World Finals Watch: Top 3 riders in the world separated by less than 164 points ahead of Houston and Nashville
Jose Vitor Leme keeps pace with world leader Lockwood with PBR-best 12th round win and ninth 90-point ride.
TULSA, Okla. – 2017 PBR World Finals event winner Jose Vitor Leme stepped up on Sunday with back-to-back round victories as he tried to keep pace with red hot new world leader Jess Lockwood.
Lockwood won both the Express Ranches Classic, presented by Osage Casino, as well as the 15/15 Bucking Battle, this weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to pick up a massive 780 world points and take over the No. 1 ranking for the first time since March 24.
However, Leme made sure to do his best to keep up with Lockwood by winning Round 2 and the championship round at the BOK Center to finish third overall with 265 world points.
The Top 3 bull riders in the world standings – Lockwood, Chase Outlaw and Leme – are separated by less than 164 points heading into next weekend’s WinStar World Casino and Resort Houston Invitational, presented by Bass Pro Shops.
“I like when it is a bull riding like this and I am at the top – you feel like you really rode and did your job when everybody is too,” Lockwood said. “All you can do is ride your bull and the rest is up to the judges and everybody else.”
The final PBR Major of the season – the Jack Daniel’s Music City Knockout, presented by Cooper Tires – is also only two weeks away.
“Any event (is important). Not just Nashville,” Lockwood said. “Nashville is a Major, yeah. But I am not focusing on the event ahead of me, but rather the bull in front of me.”
Leme turned it up a notch on Sunday afternoon after he turned down a re-ride option in Round 1 following his 65.5 points on Red Solo Cup.
The 22-year old first won Round 2 by riding Identity Crisis for 89.25 points before winning the championship round with 91.25 points on Hostage.
Leme leads the PBR with 12 round wins and nine 90-point rides.
“I am very happy to be able to win another two rounds, especially at an event like this,” Leme said with the help of Paulo Crimber translating. “This is what we came here for, to win first place. Sometimes it isn’t going to work. Like last night, it didn’t work (against Lil 2 Train in the 15/15 Bucking Battle). But I just bounced back, forgot about yesterday, just focused on the new day, and thank God I came in today and I was blessed to have two great bulls and another 90 in my career.
“It was great.”
Like Lockwood, Leme went 3-for-3 in the regular-formatted event, but his decision to keep the 65.5-point score ultimately played a factor in him finishing 20.5 points short of Lockwood in the event average.
However, Leme did gain ground (227.5 points) on No. 2 Chase Outlaw in the world title race.
Outlaw finished in 13th place after bucking off Lefty (7.21 seconds) in Round 2 and Sky Harbor (3.59 seconds) in the championship round. Outlaw had ridden Chuck & Larry for 87 points in Round 1 on Saturday.
The No. 2 rider in the world standings rode Bottoms Up for 88.5 points in the 15/15 Bucking Battle as well.
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Outlaw trails Lockwood by only 20 points in the world standings.
Sunday is Father’s Day in Brazil, and Leme made sure to call his dad, Antonio, before he competed at the BOK Center.
He thanked his dad for all he has taught him over the years.
“That was something really special for me and for him,” Leme said. “He was really happy and that kind of helped me. He has (taught me) just to be a man. To do my best every time I do. I learned how to ride bulls (from him) and how to be a right person. To be a man.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko