Blood, Sweat & Bulls: Mid-Season PBR Power Rankings

Who’s Riding High, and Who’s on the Ropes at the Halfway Point?

The 2025 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Camping World Teams Series has officially slammed the halfway mark, and if you’re looking at your preseason predictions, you might use them for a bonfire. The dust has settled after the raucous Thunder Days in Springfield, Missouri – a home event for the local Thunder — and it’s clear the old guard is getting a serious challenge. What we thought we knew is out the window, and a few teams have shown they’re either for real or just faking it till they make it. This isn’t a horse race, it’s a street fight on the Thunder’s home turf.

1. Austin Gamblers

Of course, the reigning Teams champions, the Austin Gamblers, are still the team to beat. With a blistering 13-4 record, they’ve made it clear the preseason hype was real, holding onto the top spot. Their “pocket aces” – seven-time PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association) Bull Riding World Champion Sage Kimzey, three-time PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme, and the absolute frak of nature known as “Mr. Ninety-pointer” Dalton Kasel – aren’t just names on a roster; they’re a wrecking crew. While they may not have the highest riding percentage – that honor belongs to the Florida Freedom, at an impressive 52.9%- they’re still converting at a rock-solid 49.4% clip. They’re exactly where everyone expected them to be, but now, a few hungry contenders are sniffing at their heels, and the road to the title is about to get a lot more interesting.

2. Florida Freedom

They came into Thunder Days leading a packed No. 1 in the league, a four-way tie that made every ride count. You know who you are, all of you “experts” who wrote them off in the preason. You said they were a one-person show, with only John Crimber to lean on. Well, the Florida Freedom just put you on blast. With Thiago “Baby T” Salgado now leading the MVP race, and the undeniable deth from guys like Joao Lucas Campos, and Yan Victor Cunha, this team isn’t just a contender – they’re a force. The flock has proven they have the horsepower to stay on top, and it’s time to put some respect on their name.

3. Arizona Ridge Riders

Don’t look now, but the Arizona Ridge Riders are here to crash the party. In the preseason, they were placed lower on many lists, dismissed as a team that couldn’t seal the deal. But their third-place ranking at the halfway mark says otherwise. With the explosive starts from riders like Everton de Silva, the veteran grit of captain Eduardo “Fast Eddy” Aparecido, Luciano de Castro, and the raw talent of closer 2018 PBR Rookie of the Year Keyshawn Whitehorse, they’ve proven they belong. This is a team that isn’t just a feel-good story; they’re a legitimate threat. Watch out, because they might be the spoiler that takes down the Austin Gamblers or even the Florida Freedom “flock” on their way to a championship. They aren’t going away quietly.

4. Texas Rattlers

The 2023 Teams Champions, Texas Rattlers, are in a position that would make most teams crumble. Some may say they’ve got a mountain to climb to challenge for a championship, and maybe they do, but let’s not forget who this team is. The Rattlers have stumbled out of the starting blocks, but with their gritty opener Brady Fielder, the fearless Daniel Keeping, and their newest ace Ezekiel “Blue” Mitchell, they’re starting to find their rhythm. It’s too early to write off a team with that much championship pedigree. This isn’t a team that makes up the numbers; they’re built for the big stage, and you can bet they’re hungry for a repeat. They’ve got a chance to surprise everyone in Las Vegas, and based on their current standings, that surprise is looking less and less like a long shot.

5. Kansas City Outlaws

The Kansas City Outlaws might be sitting in the same spot they were in the preseason, but don’t call them a slouch. As the 2024 regular season winners, they’ve proven they have the DNA of a champion. Sure, the absence of 2024 PBR World Champion Cassio Dias has left a gaping hole in their lineup, but this team has adopted a “next man up” mentality. Their rock-solid opener, Koltin Hevalow, continues to deliver, and riders like Sandro Batista, Heitor Santos Ferreira, and Julio Cesar Marque have stepped up in the clutch. The Outlaws are gritty, they’re tough, and they’ve shown they can still compete with the best in the business. Write them off now, and you’ll be eating crow later. They’re still a contender.

6. Oklahoma Wildcatters

If you’re looking for the biggest surprise of the season, look no further than the Oklahoma Wildcatters. In the preseason, many so-called experts wrote them off as a team struggling to find its footing. But, in recent weeks, they’ve done more than find their footing – they’ve found their groove. With firepower from guys like 2024 PRCA Bull Riding World Champion Josh Forst, Guilherma Valleiras, and Cort “The Texas Hammer” McFadden, they are a squad that can’t be ignored. The Wildcatters are the ultimate dark horse, and while they may have an outside chance at the title, you can bet they’ll make the championship road a hell of a lot tougher for every team they face.

7. Missouri Thunder

Let’s talk about the home team. The Missouri Thunder might be sitting in the same spot they were in the preseason rankings, but their performance at Thunder Days gave everyone a severe jolt. This is not a team to be written off. With the ambidextrous Paulo Eduardo Rosetto turning a corner, and their heavy hitters Andrew Alvidrez and Boudreaux Campbell bringing the Thunder, this team has the depth to strike fear into anyone’s heart. If they can build on the strong momentum from their homestand, they could absolutely play spoiler in Las Vegas and make a lot of noise.

8. Carolina Cowboys

Let’s be honest, the Carolina Cowboys have not had the season they were hoping for. After starting in the No. 2 preseason spot right behind Austin, they’ve stumbled all the way to eighth place. But here’s the thing about this sport: momentum can shift on a dime. With a lineup that includes MVP race leader Clay Guiton, a true legend in 2016 PBR World Champion Cooper Davis, and 2022 PBR World Champion Daylon Swearingen, this is a team with an undeniable championship pedigree. If the worm turns for this crew, they could silence the doubters and make believers out of everyone – and do it fast. Write this team off at your own peril.

9. Nashville Stampede

The inaugural Teams champions are in a tough spot. The Nashville Stampede have yet to find the magic that won them a title in 2022, and it is reflected in their standings. While their opener, Alan de Souza, has been a solid anchor for the team, they need more. If veterans like Austin “Little A” Richardson and the newest addition, Gustavo Luiz de Silva, can find their footing, don’t expect the Stampede to stay this low. Their closer, Cody Jesus, has delivered multiple walk-off wins. But they need more than just one-off heroics. This team is a sleeping giant, and if they wake up, October is going to look a lot different.

10. New York Mavericks

The New York Mavericks are in a familiar spot. They’re sitting dead last, exactly where they were in the preseason rankings. After stumbling early, they’ve been playing catch-up all season. But the addition of 2022 PBR Rookie of the Year Bob Mitchell as a starter, along with the veteran presence of Mason Taylor and Mauricio Moreira, shows this team isn’t going to roll over. They’ve been behind the eight-ball all year, but let’s not forget what they did last season; they delivered a shocking surprise at the Ride-In and made it to Championship Weekend. Can they do it again? Stranger things have happened.

So that’s where we stand at the midway point of the season. The standings are a mess of surprises and shakeups, and the second half of the season is going to be a brutal fight. With a whole lot of games still on the line before the final event at Ridge Rider Days, anything can happen. The only thing we know for sure is that the road to the Championship in Las Vegas is going to be a wild ride.