by TACOMA, Wash. – Keyshawn Whitehorse (McCracken Spring, Utah) closed out a 3-for-3 performance on Sunday afternoon at the PBR Tacoma inside the Tacoma Dome to win the final regular-season PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast event of 2025 while world No. 2 Brady Fielder’s (Clermont, Queensland, Australia) three-ride weekend tightened the championship race further heading into PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast in Texas on May 8-18.
Whitehorse, who competes for the Arizona Ridge Riders in the separate PBR Teams league, moved from 11th to 8th in the standings as he contends for his first world title amid the heated race for the 2025 PBR World Championship, which begins in iconic Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, on May 8 with the World Finals – Eliminations.
After tying for fourth place in Round 1 with Florida Freedom standouts Thiago Salgado (Navirai, Brazil) and John Crimber (Decatur, Texas) alongside two-time PBR World Champion and Austin Gamblers man Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil), Whitehorse knew that a dominant Sunday could put him in middle of the conversation about the 2025 gold buckle race.
Paired with Deep Creek at the tail end of Sunday’s opening round, the athletic Navajo cowboy sailed through the air with little trouble. His 86.75 points captured sixth in the round but moved him atop the event leaderboard as one of only eight men to be 2-for-2 at that point in the event.
As the championship round began, Hudson Bolton (Milan, Tennessee) took the lead after conquering the formidable Cool Whip, followed by a ping pong match of lead changes transpiring as Clay Guiton (Cherryville, North Carolina) rode for 88 points and Cort McFadden (Novice, Texas) put up a monster 90.25-point ride.
Climbing aboard his championship round partner, Mike’s Motive, Whitehorse needed 88.25 points or better to tie with McFadden. He effortlessly made the 8, landed on his feet with a giant smile, and watched his 89.5-point winning score flash across the scoreboard.
The walk-off premier series win, the second of Whitehorse’s career, earned 127 UTB points and a check for $44,990. He moves inside the Top 10 in the world at a pivotal time – from No. 11 to No. 8.
“This moment is huge. I am just thankful to be here and blessed in staying focused on the process,” Whitehorse said from the dirt after his walk-off win. “I’m so thankful for family, the support of my girlfriend, all my friends and teammates. I feel like I thrive off the pressure. It makes it more fun – now it’s just time to keep the work up. Keyshawn Whitehorse is headed to Fort Worth, then Arlington – looking forward it winning it all.”
Now heading toward PBR World Finals, Whitehorse’s acceleration comes at just the right time.
