The Beast Tour made its Bridgeport debut on February 27 and 28 as Stop No. 11 of the 2026 season unfolded in Connecticut for the first time. New city, same standard. The world’s best riders and bulls delivered a weekend defined by execution, resilience, and decisive moments inside the arena.
Friday night told that story clearly.
Friday, February 27 – Round 1
Top Three Takeaways
No. 3 – Opportunity Knocked for Wyatt Rogers
With world No. 1 Sage Steele Kimzey — the seven-time PRCA World Champion bull rider — electing to sit out, Wyatt Rogers stepped in as the first alternate and drew Living On A Prayer.
Rogers entered the weekend leading the Touring Pro Division and positioned near the top of the Velocity Tour standings. He had proven he could dominate at the developmental level. The Unleash The Beast, however, demands consistency against the rankest bulls in the sport.
He showed flashes. But he did not convert.
At this level, effort alone is not enough. You must capitalize when the gate cracks.
No. 2 – Dalton Kasel Responded
After recording the first chute clock disqualification of his career the previous weekend, Dalton Kasel returned to Bridgeport with something to prove.
He posted 85.45 points in Round 1 on Soul Man, tying for sixth/seventh place and earning 13.5 event points toward the UTB World Standings.
It was not a ride that came easy. Kasel had to work to find the middle, correct throughout the ride, and give it everything he had as he had his hands full from start to finish. He kept grinding until the whistle.
In a championship race, banking points when they are available is never insignificant.
No. 1 – The Highlight of Round One Belonged to the Round Winners
The highlight of Round 1 were the two who walked away with the lion’s share of the points, splitting the go-round and earning 23 event points apiece.
Cort McFadden aboard Black Eyes and Thiago Salgado aboard Heavy Load each posted 88.00 points to win the round.
Salgado’s ride on Heavy Load was explosive and controlled, punctuated by a backflip that energized the arena. McFadden matched him aboard Black Eyes with an equally composed performance, displaying balance and timing that reflected veteran-level control.
They did not simply sit atop the leaderboard — they won the round and set the competitive tone for the weekend.
Round 1 Official Results – February 27
There were 15 total qualified rides recorded in Round 1, keeping the leaderboard compact and the aggregate wide open. With that many riders converting on opening night, the door remained open for anyone inside striking distance to reach the Championship Round with a single score on Saturday. At the same time, it preserved the opportunity for multiple riders to advance on two scores and position themselves to go a perfect three-for-three on the weekend.
Saturday, February 28 – Round 2 & Championship Saturday
Saturday required confirmation.
Round 2 tightened the margins. The aggregate standings began to take shape. Riders who converted Friday had to repeat it. Those who missed were forced into must-ride territory.
With World Finals in Fort Worth in May carrying the largest points allocation of the season and Tallahassee (March 13-14) standing as the lone Major on the schedule, every qualified ride in Bridgeport carried weight beyond Connecticut. With 18 cowboys making the whistle, there was plenty for the sold-out house to cheer for.
Round 2 & Championship Round – Top Three Takeaways
No. 3 – Trace Redd Cashed In on His Moment
Trace Redd made the most of Round 2.
He climbed aboard Dirty South and turned it into the winning ride of the round, posting 88.60 points to secure the Round 2 victory and put together his second score of the weekend.
It was more than a go-round win — it was a career weekend. Redd finished fifth overall in Bridgeport, marking the first Top Five finish of his Unleash The Beast career and the highest event placement he had achieved at this level.
Redd was unable to convert again in the Championship Round, bucking off Freedom Fighter in 2.94 seconds.
No. 2 – Zampollo Owned the Brightest Stage
The Championship Round separated the weekend.
There were only three qualified rides when it mattered most — and Leandro Zampollo delivered the best of them.
Aboard Bex Red Eye, Zampollo posted a dominant 90.35-point ride to win the Championship Round.
It was controlled from start to finish. Chin tucked. Free arm disciplined. Body position quiet and precise. The bull bucked phenomenally, yet Zampollo never lost composure.
The ride locked him into second overall for the event.
It also marked his fifth Championship Round appearance of the season — and his fourth successful conversion in those final-round opportunities.
Most importantly, Bridgeport vaulted him from No. 10 all the way up to No. 5 in the UTB World Standings heading into Little Rock.
No. 1 – Andrew “Primo” Alvidrez Closed the Door
Andrew “Primo” Alvidrez left no doubt.
In the Championship Round, he matched up with Good Riddance and got the job done for 88.25 points — a ride that wasn’t as comfortable as he would have liked, but it was good enough.
That conversion completed a perfect weekend. Alvidrez went 3-for-3, finished with a 258.95 aggregate, and earned 119 UTB points to win Bridgeport — his first event win of the 2026 Unleash The Beast season.
And when the race tightened, he didn’t blink.
Honorable Mentions
Blake Sharp and his partners deserved recognition after bringing nine of the 12 Championship Round bulls to Bridgeport.
And one more ride demanded acknowledgment.
Kaiden Loud aboard Eyes On Me for 87.95 points was grit, recovery, and refusal to quit all wrapped into eight seconds. Early in the ride, it looked like he might lose position entirely. At one point, it appeared his legs weren’t even locked on both sides — yet he fought back to center and stayed with it until the whistle.
If he had been in complete control from the gate, that ride likely pushes well into the 90s. Instead, it settled at 87.95 — and it was earned the hard way.
Final Event Results – Bridgeport, Connecticut
Each of the Top Five finishers recorded three outs over the course of the weekend, and final aggregate totals reflected their combined scores across all three rounds — regardless of whether the Championship Round ride resulted in a qualified score.
Top Five Finishers (Three-Round Aggregate Totals)
Official event results can be found HERE.
Updated PBR Unleash The Beast World Standings – After Stop No. 11
Stop No. 11 did not decide the champion.
But it influenced positioning.
And positioning matters when the calendar turned toward March, and now with only two months of the regular season remaining, headed into Little Rock this weekend.
Beyond the Dirt
When the lights dimmed in Bridgeport, the work continued beyond the arena. The Midwest Outdoors Adaptability Foundation exists to ensure people in western and agricultural communities facing mobility challenges aren’t forced to watch life from the sidelines.
While insurance often denies the need for all-terrain mobility, the Action Trackchair restores freedom outdoors — on the ranch, in the woods, on the water. Built for both children and adults, these life-changing chairs cost around $25,000, placing them out of reach for many families on fixed incomes.
That’s why the foundation was created: to remove barriers and level the playing field. Currently serving Arkansas and Oklahoma, with plans to grow nationally through corporate partnerships, the organization remains grateful to the PBR for its early support.
If you believe freedom shouldn’t depend on fine print, learn more, volunteer, donate, or share the mission at https://www.moafoundation.org — because real impact begins beyond the eight seconds.
Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media