The bull riding convoy halted in Albany on December 16 for the Unleash the Beast jollification. Amidst the fervent gallops and the phantasmagoria, the holiday spirit found a new form. PBR had asked a 23-year-old Texas Rattler to wrap Christmas presents wearing oven mitts. The bull riding phenom accepted the task without the foreknowledge of what was in store for him.

Austin Richardson may have faced a “downfall” in his gift-wrapping fiasco, but when he found his ubiquitous vantage seat atop one of the fiercest beasts of the bovine kingdom, the cowboy knew just what he needed to do and wow did he stun the crowd.

Richardson’s bull riding mastery grapples PBR Albany

The name chants from the spectators’ box echoed throughout the prestigious PBR arena as 40 of the world’s finest bull riders showcased their skills. In the meantime, Austin Richardson waited for his turn to defy the brute force of his opposant livestock. After tying for the top spot on Friday night with an 86.5-point ride on top of Martini Houdini, Richardson forced his peer to vacate the spot on Saturday. Complement to the 88 points ride in Round 2 atop Magic Trick, he laid sole ownership claim on the leaderboard. However, when he climbed onto Ivy League for the Championship Round, the bull riding world was stumped by Richardson’s ability to stay on for a full eight seconds. PBR congratulated the new champion in an IG post.

The Bull Riding Authority shared a picture of Richardson holding the golden buckle. As a mark of respect to the talented three-time premier series winner, they captioned the post, “Never any doubt throughout the 8 seconds as Austin Richardson wins Albany!”. Now, he is the closest adversary to the No. 1 rodeo hero, Cassio Dias. The rodeo fans wanted to give him a final thrust for the final tier of the luminary status. He was inundated with love too by his ardent fans.

Cheers reverberate on social media for Richardson

The fans have showered Austin Richardson with blessings and adoration ever since he walked off with his third premier series victory. One fan promoted Richardson’s rodeo dominance, saying, “Get it Austin!!! So proud!”. The next fan greeted the champion with excitement, stating, “Congratulations @austinrichardson22 👏👏 Had a blast watching you go 3 for 3 in my home state!!”. One fan was at a loss for words and simply shouted, exclaiming, “Hell yeah Austin”. 

Read More: Bull Riding Icons Unleash Festive Fury in Holiday Themed Showdown with a Twist

The PBR carousel will make its next pit stop in New York. Here, more bull riding action will play out at the iconic Madison Square Garden. Now, it remains to be seen if January 5 and 6 will bring similar laurels for Austin Richardson.

Watch this story: Bull Riding Champion Sparks the Arena, Dominating Center Stage as the Lone Star Shines