Rattlers Fall in Second Round, Fight Back for Third Through Last-Chance Game and Quarterfinals Appearance
The 2023 PBR Teams Champion Ariat Texas Rattlers compiled a 2-2 record in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena to take home bronze at the 2025 PBR Teams Championship. It marks the third time in four years the team has placed in the top three at the Teams Series’ biggest event. No. 3 Texas fell in the second round of the Championship to the Arizona Ridge Riders before overtaking the No. 1 Florida Freedom and No. 2 Austin Gamblers in the 3-Way Last-Chance Game to keep its title hopes alive in the Quarterfinals. On Championship Sunday, Texas fell to runner-up Missouri Thunder before seeking revenge on Arizona to place third at this year’s premier event.
Brady Fielder went 3-for-4 over two days of riding with his highest score culminating in 90 points on Blonde Bomber in the Last Chance Game. The 2025 Live Legendary MVP Runner-Up bested both American Made for 89.5 points and Dark Thoughts for 88.25 points on Sunday. Qynn Andersen and Daniel Keeping also had 3-for-4 showings. Andersen had rides against Sour Patch (88.25), Buffalo Heifer (87.25), and July (85.5), and Keeping on Rock ‘n Roll (86.25), Always Been Crazy (88.5), and Landman (87.75). Now the Rattlers look toward the offseason to regroup for the 2026 PBR Teams Championship in Las Vegas to fight for their second title.
Game Recaps: Opening up Saturday night, the Arizona Ridge Riders earned a four-ride fueled 330.75-261.5 victory over the Texas Rattlers for their second straight win at the Teams Championship. In the first two frames, Everton Natan da Silva rode Ugly This and Eduardo Aparecido rode Hermes each for 86 points for an early 172-0 Arizona advantage. Texas’ Daniel Keeping lasted eight aboard Rock ‘n Roll in the bottom of the second, putting up the Rattlers’ first score of 86.25. A ride by the Ridge Riders Luciano De Castro on Rip for 84.25 backed the Rattlers into a must-ride situation and Qynn Anderson knocked down the challenge to ride Sour Patch for 88.25 points. In the next out, Arizona clinched the game as Keyshawn Whitehorse was the first rider to solve Holy Roller for 74.5 points to advance to the quarterfinals. Marcelo Procopio Pereira tacked on 87 more to the Rattlers final score on Woody to close out the game.
The Texas Rattlers earned the final spot in the semifinals, defeating the reigning champion Austin Gamblers and top seeded Florida Freedom in the Last-Chance Game 265.75-89-88.75 Saturday night. Texas started the game 2-for-2 with rides by Claudio Montanha Jr. on Simple Man for 87.25 and Brady Fielder on Blonde Bomber for a game-high 90 points. The game-sealing ride came when Daniel Keeping scored 88.5 points on Always Been Crazy to put the game out of reach. Keeping was then 6-for-6 in his last half dozen outs.
During the first game Sunday, No. 7 Missouri Thunder edged out No. 3 Texas Rattlers 350-348 with every ride counting to the end. Missouri missed, the mark in its first out with a buck off, but Macaulie Leather came out next to ride Bex Red Eye for 88.75 points. In the third frame, the Thunder’s Maverick Smith put up 86.5 on Let Him Fly with Miguel de Jesus earning his first qualified in his last seven outs on Sizmagraf in the fourth. As the Rattlers and Thunder threw blows back and forth, it was Andrew Alvidrez in a must-ride situation who landed the winning punch with 87.5 points on Sweet Action, forcing another must ride situation for Texas, which ended in a buck off, sending Missouri to the Championship game.
Texas put up a fight with four straight rides out of the gate by Brady Fielder on American Made (89.5), Daniel Keeping against Landman (87.75), Qynn Andersen aboard Buffalo Heifer (87.25), and Claudio Montanha Jr. against Greasy Bend (83.5). The final ride needed by Winy dos Santos fell less than three-tenths of a second short, sending Texas to the third-place game. The Texas Rattlers took home third place, beating Arizona 261.5 – 145.75 with three rides by Brady Fielder on Dark Thoughts (88.25), Qynn Anderson against July (85.5), and Claudio Montanha Jr. aboard Let’s Roll (87.75). Arizona tallied a pair of rides by Everton Natan da Silva on Buck (57) and Eduardo Aparecido against Woody (88.75).
