Rattler Roundup: Nashville 2024

Rattler Roundup - Nashville, TN

Last weekend’s visit to Music City brought a refreshing change of tune our way. Massive scores from three major players brought that pesky losing streak to a screeching halt, making for a perfect 2-0 performance from your Ariat Texas Rattlers at the close of Stampede Days. Here’s the scoop on What Went Down in Nashville, as well as a look at What’s Next for the team in the coming couple of weeks:

What Went Down

Back on Track: Stampede Days Recap

With scores as high as the energy levels inside Bridgestone Arena, the eight-second-whistle was music to our ears all weekend long. Five qualified Rattler rides turned Nashville into Cashville thanks to our $800 for 8 partnership with Chevron, adding $4K to the tally for Permian Basin youth charities from the crack of the first gate to the blare of the last buzzer.


Game 1: New York Mavericks

Saturday night’s showdown against New York was a nail-biter start to finish. The Mavericks were first to put up a score, but Marcelo Procopio Pereira fired right back to get the Rattlers into the running. His dance with Tchoupitoulas was good for a dynamite 89 points, setting the tone for the cutthroat competition that followed. Brady Fielder was the next Rattler to deliver, logging a flashy 89.25-point-ride aboard Hunting Trip. Maverick Smith then found the whistle for New York, bumping them into the lead and putting João Ricardo Vieira in a must-ride situation at the close of the game. 

Coach Cody Lambert’s decision to shift JRV to the final spot ended up paying off for Texas. They needed an 86-point-ride to clinch the win, and that’s exactly what they got: Mojo Bone was no match for the 40-year-old veteran Vieira, who kept his composure through a textbook performance to snag the first walk-off-ride of his career and a Rattler victory by a mere quarter of a point. (Final 264.25 : 264)

Game 2: Missouri Thunder

The winning streak continued through Sunday’s matchup against Missouri. Behind the chutes, the excitement was visible across the board – even the usually-stoic Coach Lambert had a smile on his face as Brady Fielder and João Ricardo Vieira showed out for the second day in a row. Fielder made light work of Twisted Feather, matching the bull’s tempo effortlessly for a silky-smooth score of 87.25 points. Cord McCoy praised the 24-year-old cowboy as the “most effective guy on the Texas team right now” – a warranted comment given Fielder’s reliability and consistency this season. McCoy then went on to dub João Ricardo Vieira “the guy you want in the closing position if you’re Texas” ahead of the veteran’s second walk-off performance of the weekend. He was right again, of course: After cruising to another photo-finish victory with an impressive 87.5 points aboard Mahan, JRV told Kate Harrison, “I did my job. I am so grateful for this.” (Final 174.75 : 87.5)

What’s Next?

All Eyes on Austin: Gambler Days Preview

The wins from Music City mean your Ariat Texas Rattlers are now sitting eighth in the overall team series standings, up two notches from tenth with no signs of slowing down soon. We’ll be ready to continue our climb back to the top this weekend as we take on Gambler Days. Matchups against Kansas City, Austin, and Oklahoma are on the docket, and while we’re hungry for competition all around, the game against the Gamblers is particularly on our minds: This Saturday marks the second matchup of the Texas Cup. We’ve got a score to settle… and a rivalry to win. You can catch the action all weekend long on Merit Plus. 

The next time we ride against Austin will be in Fort Worth during Rattler Days – which is now less than 40 days away! If you’re reading this, we’re sure you’ve had your tickets for weeks already… but if not, there’s still time! Get your tickets here to grab a piece of the action in person. 

We can’t wait to see you there!

PBR
Ariat Texas Rattlers
Marcelo Procopio Perez
Brady Fielder
Joao Ricardo Vieira
Missouri Thunder
Texas Cup
New York Mavericks
Nashville Stampede
Rattler Days
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