TULSA – As the historic PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast event in Tulsa, concluded Sunday afternoon at the BOK Center, the already feverish 2021 World Championship race further intensified. Reigning Rookie of the Year Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas) went 2-for-3 to win the PBR Express Ranches Classic, presented by Pit Boss, tightening his grip on the world No. 6 rank, and climbing within 881.5 points of the top position.

Campbell began the 17th consecutive PBR elite tour event in Tulsa in momentous fashion, winning Round 1 compliment of an 89-point score atop Cuttin Torch (D&H Cattle/Flinn).

Despite Campbell’s Championship Sunday getting off to a less than ideal start, dispatched by Voodoo Box (Myron Sharpe) in a hard-fought 5.76 seconds, the Texan rebounded in the final round. After the league’s talented bovine athletes dominated Round 2, surrendering just four qualified rides to the world’s 33 best riders, Campbell maintained his position atop the leaderboard, earning the first pick in the championship round draft.

Selecting Home grown (Cord McCoy/ Chad Reese), Campbell architected a matchup that would yield him his fourth 90-point ride, and fifth round win, of 2021. Going the distance aboard the Oklahoma-raised bull, Campbell brought the raucous, Sooner State crowd to its feet as he reached the requisite 8, marked a main event best 90.5 points.

Campbell is now tied with Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) and Dener Barbosa (Paulo de Faria, Brazil) for third-most 90-point rides this season, and has the fifth most round wins of any rider.

He is also just the fourth rider this season to win multiple Unleash The Beast events, joining Pacheco and Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil), who have each topped the field four times, and Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas), who is a two-time winner to date in 2021. Campbell earned his first regular-season event win in March in Kansas City, Missouri.

For his efforts, Campbell earned a paycheck for $28,686.34 in addition to a crucial 137 world points. Maintaining his No. 6 rank in the world standings, the 22-year-old is now within 881.5 points of No. 1 Leme.

Historically, of the past 12 World Champions, seven have won the Tulsa event en route to capturing the coveted gold buckle.

While Campbell was the rider who ascended the Can-Am Cage on Sunday afternoon, Tulsa and the entire PBR fandom were still abuzz from Saturday evening’s historic 15/15 Bucking Battle.

In a showdown of titans, reigning World Champion Leme faced off against No. 1-ranked bull Woopaa (Barker Bulls/Hookin’ W Ranch), covering the powerful bull for the highest-marked ride ever in the league’s 28-year history, scored 97.75 points to win the special round.

The PBR’s previous high score was 96.5 points, achieved four times. Michael Gaffney (Albuquerque, New Mexico), the 1997 PBR World Champion, was the most recent to accomplish the feat, riding threetime YETI PBR World Champion Bull Little Yellow Jacket (Berger/Teague/ Taupin) for 96.5 points in Nampa, Idaho, in 2004.

In a nearly flawless display of athleticism, Leme was marked an almost perfect 49.75 points, out of a possible 50 points, while Woopaa contributed 48 points, the 10th highest bull score in the league’s history.

The monstrous 90-point ride, Leme’s 16th of the season, also tied him with 1999 PBR World Champion Cody Hart (Gainesville, Texas) for most 90-point rides during one season. Hart recorded 16 en route to his gold buckle in 1999. Leme, who earned $10,375 and 59 world points for the ride, is also now tied with Pacheco and Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil) for the most 15/15 Bucking Battle victories earned by one rider, each with six wins.

Furthering his stronghold on the No. 1 ranking, Leme, who went an uncharacteristic 0-for-2 in the main event, now leads No. 2 Pacheco by a season-best 410.5 points.

Woopaa’s performance also earned him his league-leading fifth YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Event honor.

After beginning the event 0.93 points ahead of No. 2 Marquis Metal Works Red Clark (Paradigm Bull Co./Wentz) and Ridin Solo (Cord McCoy/Bill McCarty), Woopaa is now 1.15 points out front, with his world average swelling to an impressive 46.68 points.

Davis, the 2016 PBR World Champion, was the only other rider to deliver a score in the 15/15 Bucking Battle, finishing second in the special round to earn $7,625 and 49 world points. Marking his eighth 90-point ride of the season, Davis rode Born To Sin (Martinez Bucking Bulls, LLC) for an impressive 90.75 points.

Attempting to become just the seventh multitime PBR World Cham pion in 2021, world No. 3 Davis is now 518.5 points behind No. 1 Leme.

Returning to the main event leaderboard, competing at just his fifth Unleash The Beast event, 19-year-old Thiago Salgado (Navirai, Brazil) finished a career-best second, earning $17,148.68 and 83 world points.

In Round 1, Salgado logged his first-ever qualified ride on the premier series when he went the distance aboard Fiji (Less Than 8 Cattle Co.) to earn an 87.5-point score.

Bested by First Down (Hart Cattle Co./ Farris) in Round 2 in a quick 2.99 seconds, Salgado drafted Honey Man (D&H Cattle Co./Buck Cattle Co.) as his final opponent.

Last ridden in Tulsa in 2019, Honey Man entered the matchup having bucked off the last 18 riders to have attempted him. Salgado, however, cracked the fierce bull’s code, making the 8 for 83.25 points.

Salgado gained significant ground in the PBR world standings as he attempts to qualify for his first PBR World Finals in November. Beginning the event No. 54, Salgado rocketed 21 positions up the standings, now No. 33, a mere 25.5 points outside of the Top 30, and a more permanent position on the elite tour.

Third was Derek Kolbaba (Walla Walla, Washington).

Riding at just his second Unleash The Beast event since sustaining a punctured lung in early June at the Touring Pro Division event in Great Falls, Montana, Kolbaba’s bronze effort was headlined by his 88.5-point ride on G-Moves (MJ Bucking Bulls) in Round 1.

Kolbaba was unable to replicate his success on Championship Sunday, dispatched by Black Ice (BMC Bucking Bulls/Jenkins Cattle Co.) in 4.08 seconds in Round 2, and Sweatlodge Testified (Martinez/Rockin T/T-Ray Bulls) in a quicker 2.75 seconds in the final round.

He exited the BOK Center with a check for $10,984.62 and 54 world points, rising from No. 10 to No. 8 in the world. Kolbaba is now 1,057.5 points behind No. 1 Leme.

Rookie of the Year contender Jesse Petri (Palestine, Texas) was fourth.

The 23-year-old was propelled to his fifth Top-10 event finish of the season courtesy of his 88.25-point ride on Juju (Tommy Julian/D&H Cattle) in Round 1.

Petri earned 38 world points, rising from No. 18 to No. 16 in the world standings.

Rounding out the Top 5 in fifth was Joao Henrique Lucas (Bastos, Brazil).

He rode Bread Basket (TNT Bucking Bulls/ Hart Cattle Co.) for 87.75 points in Round 1 to collect 30.5 world points.

In the world standings, Lucas maintained his No. 19 ranking.