PUEBLO, Colo. (September 4, 2010) - Even before Silvano Alves arrived on U.S. soil six months ago, his reputation as a great bull rider in Brazil preceded him.
“Everybody was telling me before he came over here that he was the best rider in Brazil,” said fellow Brazilian and PBR star Paulo Crimber. “He won the Brazilian championship, made around $600,000. He’s won about $1 million in Brazil.”
With other flattering endorsements from legends such as Ty Murray and Adriano Moraes, Alves has proven to be the real deal in his first season in the PBR.
The 22-year-old sits in first place in the PBR Rookie of the Year Standings with $139,940.33, which is more than double the amount of fellow Brazilian Paulo Lima, who sits second in the race.
The Rookie of the Year award is given to the bull rider who earns the most money during his first season in the PBR.
In 31 trips, Alves has covered 21 bulls for a ridiculous 67.74 percent riding percentage. He’s won two Built Ford Tough Series events in Nampa, Idaho, and Memphis, Tenn., and finished second in Tulsa, Okla. He sits in 16th place in the 2010 Built Ford Tough Series Standings.
His pending rookie title, Crimber said, will only be the tip of the iceberg in terms of future success. Alves, Crimber said, possess all ingredients necessary to be great in the PBR.
“He’s built right,” Crimber said. “He loves what he does. He has a good family behind him. He’s really determined in what he wants to do. He knows he can do it and he has a passion for it. Barring injury, he has a couple world buckles on his way.”
In fact, Crimber isn’t ruling out Alves winning a world title in 2010.
“They better watch him at the Finals,” Crimber said. “If he can gain some ground between now and the Finals, he sure will be a dangerous guy out there.”
Sponsored by Stanley Tools, Alves is just the latest in a long line of bull riders from Brazil who are making their mark in the PBR. And that fact is not lost on Crimber.
“I think we try hard all the time,” Crimber said. “We love bull riding, with all this money on the line. And all you guys really treat us so well that we feel like we are at home.”
