Team Pendleton Whisky claims No. 1 seed on final day
By Brandon Walker EBS STAFF
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – The PBR Monster Energy Team Challenge completed regular season matchups on June 28 with three teams from Division B punching their tickets to championship weekend, joining three from Division A.
Team Pendleton Whisky (5-1), Team Ariat (4-1-1), and Team Boot Barn (3-2-1), advanced to championship weekend, taking place July 10-12 at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota with a live audience in attendance, joining Team Cooper Tires, Team Las Vegas and Team Can-Am.
Team Pendleton Whisky avenged a previous loss to Team Ariat, beating them 258.75 event aggregate points to 88.5, claiming the No. 1 seed for Division B. Following the loss to Team Ariat, Team Pendleton Whisky won their last three matchups by a combined 495.25 event aggregate points en route to the top spot and a bye in the first round of championship weekend.
“These guys are tough, I just came in for week two,” said Team Pendleton Whisky’s Boudreaux Campbell. “These guys were already banged up when I got here. But I just showed up to ride and we got it done.”
Team Ariat entered the final two days of competition undefeated before tying Team Boot Barn on June 27 and succumbing to Team Pendleton Whisky on June 28. Despite the slow finish, Team Ariat will be the second seed coming out of Division B.
Team Boot Barn found themselves with a losing record, 1-2, after the first weekend of Division B competition June 19-21, but were able to secure two victories and the tie with Team Ariat to climb back into the final playoff spot.
“We were determined to make it to Sioux Falls,” said Team Boot Barn Captain Daylon Swearingen. “We haven’t done exactly what we needed to do here, but we’re glad to make it.”
Swearingen rode five of the 12 bulls he faced throughout the two weekends of competition and currently trails Jose Vitor Leme of Team Cooper Tires by more than 300 points in the Built Ford Tough MVP race.
On July 10, the first day of championship weekend competition, Team Ariat will square off with Team Can-Am, while Team Boot Barn takes on Team Las Vegas. Team Cooper Tires and Team Pendleton Whisky will await the winners of each matchup.
