COLUMBUS, Ohio – Joao Ricardo Vieira began to count on his fingers.
“One…two…three…five…eight…
“I have eight houses in Brazil, and I am now building two more,” Vieira explained in Billings, Montana, two weeks ago.
The No. 3-ranked bull rider in the world standings has already earned more than $2.2 million in his seven-year PBR career since being crowned the 2013 Rookie of the Year.
The 34-year-old understands that his PBR career will not last forever, though, and that it’s important to start thinking about life after bull riding.
Therefore, Vieira, who also has a veterinarian degree, has invested portions of his earnings in the Brazil housing market. Vieira owns eight houses in three different locations, including Itatinga and Mono Grosso.
“I am buying more houses in Brazil with my PBR money,” Vieira said. “I have eight housesnow, but I am constructing two new ones. I rent the others.”
The two new houses will be located in Vieira’s hometown of Itatinga.
One will be for himself, and the other will be a ranch for his father, Joao Bautista.
“I started in January for my dad,” Vieira said. “It makes me feel good, and I am happy to construct this for him. It will be better for him.”
Vieira would prefer to stay in the United States during the summer break and chase additional world points, but he will spend the majority of June in Brazil to check in on the progress of his two homes.
He will leave for Brazil on June 3 and return to the United States on July 15.
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“I need to go to Brazil for business,” Vieira said. “I would like to stay here, but I have construction. I go back to Brazil to buy stuff for the interior of the house.”
He will likely compete in a handful of rodeos or PBR Brazil events.
Vieira is also looking forward to spending some time with his family in Brazil.
It can be extremely hard for many of the Brazilians on tour to be away from their families for so long during the season, especially during difficult times.
Vieira was reminded of that this past week with the passing of his grandmother, Amelia Josue da Silva.
Amelia, 87, had actually gone with Joao’s dad to check out the new house being built on Easter Sunday.
“She was a very nice person,” Vieira said this week. “She was my grandmother, a mother and a friend. My heart is broken, but the sky is in celebration receiving her eternal goodness. She always had a cheerful energy and her sympathy was contagious. I will love her forever.”
Vieira pulled out of the Clovis, California, Touring Pro Division event on Thursday once he learned of his grandmother’s passing on Wednesday.
He will do his best to honor her this weekend, though, at the Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic, presented by Cooper Tires, in Columbus, Ohio.
Vieira faces The Hard Stuff (15-3, UTB) in Round 1 (RidePass; 6:30 p.m. ET) at The Schottenstein Center.
He then takes on Air Assault (3-1, UTB) in the 15/15 Bucking Battle.
Fans can watch the 15/15 Bucking Battle Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. on CBS.
Vieira trails world leader Jose Vitor Leme by 276.66 points.
The seventh-year pro has earned $719,376.94 this season – $286,043.61 in the PBR and $433,333.33 at THE AMERICAN.
Vieira is one of 15 riders in PBR history to have earned over $2 million, and there is a possibility that he could become the first bull rider to ever win $2 million in one year if he wins the 2019 World Championship.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
