Hudson Bolton improves to 6-for-6, continues red-hot run to lead 2026 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast at Dickies Arena
No. 1 John Crimber extends lead atop World Title race to 135.5 points over No. 2 Brady Fielder with 89.40-point conversion in Round 6.
By James Youness
FORT WORTH, Texas – No. 10 Hudson Bolton (Milan, Tennessee) continued to send shockwaves throughout the bull riding world, improving to a perfect 6-for-6 during Round 6 of the 2026 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) World Finals: Unleash The Beast to increase his lead atop the event leaderboard at the dramatic season finale inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas on Friday night.
Bolton improved to 12-for-14 all-time at World Finals by besting Dirty Honey for 87.25 points and threw up the peace sign to his friends on the chutes along with Dallas Cowboys stars Dak Prescott and Jake Ferguson following his successful conversion.
“Those guys back there are always messing with me, and it’s just fun when you have your buddies right there. They keep the energy flowing. I’m just out here having fun and I love it,” Bolton said on the Paramount+ telecast.
“I’m just truly grateful. The energy in this place is crazy. The more they cheer, the better I ride. One bull at a time. Keep my head down and just have fun.”
The red-hot 2025 PBR Rookie of the Year, who has exited 14 of his last 15 attempts with a ride score, earned 10.5 UTB points for his thirteenth-straight successful effort.
No. 1 John Crimber (Decatur, Texas) ditched his 0-for-5 World Finals start by going the distance aboard July (89.40 points) in Round 6 to extend his lead atop the world title race over No. 2 Brady Fielder (Clermont, Australia) to 135.5 points.
Fielder matched Sour Patch step-for-step to the tune of 86.60 points and sits seventh on the leaderboard with a 3-for-6 record in Fort Worth.
No. 3 Sage Steele Kimzey (Strong City, Oklahoma) slapped Snap Chatter 3.90 seconds into his attempt and fell to No. 13 in the event standings.
No. 4 Leandro Zampollo (Pirassununga, Brazil) bucked off Jailor in 3.16 seconds, while No. 5 Paulo Eduardo Rossetto (Colorado, Brazil) became the third man to ride a fourth bull at World Finals. He bested Cookie for 85.80 to earn 8 UTB points and occupies the fourth spot on the big board ahead of Round 7 as one of three cowboys with 4-for-6 showings.
Friday’s slate produced 19 qualified rides, the most of the event’s six sessions thus far.
No. 21 Thiago Salgado (Naviraí, Brazil) won Round 6 courtesy of a 90.05-point journey atop Oyster Creek Brawler. He earned 59 UTB points for his third round win of the season.
The 2026 PBR Rookie of the Year race also heated up Friday, with both No. 12 Marco Rizzo (Quitman, Georgia) and No. 17 Maverick Smith (Cabool, Missouri) going the distance in Round 6. Rizzo leads Smith by 31 points with three rounds of competition remaining.
Veteran Michael Lane (Tazewell, Virginia) made the most of his late invite to Dickies Arena and immediately recorded an 88.05-point strike atop XIT Socks In A Box as the first man to attempt a bull in Round 6. The conversion represented his first 8-second effort at a World Finals event since 2015 and tied him for a ninth-place finish in the sixth session.
Returning to the top of the event leaderboard, No. 14 Luciano De Castro (Guzolandia, Brazil) remains in second place as the top-scoring man with 4-for-6 records. Castro bucked off Punchy in 4.14 seconds Friday but remains five points ahead of No. 29 Lucas Divino (Nova Crixas, Brazil) in the event aggregate.
Divino occupies third place following his 84.35-point dance with Milestone in Round 6.
No. 9 Claudio Montanha Jr. (Ribeirao dos Indios, Brazil) rounds out the Top 5, albeit just .05 points in front of 2022 PBR World Champion Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York). Montanha was forced into a touch 4.10 seconds into his attempt aboard Scrappy, while Swearingen went the distance atop Crazy Sox for 88.20 points.
Two additional cowboys have earned three qualified rides in Fort Worth, including No. 24 Callum Miller (Warwick, Australia) and No. 35 Dener Barbosa (Paulo de Faria, Brazil), who sit eighth and ninth on the big board, respectively.
Magic Potion dispatched his PBR record 61st-consecutive rider Friday, sending Julio Cesar Marques (Tatuí, Brazil) to the dirt in a quick 2.92 seconds as the consistently dominant bovine advanced his all-time record to 66-0 at all levels of PBR competition.
Action for the 2026 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast continues at Dickies Arena Saturday, May 16 at 7:45 p.m. CT, with Round 7 coverage set to begin on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. CT.
All eight days of World Finals competition are available via Paramount+.
2026 Professional Bull Riders Unleash The Beast Standings (Place, Rider, Events, Wins, Top 5's, Points, Total Winnings) 1. John Crimber, 19, 2, 7, 1,010.50, $209,990.00