AUSTIN, Texas – Here are three things we learned from the WinStar World Casino & Resort Invitational this weekend at the Frank Erwin Center.
World title contenders swarm Pacheco in Austin
World leader Kaique Pacheco opened the door to the rest of the field in Austin by going 0-for-2, and the men chasing him in the world standings were ready to run through it as fast as possible.
Luciano de Castro (3-for-3, 555 world points), Jose Vitor Leme (2-for-3, 400 world points), Claudio Montanha Jr. (2-for-3, 255 world points), and Ramon de Lima (2-for-3, 115 world points) all finished in the Top 5 of the event to make up ground in the 2018 World Championship race with three regular-season events remaining until the PBR World Finals on Nov. 7-11 in Las Vegas.
Top 5 World Standings
1. Kaique Pacheco
2. Claudio Montanha Jr. (-956.67 points behind)
3. Jose Vitor Leme (-1,168.34)
4. Luciano de Castro (-1,232.5)
5. Ramon de Lima (-1,602.5)
Castro led the way in Austin with a sensational 92.5 points on Canadian Mist in the championship round to put himself in a position to win his second event title of 2018.
“I had him before in Las Vegas (4.24 seconds) and I was very optimistic about going against him again,” Castro said. “I knew if I got on him, I knew I would have a great score. I felt very confident about my riding.”
The 92.5 points is a career-high for Castro.
Stock contractor J.W. Hart made sure to go find Castro after the event and shake his hand.
“That was one hell of a ride,” Hart said to Castro.
Castro did receive some help in the championship round to walk away with the victory.
The 22-year-old watched on as five of the final six riders all bucked off their championship round bulls to clinch him the win.
The only other rider after Castro to reach 8 seconds in the championship round was Leme.
The No. 3 man in the world standings converted aboard Ol’ Boy for 89.25 points to finish runner-up to Castro in the event.
Leme said he could sense the energy inside the Frank Erwin Center reach new levels once Castro made his home-run ride.
“It is pretty good tonight because all the guys are getting big scores and the fans were excited,” Leme said. “That gave me more power to ride my bulls.”
One of the men to buck off following Castro’s ride was Montanha.
The No. 2 man in the world standings appeared on a march to victory after heading into the championship round in the event lead with rides aboard Alligator Arms (86.5 points) in Round 1 and Medicine Man (87.75 points) in Round 2.
However, Montanha was unable to convert aboard M.A.G.A and was bucked off in 3.36 seconds.
Lima dropped to No. 5 in the world standings, but he still gained 115 points on Pacheco by riding Bottoms Up for 88.5 points in the championship round.
Canadian Mist and Smooth Wreck (3.98 seconds against Eduardo Aparecido) were the top-ranked bulls of the weekend with 45.5 points.
Round 2 was a sign of things to come
Castro, Leme and Lima all had bucked off in Round 1 on Friday night.
With only two riders in the Top 10 of the world standings – Montanha and Cody Nance – converting in Round 1, the weekend could have easily been a waste for the riders trying to catch Pacheco.
That turned out not to be the case as the challengers rose to the occasion in Round 2.
Leme went on to win Round 2 – his 10th round win of the season – by conquering Hitman for 88.25 points.
“I got a re-ride and Hitman was much better for me,” Leme said. “It is pretty good for me go 2-for-2 tonight. It is better for me to get back to riding good because we have three events left until the World Finals. That can help me a lot. I need to continue riding and stay focused.”
Earlier in the round, Castro began his move up the rankings with 88 points aboard Big City.
Lima also rebounded from his Round 1 buckoff by covering Force Awaken for 83.75 points. The ride was barely enough as Lima snuck into the championship round in 15th place.
Richardson is the big bubble rider winner
Lachlan Richardson began the weekend ranked 33rd in the world standings.
The 25-year-old leaves Austin sitting in a tie for 26th after picking up 177.5 world points.
Richardson wound up finishing in fourth place after riding Dusty’s Revenge for 86.75 points in Round 1 and Mac’s Barbeque for 85.75 points in Round 2.
He was bucked off by Rising Sun in 2.65 seconds in the championship round.
He now has a nice 212.5-point cushion between himself and No. 36 Brock Radford.
Injury Updates
No. 38 Cody Jesus was unable to make a move into the Top 35 after he sustained a concussion in the championship round.
Jesus was set to square off against Hostage, but Hostage jerked Jesus forward inside the bucking chutes and slammed the bull rider’s head.
Jesus had previously ridden Tori’s Secret for 85 points in Round 1, and the 20-year-old leaves Austin with 20 points toward the world standings.
The Window Rock, Arizona, bull rider also sprained his left shoulder in Round 2 when he was bucked off by Struttin Stuff in 2.62 seconds.
Joao Ricardo Vieira did not compete in the championship round after he injured his neck when he was bucked off by Kmag YoYo in 7.22 seconds. He is set to get X-rays this week.
AUSTIN DRAW: RESENDE RETURNING FROM RECONSTRUCTIVE SHOULDER SURGERY (9-26-18)
The race to qualify for the 2018 PBR World Finals will feature a familiar, but forgotten, face this weekend in Austin, Texas.
No. 37 Emilio Resende is returning to competition Friday at the WinStar World Casino & Resort Invitational for the first time since undergoing reconstructive surgery on his left shoulder in April.
The 31-year-old had dislocated his shoulder when he landed on his free arm following his 85.75-point ride on Chute Boss in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on April 6. Resende had torn his rotator cuff and sustained a fracture.
Resende has spent the last five-plus months attending physical therapy in Brazil until returning to the United States three weeks ago. He then continued his rehab at Fit-N-Wise Rehabilitation and Performance Center in Decatur, Texas, under the guidance of Jim Bui.
“My shoulder is very good,” Resende said. “I did physiotherapy in Brazil, rode horses and I got care at Fit-N-Wise.”
The five-time PBR World Finals qualifier will head to the practice pen on Wednesday for a tune-up before heading to Austin on Friday.
Resende sits only 100 points behind No. 35 Marcos Gloria and will look to earn some points aboard J.T. (3-0, PBR UTB) in Round 1 Friday.
Fans can watch all of Round 1 exclusively on RidePass beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The Santa Helena do Goais, Brazil, bull rider admitted the fight to get to the Finals will be “hard” but that there is “time” to get back into the Top 35.
It was only a year ago that Resende finished in second place in Austin to cement himself a seat at the 2017 PBR World Finals. Resende’s second-place finish pushed him from 27th to 24th in the world standings.
Three weeks before he got injured in Sioux Falls, Resende had placed second in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
Resende is one of five alternate/exempt riders competing in Austin this weekend.
No. 38 Cody Jesus (-115 points), No. 39 Alisson de Souza (-155 points), No. 42 Lucas Divino (-237.5 points) and No. 254 Jhonatan Santillan (-690 points) are replacing No. 10 Jess Lockwood (groin), No. 21 Tanner Byrne (ankle) and No. 31 Lonnie West (shoulder).
Divino (Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour) and Santillan (Mexican invite) are invited riders this weekend.
Divino won the RVT event two weeks ago in Portland, Maine, by going 3-for-3 and riding Gubber for 83 points in the championship round.
The 24-year-old went 0-for-2 in Fairfax, Virginia, last weekend in his eighth premier series event of his career.
Divino takes on First Blood (0-0, PBR UTB) in Round 1.
World leader Kaique Pacheco takes a 1,211.67-point lead atop the world standings into Austin. He has drawn After Midnight (17-1, PBR UTB) for Round 1. Pacheco was bucked off by After Midnight in 1.03 seconds last season in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
The matchup is one of five rematches in Round 1.
Other rematches include Cody Nance vs. Crazy Days (3.41 seconds); Dakota Buttar vs. Biker Bob (4.17 seconds); Derek Kolbaba vs. Star Flight (2.57 seconds) and Ramon de Lima (83.5 points) vs. Something Magical.
Buttar is returning to competition after missing last weekend’s event in Virginia because of the flu.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
