João Ricardo Vieira has spent more than a decade proving that consistency can be every bit as impressive as flash. The Itatinga, São Paulo, Brazil, native did not begin riding bulls until he was 17, after growing up on a farm where his father managed land and livestock. Vieira originally went to college intending to become a veterinarian and completed his degree before choosing bull riding instead, eventually relocating to the United States in 2013 with limited English and about $15,000 to chase the sport full time.

Now in his 40s, Vieira is the oldest bull rider competing across PBR’s premier tours and still looks every bit like an old-school cowboy when he climbs into the chute. He is one of the few riders who can continue to compete in just a cowboy hat rather than a helmet, although he does protect his teeth with a large mouthguard before the gate opens.

It did not take long for that gamble on bull riding to pay off. Vieira was named the 2013 PBR Rookie of the Year after finishing No. 3 in the world, and he has remained one of the sport’s most dependable contenders ever since. He has qualified for the PBR World Finals over 12 times, surpassed 400 premier-series qualified rides and twice finished runner-up for the PBR World Championship. His résumé also includes back-to-back Iron Cowboy victories in 2014 and 2015, a career-best 94.25-point ride on Woopaa in 2022 and a PBR-record eight 15/15 Bucking Battle wins.

Vieira’s success has translated just as well to PBR Teams. After joining the Texas Rattlers for the inaugural season, he became one of the franchise’s anchors and helped Texas win the 2023 PBR Teams Championship. Vieira was perfect 4-for-4 during the Championship, including an 88.75-point ride on Outlaw in the title game against Austin, and was named the event MVP. After three seasons with Texas, he joined the Florida Freedom in 2025 and was part of the squad that captured the PBR Teams regular-season championship before eventually returning to the Rattlers in 2026.

And age has done little to slow down the travel schedule. Even during the 2026 PBR Teams season, Vieira has continued flying back and forth across the Atlantic to compete in Brazil, including at the famed Barretos rodeo, before returning to the United States to suit up for Texas. For a rider who has already logged more miles, outs and seasons than almost anyone still competing, there apparently remains plenty left in the tank.

Away from the arena, Vieira is a husband and father who still carries plenty of the ranch lifestyle with him. He enjoys hunting, prefers a truck, stays ready through functional and CrossFit-style workouts three to four times a week and still lists ranch work as something he enjoys outside bull riding. Country music is usually the soundtrack, with Alan Jackson among his favorites, while UFC is the sport most likely to get his attention.

Vieira looks up most to his father and has a soft spot for dogs, including his dog Malicia. Steak and barbecue are hard to beat when it comes to food, 8 Seconds remains a favorite movie.

After more than a decade among the world’s best, Vieira remains one of the most accomplished riders of his generation without an individual gold buckle. He has won majors, ridden more than 400 bulls at the premier level, captured a Teams Championship and twice come within one spot of becoming PBR World Champion. Now, as the oldest cowboy still competing at the sport’s highest levels, Vieira keeps doing what he has always done: pull his hat down, bite into that mouthguard and keep climbing into the chute.