By: Darci Miller
PUEBLO, Colo. – Alex Cerqueira knows how to stand out in the crowd.
With a qualified ride celebration miming shooting a bow and arrow and bright blue and green chaps, Cerqueira is a distinct presence on the Unleash The Beast.
However, up until now, he’s also been a quiet presence. He made his premier series debut in 2020, finishing that season ranked No. 19 in the world. He followed that up with a No. 28 ranking in 2021 but then missed the entirety of 2022 and ranked No. 53 at the end of 2023.
Now, though, he’s ready to let his riding do the talking.
At the PBR Salt Lake City last weekend, Cerqueira went 2-for-3 for a second-place finish, tying the best performance of his UTB career. He finished second twice previously, once in 2021 and once in 2020.
“I felt very excited and very good,” Cerqueira said with the help of Paulo Crimber translating. “I want to continue to work very hard to keep this momentum and do better every weekend, do good every weekend.”
While he was disappointed to have missed out on his first Unleash The Beast win, he’s pleased with his showing.
“I was feeling like it was going to happen sometime soon,” Cerqueira said. “But on the other hand, I’m upset because I want to win, and that was kind of a bummer. But just to finish where I finished was good, in a way, and I can continue to try to keep that momentum on for the coming weekend. That’s what I’m working very hard for.”
Part of this work is focusing on his diet more to try to stay lean. The other key work he’s done to stay sharp is competing at the Touring Pro Division’s PBR Stockyards Showcase in Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursdays.
He’s been in the Stockyards Showcase draw 19 times since last January, winning twice and amassing eight Top-10 finishes.
In fact, the day before riding in Salt Lake City, Cerqueira finished fourth at the Stockyards Showcase.
“That seems to be helping me,” he said. “I do use that as a practice. I like to go there because I get paid if I do well, but also, it’s like the pressure is the same. It’s the same as a real competition, which it is. That’s why I combine it all together. I get a practice done, and I still have the same mindset as an event going, so if I do good, I get some money.”
Cerqueira began bull riding when he was 14 years old after growing up watching the PBR on TV in Brazil. He was considering making the leap to the United States in 2017, but when his wife got pregnant, he decided to stay in his home country. After their daughter was born, he began the process of applying for a visa and finally came over in January 2020.
Currently 30 years old, Cerqueira was an older rookie when he debuted on the UTB in Little Rock, Arkansas, nearly four years ago. But he was inspired by close friend Joao Ricardo Vieira, who was 29 when he won Rookie of the Year in 2013.
While he missed out on some prime riding years by waiting to come to the U.S., with age comes experience.
“I think waiting a little longer like I did gave me the advantage of experience, to be a little more seasoned, and to be more prepared emotionally, focused, and just a bit more prepared,” Cerqueira said. “I don’t know, but I think if I would’ve come younger, maybe that would’ve been harder for me to stay, adapt, or whatever the deal was. Maybe I wouldn’t stay here, or maybe I wouldn’t be where I’m at now, because right now I’m very hungry. I want to ride and ride and win. I think that helped me, waiting longer to be here.”
Cerqueira will look to ride his wave of momentum this weekend at the Michelob ULTRA PBR Los Angeles, presented by Ariat, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. He’s the first rider out in Round 1 when he’ll face off against Cowboy Tuxedo. Action begins Friday at 10:45 p.m. ET on RidePass on Pluto TV.
“I like to ride first, for sure, because it feels like when I come in and get the bull out of the way, I can focus on the other bulls and watch the whole event without worrying about if you’re going to miss your bull or not,” Cerqueira said. “It seems to be better. I don’t mind riding last either, but if I have to pick a place to get on, it would be first.”
Cerqueira is currently ranked No. 14 in the Unleash The Beast World Championship standings. Another strong showing in Los Angeles could push him into the Top 10 and make him a real world title contender for the first time.
“I think this year (the chance to win a world title) has been the closest to being real,” Cerqueira said, “because I started the season riding better, healthy, and I’m going to work real hard to come at least in the Top 5 into the World Finals.”
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
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