PBR Unleash The Beast: Top 10 Riders and 4 Season Prop Bets

The 2026 PBR Unleash The Beast season delivered another compelling championship race, with John Crimber ultimately emerging as the PBR World Champion. Behind him, Brady Fielder and Hudson Bolton established themselves as legitimate title contenders, while several experienced veterans and rising stars rounded out a deep Top 10.

As attention begins to shift toward the next Unleash The Beast season, the final 2026 standings offer a strong starting point for identifying the riders most likely to contend again.

1. John Crimber

2026 Finish: 1st — 1,242.50 points

Crimber completed his rise to the top of Professional Bull Riders by capturing the 2026 PBR World Championship.

He finished the season with 32 qualified rides in 58 attempts for a 55.17% riding percentage while averaging 88.17 points on his successful rides. His combination of consistency, high-end scoring ability and composure under championship pressure separated him from the rest of the field.

The most impressive part of Crimber’s season came at the World Finals, where he overcame a difficult start and delivered when the championship was on the line.

Entering the next season, Crimber is no longer simply one of PBR’s brightest young stars. He is now the rider everyone else will be trying to knock off.

2. Brady Fielder

2026 Finish: 2nd — 1,063.67 points

Fielder put together one of the most consistent seasons on the Unleash The Beast tour.

He recorded 33 qualified rides in 61 attempts, finishing with a 54.10% riding percentage while winning three events.

Fielder’s ability to stay near the top of event leaderboards throughout the season allowed him to remain in the championship conversation until the final stages of the campaign.

His combination of experience, consistency and event-winning ability makes him one of the safest picks to remain near the top of the standings.

3. Hudson Bolton

2026 Finish: 3rd — 992.50 points

Bolton may have been the biggest breakout star of the season.

Despite competing in fewer events than many of the riders around him, Bolton still finished third in the world standings.

He recorded 21 qualified rides in 35 attempts, producing an outstanding 60% riding percentage — the best mark among the final Top 10.

Bolton was especially impressive at the World Finals, where he opened the competition with seven consecutive qualified rides and ultimately captured the World Finals aggregate championship.

If Bolton can stay healthy and compete in a full schedule, he could become Crimber’s biggest threat for the next world championship.

4. Paulo Eduardo Rossetto

2026 Finish: 4th — 849 points

Rossetto quietly established himself as one of the most dangerous riders on tour.

He finished with 26 qualified rides in 57 attempts and recorded seven Top-5 finishes during the season.

Rossetto also performed extremely well at the World Finals, finishing third in the aggregate.

His next step will be improving his riding percentage. If he can convert a few more outs into qualified rides, he has enough scoring ability to move from Top-5 contender to legitimate championship challenger.

5. Luciano De Castro

2026 Finish: 5th — 827 points

De Castro’s season was built on consistency.

He went exactly 25-for-50, giving him a 50% riding percentage, and accumulated six Top-5 finishes.

Perhaps the most interesting part of his season was that he finished fifth in the world without winning an Unleash The Beast event.

That makes him one of the strongest candidates to improve next season. If De Castro maintains the same consistency while turning several Top-5 finishes into victories, he could make a significant jump in the standings.

6. Sage Steele Kimzey

2026 Finish: 6th — 805 points

Kimzey remains one of the most accomplished and dangerous riders in professional bull riding.

He finished the season with 25 qualified rides in 49 attempts for a 51.02% riding percentage.

More importantly, Kimzey won three events, tying Brady Fielder for the most victories among the final Top 10 riders.

His championship experience and ability to win complete events make him a serious threat every time he enters the arena.

7. Daylon Swearingen

2026 Finish: 7th — 662.17 points

The 2022 PBR World Champion remains one of the most talented riders in the sport.

Swearingen finished with 21 qualified rides in 41 attempts for a 51.22% riding percentage while winning two events.

He also averaged 87.71 points on his qualified rides, demonstrating that he can still produce championship-level scores.

Health will be one of the biggest factors moving forward. If Swearingen can stay in the lineup for a full season, he has the ability to climb much higher than seventh.

8. Claudio Montanha Jr.

2026 Finish: 8th — 631.50 points

Montanha put together another solid season by recording 25 qualified rides in 54 attempts.

His 46.30% riding percentage helped him remain consistently competitive, but he finished the season without an event victory.

That may be the biggest area for improvement.

Montanha has already proven he can remain inside the Top 10. The next step is converting consistent performances into round wins and event championships.

9. Leandro Zampollo

2026 Finish: 9th — 620.50 points

Zampollo was one of the more underrated performers in the standings.

He recorded 26 qualified rides in 48 attempts, producing an excellent 54.17% riding percentage.

That was one of the highest percentages among the Top 10.

He also recorded six Top-5 finishes despite not winning an event.

If Zampollo can turn several of those strong weekends into victories, he could quickly move into the Top 5.

10. Alex Cerqueira

2026 Finish: 10th — 603.50 points

Cerqueira rounds out the Top 10 after putting together an extremely consistent season.

He recorded 30 qualified rides in 59 attempts for a 50.85% riding percentage.

Only Crimber and Fielder recorded more qualified rides among the Top 10.

Cerqueira also demonstrated his elite scoring potential at the World Finals when he delivered one of the biggest rides of the competition.

If he can produce more of those high-end scores throughout the season, a major jump in the standings is possible.

Four PBR Unleash The Beast Season Prop Bets

These are projected season-long prop bets based on the riders’ 2026 performances and are intended as analytical betting angles rather than currently posted sportsbook lines.

John Crimber Over 1,100.5 Season Points

Crimber finished the championship season with 1,242.50 points while covering more than 55% of his bulls.

His combination of consistency and elite scoring makes another 1,100-point season realistic.

Even if he does not repeat as world champion, Crimber should remain near the top of the standings.

DraftKings

4.5/5

Tip: John Crimber Over 1,100.5 Season Points

• 1,242.50 Points in 2026
• 55.17% Ride Rate
• Defending PBR World Champion

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Hudson Bolton to Finish Top 3

Bolton may offer the most upside of any rider entering the next season.

He finished third in the world despite competing in fewer events than Crimber and Fielder and posted the best riding percentage among the Top 10 at 60%.

His performance at the World Finals showed that he can handle championship-level pressure.

A full season could put Bolton directly in the world title race.

FanDuel

4.6/5

Tip: Hudson Bolton to Finish Top 3

• Third in 2026 World Standings
• 60.00% Ride Rate
• World Finals Aggregate Winner

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Brady Fielder Over 2.5 UTB Event Wins

Fielder won three events during the 2026 season and finished second in the world standings.

His 54.10% riding percentage consistently put him in position to reach championship rounds and compete for event victories.

With his combination of reliability and scoring ability, another season with at least three wins is very realistic.

Caesars

4.4/5

Tip: Brady Fielder Over 2.5 UTB Event Wins

• Three Event Wins in 2026
• Seven Top-5 Finishes
• 54.10% Ride Rate

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Brazilian Rider to Finish Top 3

Brazil continues to produce extraordinary depth throughout professional bull riding.

Paulo Eduardo Rossetto finished fourth in 2026, while Luciano De Castro, Claudio Montanha Jr., Leandro Zampollo and Alex Cerqueira all finished inside the Top 10.

With so many Brazilian riders already positioned near the top of the standings, the chances are strong that at least one breaks into the final Top 3 next season.

BetMGM

4.5/5

Tip: Brazilian Rider to Finish Top 3

• Five Brazilians Finished 4th-10th in 2026
• Rossetto Finished Fourth
• Exceptional Contender Depth

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Best Bet: Hudson Bolton to Finish Top 3

Hudson Bolton stands out as the most intriguing betting option.

Finishing third while competing in fewer events than the two riders ahead of him immediately demonstrates his upside. His 60% riding percentage was also the best among the final Top 10.

If Bolton competes in a fuller schedule and maintains anything close to his 2026 efficiency, he should be right in the middle of the world championship race.

Conclusion

John Crimber enters the next Unleash The Beast season as the rider to beat after capturing the 2026 world championship, but the gap between him and his challengers may not be as large as the final standings suggest.

Brady Fielder has already proven he can win multiple events and remain in the title race throughout an entire season. Hudson Bolton possesses perhaps the greatest upside after finishing third despite a limited schedule. Paulo Eduardo Rossetto, Luciano De Castro and Sage Steele Kimzey provide another dangerous tier of championship contenders.

Add former world champion Daylon Swearingen and rising threats Claudio Montanha Jr., Leandro Zampollo and Alex Cerqueira, and the next Unleash The Beast championship race has the potential to be one of PBR’s deepest and most unpredictable in years.