Callum Miller and Austin Gamblers Ride to Perfect 3-0 Weekend in Florida

AIRDRIE, Alta. – PBR Canada standout Callum Miller helped his Austin Gamblers to a perfect 3-0 sweep in Sunrise, Florida this past weekend at the third PBR Camping World Team Series event of the season. 

Miller converted during the opening night of the competition for Freedom Days, covering a familiar foe for a commanding 89.5 points to help Austin beat the Arizona Ridge Riders. 

Riding Late Hit, previously known as Master of Puppets from Canadian contractor Darin Eno, Miller’s efforts helped launch a successful weekend for the experienced squad. Following a perfect 3-0 Austin is now 4-3 this season, rising to No. 4 in the league.

“I never got a chance to get on him while he was up there in Canada, but I did know a fair bit about that bull. I was excited at my chance to get on him,” Miller said. “[Knowing him] brought a fair bit to the table. I saw him a lot in Canada. He wasn’t an easy one, but he was a good one.”

“He goes out and does his job,” Miller added of Late Hit. “He has slimmed down from when he was up in Canada and looked really good. I knew he was going to bring the heat. Big strong Canadian bull, and I am just coming back from being up there for a few weeks on the Eastern run, Bullbustin’ and Calgary, so it fit right into my wheelhouse.”

The slate of games inside the home of the NHL’s 2024 Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers saw the squad defeat the Arizona Ridge Riders, 2023 Champion Texas Rattlers and 2022 Champion Nashville Stampede en route to the weekend sweep.

Miller bucked off on the second and third day of the event but said that the team behind him keeps him looking forward. 

“Like any team sport, you have a whole team backing you,” Miller said. “Everyone is supporting you, excited for you when you do a good job, but they are there for ya when you stub your toe. Unreal to have the likes of the G-Man [Coach Michael Gaffney] and Adriano [Moraes] in your corner and having them believe in you that you will do a good job for them,” Miller said. 

“The group of guys and the coaches, the team vibe really suits my style. We are pretty relaxed, we all know what we can do, we just have to go out there and do our jobs. Everyone believes in everybody, that we can step out there and do our job when we need to.”

The level of experience on the team is a massive asset, Miller added. 

“We are one of the older groups making up a team. That team we had this past weekend had quite a bit of experience. Kaique Pacheco, Jose Vitor Leme, Dalton Kasel, Trevor Kastner, Ramon De Lima and even Ezekiel Mitchell. We all have been around it enough that we all know we can't dwell on the ones that get us down. Sometimes it doesn’t go our way, but you always have another one to look forward to.”

With multiple practice pens available to the team, hosted by Leme and Kasel, coupled with professional expectations from the team, Miller believes the Gamblers are easily a favourite to become the 2024 PBR Teams World Champions.

“On the weekends of events we all get together and go get stretched out and move in the morning, have a good breakfast all together. We go to the event as a team. It’s a very professional team. They run it like it should be. Run just like a professional sports team. We get on the bus together, or go together, do dinner as a group,” Miller said. 

“The professionalism of the Austin Gamblers really steps it up. It gives you the confidence that we are some of the best in the business to be on that team, and that is why they chose us. They treat us like professionals, like the best in the league. Gives us the confidence to go win three games like we did this past weekend in Florida. The group of guys and the coaches, the team vibe really suits my style. We are relaxed, we all know what we can do, we just have to go out there and do our jobs. Everyone believes in everybody, that we can step out there and do our job when we need to.”

The Gamblers were regular season champions in the first two seasons of the PBR Teams league but were twice unable to mount a successful playoff run to take the title in Las Vegas.

The Austin squad looks to continue their hot streak and rise in the standings at the fourth event of the 12-event PBR Teams regular season, playing the Missouri Thunder on Saturday, August 10 at the inaugural Maverick Days at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.