Hudson Bolton Stays Perfect as PBR World Finals Buckle Race Heads to Championship Sunday

FORT WORTH, Texas — Saddle up, bull riding fans. Hudson Bolton is still riding like a man with thunder in his boots.

The 2025 PBR Rookie of the Year stayed perfect Saturday night at Dickies Arena, covering Vindicated for 86.65 points in Round 7 of the 2026 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast.

The ride pushed Bolton to a flawless 7-for-7 at this year’s World Finals and kept him on top of the event leaderboard heading into Championship Sunday.

Bolton Turns Fort Worth Into His Arena

Bolton, from Milan, Tenn., has been all grit, timing and try through the first seven rounds. His latest qualified ride gave him a 618.85-point event aggregate and another 26 Unleash The Beast points.

The ride also added to a remarkable streak. Bolton has now covered 14 bulls in a row, tying a PBR record, and is 13-for-15 all-time at the World Finals. That is not just hot riding. That is a cowboy kicking the gate open and daring the field to catch him.

Bolton credited the crowd and his faith after the ride, saying on the Paramount+ telecast that the fans “make you ride better” and that his goal has been simple: ride every bull he draws.

Crimber Keeps Gold Buckle Lead Alive

While Bolton owns the event leaderboard, John Crimber still holds the No. 1 spot in the world title race.

Crimber, from Decatur, Texas, came through in the final out Saturday night, riding Icky Thump for 84.95 points. It was his second qualified ride of the World Finals and enough to keep him in control heading into the last day.

Crimber leads No. 2 Brady Fielder by 128.83 points in the gold buckle race. Fielder also handled his business Saturday, riding Turning Point for 86.60 points and moving to 4-for-7 at the event.

That sets up a Championship Sunday with plenty of dust still to fly.

Michael Lane Wins Round 7

Michael Lane delivered the round-winning ride, matching up with Let’s Roll for 89.50 points.
For Lane, from Tazewell, Va., it was the first premier-series round win of his 18-year career. That is the kind of ride that can make a veteran cowboy tip his hat, breathe deep and know he just wrote a chapter worth remembering.

Luciano De Castro also stayed right in the fight. The Brazilian rider took a re-ride opportunity aboard The Player and made it count, scoring 87.40 points. He remains second in the event aggregate and is still in contention for both the World Finals event title and the world championship.

Swearingen Moves Up, But Leaves Shaken

Daylon Swearingen, the 2022 PBR world champion, climbed into the top three of the event aggregate after riding Tecovas Triple Aught for 86.60 points.

Swearingen improved to 4-for-7 at the World Finals, but the celebration was cut short. He was visibly shaken up after getting tangled with the bull during the dismount and was helped from the dirt before heading to sports medicine in a wheelchair.

He sits third in the event aggregate heading into Sunday.

Rookie Race Still Tight

The 2026 Rookie of the Year race remains a barnburner.

Marco Rizzo and Maverick Smith both bucked off in Round 7, leaving Rizzo 31 points ahead of Smith. With Championship Sunday still to come, neither rider has much room for error.

What Comes Next

The top 15 riders on the event leaderboard after Round 8 will advance to the Championship Round.

Championship Sunday at Dickies Arena is set for Sunday, May 17, at 1:45 p.m. CT, with coverage beginning on Paramount+ at 2 p.m. CT.

For Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario fans watching from home, this is the kind of finale that makes bull riding what it is: eight seconds at a time, one hand in the rope, one shot at glory, and no guarantee the dirt will be kind.

Event Leaders After Round 7

Hudson Bolton — 618.85 aggregate points
Luciano De Castro — 442.80
Daylon Swearingen — 355.45
Lucas Divino — 350.40
Brady Fielder — 349.40
Paulo Eduardo Rossetto — 347.90
Claudio Montanha Jr. — 268.90
Manoelito de Souza Junior — 266.90
Keyshawn Whitehorse — 263.45
Callum Miller — 262.45