Cassio Dias Wins PBR Billings Opener With 90.20-Point Ride

Cassio Dias delivered the top ride of the night Friday in Billings, Mont., while the Austin Gamblers used a walk-off score from Dalton Kasel to defeat the Kansas City Outlaws and advance to the Monster Energy Team Challenge championship in Tacoma, Wash. The result matters for Northwestern Ontario sports fans following PBR’s Unleash The Beast season as the world standings tighten heading into the final stretch.

Dias Takes Round 1 With Career 90-Point Ride

BILLINGS, Mont. — 2024 PBR World Champion Cassio Dias of São F. de Sales, Brazil, won Round 1 of PBR Billings on Friday night with a 90.20-point ride on Black Eyes at First Interstate Arena at MetraPark.

The ride was the 22nd 90-point performance of Dias’s career. It earned him 29 Unleash The Beast points and moved him from No. 16 to No. 14 in the standings.
Dias’s ride also gave the Kansas City Outlaws a late lead in their Monster Energy Team Challenge semifinal against the Austin Gamblers, but the advantage did not hold.

Kasel Delivers Walk-Off Win For Austin

The No. 2 Austin Gamblers defeated the No. 3 Kansas City Outlaws 347.70 to 261.45 in the seven-on-seven playoff format.

Kansas City appeared headed toward another win over Austin after Dias’s 90.20-point ride. The Outlaws had shut out the Gamblers 173.05 to 0 last month in Little Rock.
This time, Dalton Kasel changed the finish.

After initially bucking off Noslaw ExtraSauce, Kasel was awarded a re-ride following review. He then covered Tijuana Two-Step for 88.60 points in the bottom of the seventh frame, clinching the semifinal win for Austin.

The ride was Kasel’s second walk-off win of the season. It also placed him third overall in Round 1, earning him 17 UTB points and moving him from No. 7 to No. 6 in the standings.
“Just stay persistent, with the Lord, you can do all things,” Kasel told CBS sideline reporter Kate Harrison on the dirt after the ride.

Rossetto, Montanha And Lockwood Stay In The Mix

Paulo Eduardo Rossetto of Colorado, Brazil, finished second in the round with an 89.15-point ride on Dirty Honey. The score ended a recent buckoff streak and earned Rossetto 18 UTB points, moving him to No. 5 in the season standings.

Claudio Montanha Jr. continued his strong run with an 88.55-point ride on Truax’s Bear Cat. He finished fourth in the round, earned 16 UTB points and moved into a tie for No. 10 overall.

Jess Lockwood, a two-time PBR world champion from Volborg, Mont., gave the home-state crowd a strong showing with an 88.45-point ride on Gene’s Best. Lockwood finished fifth in Round 1 and moved to No. 21 in the standings.

Crimber Remains No. 1 Despite Buckoff

Season leader John Crimber bucked off Rack ’em Willie in 3.87 seconds, but he remains well ahead in the Unleash The Beast standings with 899.50 points.

Sage Steele Kimzey, ranked No. 2, rode Slim Pickens for 87.10 points for Austin. Kimzey now sits at 687 points, 212.5 points behind Crimber.

Top Round 1 Scores

Cassio Dias — 90.20 points
Paulo Eduardo Rossetto — 89.15
Dalton Kasel — 88.60
Claudio Montanha Jr. — 88.55
Jess Lockwood — 88.45
Brady Fielder — 88.30
Marco Rizzo — 88.20
Hudson Bolton — 88.00
Jose Vitor Leme — 87.70
Dener Barbosa — 87.60

Austin Advances To Tacoma Final

The Austin Gamblers will now face the No. 1 Missouri Thunder in the Monster Energy Team Challenge championship on April 24 in Tacoma.

The Billings event continues Saturday, April 18, with Round 2 at 6:45 p.m. MT, followed by the championship round. Coverage is scheduled on Paramount+ at 7 p.m. MT. The Monster Energy Team Challenge semifinal is scheduled to air Sunday, April 19, on CBS at 1 p.m. ET.

Why It Matters For Northwestern Ontario Fans

Professional bull riding has a strong following across rural and northern communities, including Northwestern Ontario, where rodeo culture, agricultural roots and cross-border sports viewing often overlap. Events such as PBR Billings also give Canadian fans a look at the international depth of the sport, with Brazilian, American and Australian riders shaping the standings.

For Thunder Bay and regional sports fans, the Tacoma championship will offer another high-stakes team-format event in a season increasingly defined by late-frame rides, re-ride decisions and a tightening race behind Crimber at the top of the standings.