LAS VEGAS – Jose Vitor Leme stood just beyond the out gate and began to tug at the riding glove on his left hand.
“The champ is here,” was blaring on full blasting throughout the loudspeakers at T-Mobile Arena as newly minted 2019 World Champion Jess Lockwood climbed aboard Canadian Mist during the championship round of the 2019 PBR World Finals.
Lil 2 Train had just bucked Leme off in 4.59 seconds, cementing hs fate for a second consecutive year as the World Champion bridesmaid.
Leme tucked his chin and his upper lip quivered as he waited for Lockwood’s celebration to end inside the arena. CBS Sports Network needed to do an interview with him, and Leme understood.
Regardless, the 22-year-old could not hide his pain any longer. His heartbreak. His soul-crushing disappointment.
Leme knew how close he was to achieving a lifelong dream this year as the confetti fell on Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas.
A small tear began to trickle down his right cheek as that reality set in.
The 2017 PBR World Finals event winner had received a standing ovation from the PBR’s loyal fan base minutes earlier.
Everyone in attendance, as well as Lockwood and the other 39 riders in the locker room, knew Leme put forth an unbelievable season even if it did not end with a gold buckle.
Leme’s juggernaut battle with Lockwood and No. 3 Chase Outlaw will be remembered for years to come.
Leme finished tied with Lockwood and Outlaw for the most UTB regular-season wins (4), and he led the PBR with 12 90-point rides and 18 round wins. Leme went 51-for-93 (54.84%) on the Unleash The Beast.
Last weekend, Leme won over $79,000 as the 2019 Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Champion and Velocity Tour Finals event winner.
In fact, the 6,374.99 world points Leme earned in 2019 would have won him the World Championship in each of the past four seasons, but Lockwood was just a bit better.
Outlaw would have won a World Championship in 2017 and 2018 based on his 2019 campaign.
“Jess deserves this too,” Leme said before leaving the arena with his family. “He did what he came to do. He win the rounds. He was out for nine events with a broken collarbone.
“We are going to make a good race for next season and many more years.”
A slap at 1.9 seconds in Round 2 aboard Danny Boy proved costly for Leme, as Lockwood began the World Finals with five consecutive rides until he bucked off Canadian Mist shortly after it was announced he had clinched the 2019 world title.
Leme never quit, though, riding Birthday Cake (89.5 points), Bootdaddy.com (89.75 points) and Cochise (91.5 points) to keep the pressure on Lockwood heading into Championship Sunday.
The Ribas Do Rio Pardo, Brazil, native finished 4-for-6 and placed sixth overall in Vegas. Leme came up 852.51 points behind Lockwood in the final world standings.
Outlaw expressed his respect for Leme Sunday and made sure to shake his fellow world title contender’s hand as Leme walked off the dirt.
But being runner-up for a second consecutive season a year after finishing 422.5 points behind 2018 World Champion Kaique Pacheco cut into Leme unlike anything else. Rarely has he ever displayed sadness or frustration since he went 6-for-6 to win the 2017 PBR World Finals in his United States debut.
Lucas Divino saw Leme struggling and gave him a massive hug, letting Leme bury his head away from the cameras.
Soon enough, more and more riders came to congratulate and console Leme.
Leme’s battle with Lockwood and Outlaw will be remembered forever, but it is not the result Leme wanted.
Two men inside T-Mobile Arena knew exactly how he felt Sunday afternoon.
2008 World Champion Guilherme Marchi finished runner-up in the world standings three straight years before he finally reached gold buckle glory.
Marchi selected Leme this week to Team Brazil for the upcoming WinStar World Casino and Resort Global Cup USA, presented by Monster Energy, on Thursday.
The newest member of the Ring of Honor expects Leme to bounce back from the heartbreak and thrive in 2020.
Leme will be stronger from this, Marchi said.
Ten years later, Marchi’s prodigy Kaique Pacheco won the World Championship following back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2015 and 2016.
Pacheco will be Leme’s teammate at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 15-16.
He too believes Leme will be that much stronger because of this disappointment.
“This happens. That is competition,” Pacheco said. “The best, and who rides better on all the tours, is the champion. He will come back stronger. He will keep working hard to win. All the bull riders ride bulls to try and win the world title. That is their dream. Every year, you have to give more to try and win. If you have the dream, you need to work hard and keep your mind clean. Concentrate on your job. Think about your bulls. Don think about anyone else. Focus on you.”
After getting a long hug from his wife, Amanda, backstage, Leme said he would learn from this past week in Las Vegas.
He will work that much harder in the offseason.
He is determined to be a World Champion someday.
“I am very sad now, but I am very confident for next year and future years,” Leme said. “Today will make me stronger for next season. I thank God for everything in my life and keeping me healthy. I have finished second in the world two times. This is a dream too. World Champion is the dream, but second is a dream, too.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
