Following a postseason hiatus, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) are back and better than ever. In the Dakota Community Bank & Trust Bismarck PBR Bull Riding Challenge, both amateur and professional bull riders squared off against one another. The event was well worth it for the Dakotans who came out to see the buck-offs and 90-point rides. However, the ultimate conclusion was unexpected, as the cowboys agreed to split the championship prize.

Daylon Swearingen, the 2022 PBR world champion, and amateur bull rider Kade Madsen were the talk of the bull riding world. Both the world champion and the rookie rodeoed in the finals of the PBR event, and they finished up tied for first place. The 18-year-old novice held his balance brilliantly on the bucking bull and had a thrilling ride, as seen in the social media video he posted.

The bull riding maths that confused everyone

In bull riding, the 8-second buzzer means everything or nothing at all. Riders must remain on the bull for the whole eight seconds or risk being bucked off to loud boos from the crowd or a love tap from the bull. Daylon Swearingen’s day was routine; he’d hoped to get his season off to a strong start, and he accomplished so by scoring an impressive 85.50 in the first round and 89.00 in the second. Kade Madsen, a novice bull rider at the age of 18, surprised the previous PBR world champion with a performance that stunned the crowd.

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Madsen rode Sneaky Situation to a first-round score of 86.50, better than the 2022 world champion’s mark. Everyone in the arena was taken aback by Madsen’s performance since he is just 18 years old and has little bull riding expertise. But what came after that was just unbelievable. When the metal chute was removed from the 18-year-old’s second ride with Safety Meeting, the bull charged toward the center of the ring. Madsen, however, was not someone to be bucked off quickly, as seen by the fact that he stayed on the bull until the 8-second buzzer, at which point he stunned everyone by scoring an 88.00.

Both Madsen and Swearingen finished with the same total score when the competition ended. According to PBR officials, both cowboys tied for first place with a score of 174.50. Everyone was shocked by the 18-year-old’s ability to equal the score of the world champion, and he plans to maintain his stellar performance in future competitions.

A brighter future ahead

Kade Madsen began his professional bull riding career in the PBR in early 2023, at the tender age of 18. Like every other young cowboy, this one is from Honeyville, Utah, and he has high hopes of being a world champion someday.

The young cowboy has had two rides for 90 points thus far in his career, for a riding percentage of 57. He has won three PBR competitions and collected $30,000 as a result. Madsen still has a long way to go, and he’s looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.

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