The PBR World Finals moved to Dickies Arena Thursday night and fans were treated to two of the best bull riders in PBR World Finals history aboard the two best bulls in the World, Pegasus and Ransom.

First, Alex Cerqueira got a much-needed qualified ride at the World Finals abroad No. 1 Pegasus. Cerqueira rode for a career high 94.35 points, good for the third-highest score of the UTB season. Cerqueira was impeccable for all eight seconds, asserting control of Pegasus during a 46.3-point trip.

The crowd barely had time to catch their breath because two outs later veteran Eduardo Aparecido covered second-ranked bull Ransom for 96.10 points, the highest score of the season and third highest in World Finals history. Aparecido, on his first qualified ride of this year’s World Finals, was awarded an astounding rider score of 49.35 points.

A Surprise World Title Contender Keeps on Rolling

Although those big numbers may have stolen the show Thursday night, Hudson Bolton continues to be the most fascinating rider in this year’s World Finals.

Bolton retook the event lead from Luciano De Castro, looking unstoppable, covering his 12th straight bull. He was 91.3 on Light’s Out, the best score of his World Finals so far, making him the only rider left in the event a perfect 5-for-5.

He was also the only rider in the event’s Top 10 entering Round 5 to record a qualified ride Thursday.

Bolton now holds a full bull lead on the rest of the field, and only De Castro has also covered four bulls, leaving Bolton two qualified rides ahead of the other 39 competitors. He has also created separation atop the Aggregate with 444.95 points, averaging nearly 90 points per ride. The surge moved Bolton to No. 10 in the World Standings, marking the first time this season he has cracked the Top 10 after entering the World Finals ranked 19th.

If the World Finals ended after Round 5, and the bonus points from the Aggregate were awarded, Hudson Bolton would trail No. 1 John Crimber by just 28.5 points. Bolton, who insists he is just going to keep having fun, is within shouting distance of what would be one of the most remarkable World Title campaigns in PBR history.

Missed Opportunities

Cort McFadden’s World Finals struggles have continued to take root as he fell to 0-for-5 in the event on Thursday.

Dating back to last year’s World Finals, McFadden is just 1 for his last 13 and he has fallen eight spots in the World Standings since touching down in Fort Worth, now 18th. He’s battling a groin injury and will have to continue to fight it if he wants to end his season on a positive note.

Only one other rider who entered the World Finals ranked in the Top 10 has gone scoreless in Fort Worth, World No. 1 John Crimber.

Crimber saw two bulls Thursday night, thanks to a re-ride opportunity, but couldn’t convert on either. Afterward, the 20-year-old was fiery with emotion and it has become evident his frustration is mounting.

There’s good news for him, though. If the World Finals ended today, Crimber would still be crowned the World Champion. However, there are still three more Long Rounds and a Championship Round to go, and Crimber has some work to do to even make it to that Championship Round. He needs at least two qualified rides, but likely three in the next three rounds to make the Short Round. If he’s not one of the 15 riders competing down the stretch Sunday, his World Title chances are almost guaranteed to go up in smoke.

Luciano De Castro had a great chance to retain his World Finals event lead against Black Harbor on Thursday, but after some trouble in the chute, De Castro was bucked off in just 3.15 seconds. He’ll enter Round 6 second in the World Finals Aggregate with a score of 355.4 points. He’s a bull behind Bolton, but a bull ahead of everyone else.

Behind De Castro, every cowboy who had ridden three entering Round 5 bucked off. Claudio Montanha Jr., Lucas Divino, Callum Miller, Paulo Eduardo Rossetto, and Dener Barbosa all failed to convert for a fourth time.

Behind them, Sage Kimzey, Daylon Swearingen, and Kaiden Loud couldn’t make a third qualified ride.

Stats to Know

Cassio Dias earned his 100th career qualified ride at the PBR’s top level, riding Elmo for 88.25 points on a re-ride. It was his first qualified ride of this year’s World Finals.

Manoelito de Souza Junior doubled his career qualified rides at the World Finals this season. He’s covered two bulls for 89.3 and 89. He’d had just two qualified rides in his previous three World Finals appearances. He is currently 11th in this year’s World Finals Event Standings.

Luciano De Castro’s qualified ride streak ended at 13 on Thursday night. streak of 13 ended Thursday night. It was tied for the fifth-best in PBR history. Hudson Bolton now holds the longest active qualified ride streak on Tour at 12.

The 2026 UTB Rookie Of The Year race between Maverick Smith and Marco Rizzo has been a captivating rock fight, with Smith having thrown the last stone on Thursday night. The Missouri man went back up one bull on Rizzo by riding Electric Kitty for 83.4 points. Rizzo still leads by 38 UTB Points, but Smith is currently just 2.55 points outside of the Top 15 in the event.

World Finals Event Standings

1. Hudson Bolton – 444.95
2. Luciano De Castro – 355.40
3. Claudio Montanha Jr. – 268.90
4. Lucas Divino – 266.05
5. Callum Miller – 262.45
6. Paulo Eduardo Rossetto – 262.10
7. Dener Barbosa – 261.30
8. Sage Kimzey – 183.10
9. Daylon Swearingen – 180.65
10. Kaiden Loud – 180.10
11. Manoelito de Souza Junior – 178.30
12. Daniel Keeping – 177.95
13. Keyshawn Whitehorse – 177.15
14. Brady Fielder – 176.20
15. Bruno Carvalho – 173.55

PBR World Standings

1. John Crimber – 984.50
2. Brady Fielder – 866
3. Sage Kimzey – 805
4. Leandro Zampollo – 620.50
5. Paulo Eduardo Rossetto – 582
6. Alex Cerqueira – 575.50
7. Daylon Swearingen – 563.50
8. Dalton Kasel – 529.50
9. Claudio Montanha Jr. – 479.50
10. Hudson Bolton – 456
11. Keyshawn Whitehorse – 453
12. Luciano De Castro – 446
13. Marco Rizzo – 445
14. Julio Cesar Marques – 442
15. Cassio Dias – 425.50