PUEBLO, Colo. (November 8, 2010) - Having won three of 15 Built Ford Tough Series events since coming to the United States in April, Silvano Alves is adept at making big rides.
He covered his first eight bulls in a streak that included an event title in Nampa, Idaho, before Crazy Kat put him on the ground in Des Moines, Iowa.
Alves scored 90.5 points on Unabomber to win the event in Uncasville, Conn., but it was his fifth-round effort at the 2010 PBR World Finals that showed just how good the 22-year-old from Brazil is.
With three qualified scores on the leader board, Alves had already assured himself a spot in the championship round when he matched up with Rewind.
Midway through the ride he was not only out of position, but halfway down the side. Suddenly, and to the thunderous approval of the crowd, he pulled himself right back to the middle.
Afterward, Adriano Moraes asked Alves what he did to counter the bull’s moves.
Alves told him, “I pushed forward with my body, and I felt that the rotation of the bull stopped. That’s when I kicked loose because I knew that he had to come back.”
Kicking loose at that precise moment let Rewind do all the work, pulling Alves back into position.
“He didn’t just happen to get back on top,” Moraes explained. “No. He worked for it. He knew exactly what to do in order to get back on top of that bull, and he did not panic.”
Alves scored 85.5 points and went on to finish second in the Finals average.
Despite arriving halfway through the season, he rode 62.3 percent of his bulls and finished the year ranked 8th in the world.
“He’s not a beginner,” said Moraes of this year’s Rookie of the Year. “Even though he’s a rookie, he already won two Brazilian titles in a different association down there.
“We had seen him ride some unbelievable bulls down there. Even though he only had half a season, we expected him to be in the Top 10.”
Alves is adjusting well to life in the United States.
He’d been renting an apartment in Decatur, Texas, until just last week, when he bought a small seven-acre ranch outside of town before heading down to Brazil for the 2010 Brahma Super Bull PBR Finals. The event takes place Nov. 10 – 15 in Campo Grande, Brazil.
He’s still ranked 30th in Brazil even though he hasn’t ridden in his home country since April.
Moraes and Paulo Crimber both believe strongly in Alves’ chances of winning multiple world titles, beginning as early as 2011.
“I really believe if he doesn’t get hurt, he is a big, big contender of winning the world title next year,” Moraes said. “Well, actually, I believe he is the guy to win it next year.”
Crimber added that he believes Alves could seriously challenge Justin McBride’s record of eight BFTS event wins in a single season.
“It’s knowing how to handle the pressure,” Crimber explained, “and Silvano looks to me like he knows how to handle that pressure.
“If he gets bucked off today it’s not going to bother him the next day. He might get bucked off again, but it’s not going to be because he had a bad mind or was frustrated. He doesn’t care about the past. That’s how it’s supposed to be.”
When Alves was recently compared to Michael Jordan, Moraes said, “I really believe so. He’s 22 years old and he’s already here. He’s adapted to the culture and he already bought a little ranch and he’s here to stay.”
“Everything is in his favor,” he added. “I believe he’s the best rider we’ve got now. He’s healthy, he’s in shape, he’s in great physical condition, big mental condition, spiritual condition. And so I really believe – if he’s not hurt by injuries – he can be no doubt about it the next titlist.”
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