World No. 1 John Crimber reached new heights in Sioux Falls over the weekend by riding four bulls in a row and winning the final three rounds, tallying up for an Aggregate Score of 357.8 to win the event.

With Sage Kimzey, Leandro Zampollo, and Brady Fielder all within striking distance, Crimber brought his infectious energy from the get-go, riding Cherry Shot for 86.95 in the First Round.

But that was just a warm-up because from then on, Crimber was undeniable.

What followed were those back-to-back-to-back round wins from the 20-year-old.

He covered Rolex for 89.4 in a reride opportunity to win the Second Round.

He then covered Scrappy for 89.95 to win the Third, and led all riders heading into the Champipnship Round.

Crimber drafted Lights Out, but it really didn’t matter who he chose, because before he had a chance to ride, Crimber had already won the event.

Because he was the last to ride, and because the 11 riders ahead of him could not overtake him, Crimber won Sioux Falls without even needing to get in the chute.

So, as a formality only, and as a chance to earn even more Season Points, Crimber didn’t hesitate to challenge Lights Out. He rode him for a season-high 91.5 points.

It’s his second event win of the season, having previously won PBR Sacramento, another three-day event where he went 4-for-4.

Other Top Performers

Claudio Monatnha Jr.

The 36-year-old Brazilian has covered seven of his last eight bulls, and in that time, he earned his best two finishes on the season. After having a perfect weekend in Albuquerque, where he finished a season-best second, he kept his foot on the gas and finished second once again in Sioux Falls.

Montanha started in South Dakota by keeping his qualified ride streak alive, extending it to six with two in a row to get things rolling. His scores there were rock-solid, 86.95 and 87.7 respectively. The streak haulted there when he was bucked off of Game Over in the Third Round.

Regardless, Montanha made the Short Round, where he chose to ride Hard Times. He covered the bull for a career-high 91.25, capping off an unforgettable weekend. The best score of his career came on his 969th out in PBR competition, a remarkable testament to the longevity of a bull rider who cleared 200 qualified rides at the PBR’s top level earlier this year.

Montanha Jr. earned 110 UTB Points in Sioux Falls to bring his total to 389. He is just 16 points outside the Top 10. Three weeks ago, he was No. 29.

Daniel Keeping

Daniel Keeping had spent the bulk of his season running away from the cut line. His 8th-place finish in Albuquerque was refreshing, but he still had just nine qualified rides heading into Sioux Falls.

He left Sioux Falls a completely new rider.

He covered three bulls, finished a season-best third, and now sits No. 20 in the World, far from that World Finals cut line.

Keeping started hot, covering I’m a Hostage for a gritty 89 in Round 1, setting the tone for his weekend to come.

He followed by covering Husky for 86.65 in the Second and Tecovas Triple Aught for 88.2 in the Third Round. It was the first time this season that Keeping rode three bulls consecutively.

He led all riders, besides Crimber, heading into the Short Round, where he chose to ride No. 1 ranked bull Pegasus. A tenacious choice, Keeping was going for gold.

With a chance to gain the event lead, Keeping lasted a little over four seconds before being bucked off Pegasus and his round-high 45.6 bull score.

Dener Barbosa

Dener Barbosa rejoined the UTB tour in Albuquerque for the first time since last year’s World Finals. He finished scoreless in Albuquerque, but it prepared him for his exceptional performance in Sioux Falls.

Barbosa received what would be a death sentence for most riders trying to return to form in Round 1, a matchup with Pegasus. But Barbosa wasn’t shook, and he rode Pegasus for all eight seconds for the best ride of his 13-year career, scoring 93.1 points.

Barbosa won Round 1 with his first qualified ride on Tour this season.

He was bucked in Round 2 by Hot Sauce, but came back with a qualified ride in the Third. He covered Rip for 84.85, enough to book a Top 3 ticket to the Short Go.

Facing Eyes On Me, Barbosa was unsuccessful, getting bucked in 2.37 seconds.

Nevertheless, he finished in fifth.

Missed Opportunities

Brady Fielder

After two massive weekends back-to-back, the Aussie cratered back to Earth in Sioux Falls. Fielder didn’t cover a single bull during a weekend that presented a massive opportunity with World No. 3 Leandro Zampollo out and World No. 2 Sage Kimzey going 1-for-4.

Fielder had a tough draw, facing three bulls with a combined record of 66-7 — Ransom, Ice Tray, and Muss Buss. Regardless, a missed opportunity is a missed opportunity; he’s now almost 400 points behind John Crimber.

Sage Kimzey

After bucking off his first two bulls in Sioux Falls, Kimzey was looking like he could enter a serious rut. He went uncharacteristically scoreless in Albuquerque, and it was looking like he’d repeat that once again. Especially after he dislocated his shoulder before being awarded a re-ride in the Third Round.

However, his re-ride opportunity on Jameson was his saving grace. He popped his shoulder back into place and covered Jameson for 89.3 points. Kimzey didn’t hesitate to hold up one finger to the crowd, reminding everyone what he’s there for: the number top spot in the World Standings.

John Crimber took notice of that, and when he covered Scrappy for the Round 3 win over Kimzey, Crimber made sure to hold up one finger in response.

Kimzey’s momentum started and ended in that Third Round. He faced Magic potion in the Short Round, where he was bucked in 4.51 seconds.

The gap between Kimzey and Crimber only widened, and drastically. Kimzey’s 679 points are still more than 200 behind Crimber. He entered the weekend within 50 points.

Top 10 Riders Taking A Break

Four Top 10 riders — Leandro Zampollo, Dalton Kasel, Clay Guiton, and Keyshawn Whitehorse — were absent in Sioux Falls.

Guiton has been out since Salt Lake City, while the three remaining cowboys were able to keep their spots. Zampollo sits closest to the top in third with 595.5 points, but that is still over 300 points behind John Crimber. Kasel and Whitehorse have more work to do if they want to close that gap, but they’ve remained resilient in at times turbulent seasons.

Looking Ahead

In one weekend, Crimber proved he was the best in the world and left nothing to question. He’s put himself in the driver’s seat with two events left before the World Finals in May. Nothing is guaranteed, though, and everyone, especially Crimber, will be at their very best as the regular season competition reaches a new boiling point next week at PBR Billings.