RIDGEDALE, Mo. – Continuing their white-hot momentum at this weekend’s PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series event in Ridgedale, Missouri, the Oklahoma Freedom surged to No. 2 in the league standings after going 2-1 in game play and earning 5 Bonus Round points to finish third at PBR Thunder Days.
Fresh off winning back-to-back league events, including their inaugural homestand last weekend, the Freedom travelled to Missouri on a record-setting trajectory.
Amid a seven-game win streak, the Freedom had the chance to tie the Austin Gamblers’ record for most consecutive games won Friday evening when they played the Nashville Stampede.
Led by scores from Casey Roberts and first-round draft pick Eli Vastbinder, the Freedom narrowly edged the Stampede by 3 points, 178.5-175.5, to win their record-tying eighth straight game.
The Freedom, however, were quickly humbled Saturday evening when they played the Gamblers in an iconic sporting showdown between Texas and Oklahoma.
While Chase Outlaw delivered a monstrous 91-point ride, he was the lone Freedom rider to convert as the team’s win streak came to an abrupt end, losing to the Gamblers 179.25-91.
On Championship Sunday, the Freedom rebounded when they played the host Missouri Thunder.
Again posting a 90-point score, this time from closer Derek Kolbaba, along with key points contributed from lead-off rider Outlaw, the Freedom beat the home team 176.5-0.
Improving to 2-1, the Freedom began the Bonus Round locked in a three-way tied for second in the event alongside the Kansas City Outlaws and Carolina Cowboys.
In the crucial tie-break scenario, Freedom Head Coach Cord McCoy initially tasked Roberts with Legend (Blake Sharp/Chris Utz/Garrett Carey).
The team, however, earned a re-ride, with Outlaw tapped to take on Lone Survivor (Whitman Bucking Bulls/Jenkins Cattle Co.). Outlaw was subsequently bucked off in 4.12 seconds, and the effort was the fourth best of the Bonus Round, beating that of the Outlaws but trailing the Cowboys, and garnering the team 5 Bonus Round points.
As a result of the out, the Freedom concluded PBR Thunder Days third.
Compliments of their efforts in Missouri, the Oklahoma Freedom rose to No. 2 in the regular season standings, having gone 13-9 in game play, amassing 35 Bonus Round points. They are 1 game behind the league No. 1 Carolina Cowboys.
PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer replays of all the PBR Team Series action from Ridgedale, Missouri. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.
For a behind-the-scenes look at the creation and launch of the new league, tune in to PBR Team Series: Getting the Job Done, presented by ZipRecruiter, Thursdays on PBR RidePass on Pluto TV at 8:30 p.m. ET. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.
Following a one-week break, the PBR Team Series will next travel to Fort Worth, Texas, for the seventh team-hosted homestand as the Texas Rattlers welcome the league for PBR Rattler Days. The event will be on Friday, October 7 at 7:45 p.m. CT, Saturday, October 8 at 6:45 p.m. CT and Sunday, October 9 at 1:45 p.m. CT.
During the opening night of competition in Fort Worth, the Oklahoma Freedom will play the host Texas Rattlers in bull riding’s version of the Red River Showdown.
For more information about Oklahoma Freedom, visit https://pbr.com/teams/freedom/, Oklahoma Freedom on Facebook, @OK_Freedom_ on Instagram, or @OKfreedom_ on Twitter.
PBR TEAM SERIES SEASON STANDINGS:
Here are the current Team standings for the regular season after the conclusion of competition for PBR Thunder Days in Ridgedale, Missouri:
- Carolina Cowboys, 14-8-0-59
- Oklahoma Freedom, 13-9-0-35
- Arizona Ridge Riders, 12-9-1-26
- Austin Gamblers, 11-11-0-49.5
- Missouri Thunder, 11-11-0-33
- Texas Rattlers, 10-12-0-33
- Kansas City Outlaws, 9-13-0-26.5
- Nashville Stampede, 5-16-1-26