Deland became a podracer pilot, known to the crowd as 'Pabs', to win back the freedom of Djulla Tyerell, his sister who had been sold as a slave to Sebulba. Sebulba broke Deland's arm prior to the race hoping to help his son Hekula win. The fourteen-year-old Anakin Skywalker flew the race in Deland's podracer and won Djulla's freedom.[1]
Obi-Wan Kenobi soon found out though that Deland and his brother, Doby Tyerell who was his mechanic, cheated on the podrace by getting a faster map sent by Maxo Vista to them. Maxo Vista also sabotaged the podracer but Anakin Skywalker pulled through. It turned out that they had used Anakin Skywalker to free their sister.