The Thunder rolls on! Missouri makes history and heads to Vegas
Missouri, can you feel the Thunder? With a historic five-for-five performance and its first regular-season championship, the Missouri Thunder is riding a record-breaking season straight into Las Vegas!
The Missouri Thunder captured its first Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Teams regular-season championship with a franchise-best 24-11 record and 7,389.10 points. The team now heads to the 2026 PBR Teams Championship, Nov. 6-8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, seeking its first postseason title.
(Photos courtesy of Bull Stock Media/PBR
One of the season's defining moments came in New York, where Missouri made franchise history with its first perfect five-for-five performance, defeating the Austin Gamblers 437.65 to 352.25. All five riders completed their eight-second rides, producing the third-highest team score in PBR Teams history.
Paulo Eduardo Rossetto led the charge with 88.90 points, followed by Julio Cesar Marques with 88.50, Felipe Furlan with 87.95 and Macaulie Leather with 85.70. Missouri native Maverick Smith completed the historic performance with an 86.60-point ride.
For Missouri Thunder general manager Luke Snyder, the accomplishment was a moment years in the making.
"We rode all five bulls. We've been wanting to do that for a long time because it really shows the consistency the team is capable of," Snyder said.
The victory helped Missouri clinch the regular-season championship, reflecting the organization's commitment to developing riders and building a team rather than relying solely on established champions.
"We picked a team that we wanted to develop into champions," Snyder said. "A lot of other teams picked established champions right off the bat, but we always had a program in mind."
Missouri concluded its regular season in Kansas City, finishing the final weekend with one victory and two losses while maintaining its position atop the standings. The Thunder finished ahead of the Austin Gamblers at 22-13 and Nashville Stampede at 19-16.
The Kansas City weekend also brought an exciting conclusion to the PBR Teams Most Valuable Player race, with Missouri's Rossetto battling Austin's Jose Vitor Leme for the individual title.
Rossetto finished second with 2,476.50 points, just 93.50 behind Leme, who captured his third MVP award. Rossetto completed 28 of 35 rides for an 80% riding percentage and established a league record with 15 consecutive qualified rides.
The Thunder's success follows years of training, conditioning and preparation. Snyder said the riders work together throughout the week, building the relationships and accountability that have helped transform the team into regular-season champions.
Now, Missouri enters Las Vegas as the No. 1 seed, earning a first-round bye that allows the Thunder to skip Friday's competition and begin its championship run Saturday, Nov. 7.
Snyder said the team has continued practicing and believes its successful season has created momentum heading into the biggest weekend of the year.
"I think momentum is a real thing, and we have a lot of momentum going for us," Snyder said.
Missouri now has an opportunity to accomplish something no PBR Teams franchise has achieved, winning both the regular-season and post-season championships in the same year.
From Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in the Ozarks to a record-breaking performance in New York and the final regular-season weekend in Kansas City, Missouri has given fans a season filled with unforgettable moments.
Now, the Thunder heads to Las Vegas with one final goal: bring the PBR Teams Championship home to Missouri.
Comments