The professional bullriding (PBR) season is underway, and the New York Mavericks returned to their home state for three days of competition.
Last year, the Mavericks made their debut as a team in the PBR league, hosting their home matchups at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. On Thursday night, the “concrete cowboys” made their official debut at UBS Arena, which is hosting Maverick Days from Sept. 18-20.
“It’s always good being in front of the home crowd. They always got a little more little extra excitement behind it,” said New York Maverick bull rider Bob Mitchell. “We got a good lineup of Bulls and the guys are feeling good, so we’re ready to get rolling.”
“New York’s always fun. I’ve never seen the same thing twice. It seems like everything changes when I come here and it’s such a big town,” said Mavericks captain Marco Rizzo. “[Maverick Days are] going to be fun. It’s going to be amazing. It’s a fast-paced sport, it’s a lot of energy. Bulls are jumping high, cowboys are riding at their best, and don’t get better than this.”
The night included square-offs between ten teams in the PBR league across five games. Game 1 saw victory for the Texas Rattlers over the Arizona Ridge Riders with a score of 84.75 to 0. The Austin Gamblers took Game 2 with a score of 338.50—84.50 against the Kansas City Outlaws. Game 3 went to the Carolina Cowboys, scoring 260.50 points total against the Oklahoma Wildcatters, who took home 169.50 points. Game 4 saw a matchup of the Missouri Thunder vs. Florida Freedom, with Florida dominating with 253 points against Oklahoma’s 86.75 points.
The final game was a matchup between the New York Mavericks vs. the Nashville Stampede. Riding for the Mavericks alongside Rizzo and Mitchell were Leonardo Castro, Mauricio Gulla Moreira, and Alison Dos Santos.
Mitchell started the match with a score of 85, followed by Castro with a score of 86. Moreira and Dos Santos were unable to score, and Rizzo rounded out the game, finishing with a score of 84.
In a close matchup, the Mavericks ultimately fell to the Stampede, scoring 255 points compared to Nashville’s 258.50, with points going to Stampede’s Alan de Souza (87.50), Cody Jesus (87.50), and Daniel Feitosa (83.50); riders Rogério Venâncio and Gustavo Luiz da Silva were unable to score.
Maverick Days continues at UBS Arena on Sept. 19-20. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit pbr.com/events.
