Kelsey Pavlou Wins Debut PBR Event at the Elite Monster Energy Tour’s Caboolture Invitational

CABOOLTURE, Queensland – As PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Australia resumed competition Saturday night after a 203-day shutdown due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, fans witnessed career-defining moments and head-turning feats of athleticism by some of the nation’s rankest bovine athletes, as the Monster Energy Tour’s 2020 PBR Caboolture Invitational double-header in Caboolture, Queensland, at QSEC Arena wound to a close.

At the second installment of the double-header, Kelsey Pavlou (Toora, Victoria) dominated, winning his career-first event during his debut weekend of PBR competition.

Going 1-for-2, Pavlou recorded the top marks in Round 1, going the distance aboard Black Rat (Stuart Timm) for 83.5 points. While Pavlou wasn’t able to cover Gangatino (Brandenburg/MJ Bucking Bulls) in the championship round, bucked off in 6.16 seconds, his early score was enough to clinch the win.

The 18-year-old’s career moment earned him a check for $1.777.44, in addition to 65 national points.

Pavlou is now ranked No. 8 in the PBR Australia national standings, 138.5 points behind No. 1 Lachlan Richardson (Gresford, New South Wales).

Richardson, who finished second in the event in Caboolture held earlier that afternoon, went 0-for-1 in the evening event, bucked off by Firecracker (BK Bucking Bulls) in an ever-close 6.22 seconds.  

Second was Matt Hollis (Tamworth, New South Wales) who netted $1,225.44 and 52 national points.

Yet another one of Australia’s fast-rising young guns, 19-year-old Hollis, who made his PBR debut during the November 2019 event in Melbourne, Victoria, reached the silver-finish compliments of his 82.5-point ride on Catfish Coolie (Brandenburg Bucking Bulls) in Round 1.

Hollis’s efforts catapulted him 20 positons in the national standings. Entering the event ranked No. 29, Hollis is now No. 9 in the nation, 145.5 points behind No. 1 Richardson.

Mitchel Paton (Nebo, Queensland) made the 8 aboard Guilty Pleasure (Dunne Bucking Bulls) for 81.5 points in Round 1 to finish third.

Seeking his fourth consecutive qualification to the PBR Australia Grand Finals, Paton earned $850.08 and 39 national points.

Compliments of his season-best finish, Paton climbed 11 positions in the national standings, surging from No. 22 to No. 11. The 30-year-old is now 5.5 points of the Top 10, while he trails No. 1 Richardson by 153.5 points.

Sonny Schafferius (Dysart, Queensland) was fourth. Recording the first qualified ride in the event’s opening round, Schafferius covered Rockin On (BK Bucking Bulls) for 80 points, propelling him to a $331.20 payday, while also earning him 26 national points.

The 31-year-old veteran competitor, who was unranked prior to the Caboolture events, is now No. 16 in the PBR Australia national standings.

Rounding out the Top 5, and the final cowboy to record a score during the second event of the PBR Caboolture Invitational, was Josh Cavanagh (Rockhampton, Queensland).

Leaving QSEC Arena with a check for $231.84, along with 14 national points, the 21-year-old’s efforts were highlighted by his first qualified ride of the 2020 PBR Australia season, reaching the whistle aboard Moves Like Jagger (Brandenburg Bucking Bulls) for 76 points in Round 1.

Cavanagh is now ranked No. 25 in PBR Australia as he seeks his first qualification to November’s PBR Australia Grand Finals.

With 36 of the event’s 41 outs (87.80%) ending in buckoffs, it was without question the league’s bulls were the more dominant athletes during the second event of the PBR Caboolture Invitational double-header.

Leading the bull pen was Jersey Joe (BK Bucking Bulls) who was the high-marled bull of the event. Dispatching Jay Borghero (Beaudesert, Queensland) in a rapid 1.79 seconds during Round 1, Jersey Joe was marked an impressive 44.5 points.

One additional bull, Big Buck Hunter (Stuart Timm), also posted a score in excess of 44 points. The bovine athlete was scored 44 points in the championship round when he sent Jack McArthur (Cooyar, Queensland), the victor of the afternoon event, to the dirt in 3.24 seconds.

Fans can relive all the action for the 2020 PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour’s Caboolture Invitational on RidePass starting at 8:00 a.m. AEST on Sunday, September 27 at RidePass.com or via the RidePass app available on iOS, Android and Roku.

The PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour is anticipated to next travel to Bundaberg, Queensland, and the Bundaberg Showgrounds with the 2020 PBR Bundaberg Invitational on Saturday, October 3. The tour stop will once again feature a double-header competition, with action getting underway at both 1:00 p.m. AEST and 6:00 p.m. AEST. Stay tuned to PBRAustralia.com.au for the latest event information.

PBR Australia Monster Energy Tour – PBR Caboolture Invitational 2
QSEC Arena – Caboolture, Queensland
Event Leaders (Round 1- Round 2-Event Aggregate-Payout-Australian Points)
1. Kelsey Pavlou, 83.5-0-83.5-$1.777.44-65
2. Matt Hollis, 82.5-0-82.5-$1,225.44-52
3. Mitchel Paton, 81.5-0-81.5-$850.08-39
4. Sonny Schafferius, 80-0-80-$331.20-26
5. Josh Cavanagh, 76-0-76-$231.84-14
Aaron Kleier, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Zane Hall, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Tyler Morgan, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Ty Thomson, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Sam Woodall, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Sam Champ, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Michael Smith, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Lawson Nobbs, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Lane Mellers, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Lachlan Richardson, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Kurt Shephard, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Jay Borghero, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Jake Curr, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Jackson Gray, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Jack McArthur, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Jack Keats, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Dan Ruhland, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Clay Hall, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Caiden Sandilands, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Brumby Brandenburg, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Brendan Buckholz, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Brady Fielder, 0-0-0.00-$0-0
Lucas McKenzie, 0-0-0.00-$0-0