The New York Mavericks rode into the Moody Center on Friday night and surprised the host Austin Gamblers with a 173-88.5 victory on the opening night of Gambler Days weekend, and the rider had to be carried away on a stretcher after a horrific fall.
Mavericks’ final rider Mauricio Gulla Moreira mounted the horse for the team’s final ride, needing a point to keep his team in the race. Moreira did just that, lasting the full 8 seconds on Triple Aught and scoring 86.25 points, leaving Gamblers ace Jose Vitor Leme to try and save the game for the home team.
The reigning two-time league MVP needed a score of 84.75 to win, but he fell short, lasting just 4.29 seconds on Haymaker. Leme’s quick exit left the crowd in silence as the suddenly powerful Mavericks improved their season record to 5-7 after an 0-4 start. The Gamblers lost for the third time in four games and are now 6-6.
The game capped off four exciting encounters on the night and pitted the host and two-time regular season champions, the Gamblers, against an up-and-coming expansion team playing its first consecutive year. Hudson Bolton, 18, was first up for the visitors and delivered a skilled ride on Barracuda that earned the Mavericks 86.75 points right out of the gate.
“It was a pretty good feeling to start with a first point for my team,” said Bolton, who was selected third overall in the 2024 PBR Draft. “It doesn’t get much better than coming here as an underdog, getting booed and being able to contribute to the win in this atmosphere. It’s a lot of fun.”
Dalton Kasel (by Muleshoe) responded for the Gamblers with a qualified ride on Ridin Salty that earned 88.5 points and gave Austin the lead, but from there the Bulls took control.
Maverick riders Leonardo Castro, Davi Henrique de Lima and Braidy Randolph (from Stephenville) all failed to cover their bulls in second to fourth place.
The Gamblers had chances to pull away, but Kaique “Iceman” Pacheco was knocked off Constant Payne in 4.57 seconds. Rockdale’s Ezekiel Mitchell had problems from the start on Mama’s Boy, as the bull’s first kick forced him off center and he landed in the dirt in 3.34 seconds.
Ramon de Lima could still have taken the win for Austin, but narrowly missed a qualifying ride, taking Locomotive in just 7.80 seconds, setting the stage for an eventful showdown between newcomer and superstar in the final ride.
Texas Rattler rider Brady Oleson was injured in a frightening scene on Friday. He was thrown by Fast Flow and landed on his head. Oleson tried to get up but fell back to the ground. Oleson was taken out of the arena on a stretcher. There was no update on his condition. The Outlaws improved to 8-4 while the still-struggling Rattlers slipped to 4-8.
In the first game of the evening, the Florida Freedom defeated the 2022 league champions Nashville Stampede 177-86.5. Florida’s point scorers were Alex Cerqueira (89.75) on The Kraken and Elizmar Jeremias (87.25) on Black Gold.
Veteran Silvano Alves saved the Stampede from elimination with a skilled ride on Coco (86.5). The win pushed Florida’s record to 5-7. Nashville fell to 7-6. Florida’s wunderkind John Crimber (Decatur), the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, was knocked off by Bangarang in 3.11 seconds.
A thrilling second game went to the Oklahoma Wildcatters, who came from behind to beat the Arizona Ridge Riders 180-178.25. No. 4 rider Josh Frost delivered the win, defeating Gaucho by 87.5 points. Oklahoma improved its season record to 5-6-1. With the loss, Arizona fell to 4-8.
Cassio Dias won the third match for the Kansas City Outlaws, defeating the Texas Rattlers 178.5-174.5. Dias won with his bull Boujee Boy, needing 86.25 points to overtake the Rattlers. Dias delivered a masterful performance and had everything under control.
Still, the Outlaws had to wait and see whether Texas Rattlers closer João Ricardo Vieira could deliver a qualified ride that would have given the defending champions the win. Vieira was no match for his bull Stryker and was knocked off after just 2.32 seconds.
Opening night of Gambler Days weekend featured a pre-game concert by musician Shaboozey. The Gamblers will face the defending champion and current bottom-place finisher, the Texas Rattlers, on Saturday, the second night of Gambler Days weekend. The game will be important for the in-state rivals as both look to get their seasons back on track.
Texas has struggled throughout the schedule, while the Gamblers look for consistent scoring opportunities in the middle of their lineup.
