CHICAGO – 2018 World Champion Kaique Pacheco has finished inside the Top 5 of the world standings in four of his first five seasons in the PBR.
The only season in which Pacheco failed to crack the Top 5 was last year when he decided to shut down his 2019 campaign and world title defense after undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery on his free arm during the summer break.
Pacheco has returned in 2020 with a vengeance, and he has started this season like never before in his career.
Pacheco has gone a perfect 7-for-7 through two Unleash The Beast events to quickly make himself the No. 1 bull rider in the world despite not picking up an event victory in New York or Chicago.
“I feel really good,” Pacheco said this weekend during the Chicago Invitational. “I’m really happy to ride my bulls, start the year good. I’m so happy for that, and I work hard.”
Pacheco leads No. 2 Joao Ricardo Vieira by 30.5 points in the world standings after finishing second overall in Chicago with 68 world points.
Vieira will attempt to retake the No. 1 spot atop the world standings this week at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Denver.
Pacheco is not scheduled to compete in Denver, and he will instead prepare for next weekend’s Unleash The Beast event in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Jan. 18-19.
Pacheco finished second overall in Chicago behind event winner Daylon Swearingen by dominating all three of his bulls.
The No. 1 bull rider in the world emphatically celebrated following his last qualified ride of the weekend – a 90.25-point ride on American Gangster.
It was Pacheco’s ninth career 90-point ride, and his first 90 since riding Stuntman Ray for 91 points on October 7, 2018.
“Even better than I thought,” 2003 World Finals event winner J.W. Hart said on CBS Sports Network. “The bull had a really exceptional day. He kind of plains out toward the end, but you know what, that is not Kaique’s problem. That is not his fault. All he can do is show what he’s got. Bull gets back to going good toward the very end. He steps off on his feet. He tips his helmet to the crowd.”
Pacheco took care of his bulls with ease in both long rounds at Allstate Arena. He first rode Ghost Rider for 85 points in Round 1 Saturday night. He then converted aboard Sniper for 86.25 points Sunday afternoon.
The 25-year-old is not wasting any time in asserting himself as a true contender in the 2020 World Championship race.
Pacheco’s 7-for-7 start to this year is a complete contrast from his 7-for-27 start that he had two years ago when he won the 2018 world title following runner-up finishes in 2015 and 2016. Pacheco finished fifth in the 2017 world title race.
If Pacheco could win the 2018 world title despite needing almost the first three months of the season to reach seven qualified rides, how good can he be in 2020 after reaching seven rides in the first two weeks?
“It’s really important for us (to start fast) because it makes you more confident when you start the year good,” Pacheco said. “When I (won in 2018), I started not riding really good. But it’s okay. I worked hard and fixed that.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko