KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Despite his 2021 season having already been derailed twice by injury, reigning PBR (Professional Bull Riders) World Champion Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) is riding with the same seemingly unstoppable form that earned him his first gold buckle in record fashion in 2020.
After breaking ribs during the late February event in Fort Worth, Texas, Leme, who was subsequently sidelined for one elite Unleash The Beast event, returned in triumphant fashion on Saturday evening in Kansas City, recording his third 90-point ride of the year to win Round 1 of the PBR Caterpillar Classic.
“It’s hard to be out of events and miss opportunities to get points,” Leme said from the dirt moments after his round victory. “When I get back, I got a couple of 90s. It’s been awesome for me. I’m very confident now. I hope no injuries no more this year, stay healthy and finish the season good with a top-five, maybe another title.”
Marking his second return from injury, Leme first broke his right ankle at the season-launch elite tour event in Ocala, Florida, in early January. Out of action for three tour stops, the former semi-professional soccer player resumed his year in Fort Worth, winning the event and catapulting into the world’s Top 10. During his bid for victory, Leme sustained the broken ribs, which most recently rendered him unable to ride.
In Kansas City, Leme notched the round win compliments of a 90-point score on Knee Deep (Stockyards/444/Winston/Gallagher/Melton). Having gone 3-for-5 to date on the elite tour in 2021, all of Leme’s qualified rides have been marked in excess of 90 points.
The accomplished Brazilian is tied with Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas) for the most 90-point rides this season, with Davis also having previously notched three head-turning scores.
Leme’s latest monstrous ride earned him 29 world points, allowing him to crack the world’s Top 10 as he rose from No. 11 to No. 10.
Attempting to become just the second athlete in league history to win back-to-back PBR World Championships and seventh multi-time PBR World Champion, the new father now trails No. 1 Davis by 210.5 world points. Leme will attempt Outlaw (Hart Cattle Co./Hale) in Round 2 of the PBR Caterpillar Classic.
Leme has now earned three round wins in 2021, tied for second-most of any rider on tour alongside Davis.
Davis retained his lead atop the world standings compliments of a fourth-place effort during Round 1 of the event inside T-Mobile Center. As the last man to leave the chutes, he rode Black Sunshine (Hodges/Shuler) for 87.25 points to garner 16 world points.
Ahead of Round 2 on Sunday afternoon, Davis now leads No. 2 Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) by 49.5 world points.
Pacheco, however, prevented Davis from gaining significant ground by finishing fifth in Round 1 and earning 15 world points.
The 2018 PBR World Champion registered the Top-5 effort after going the distance aboard Ground Assault (Stockyards/444/Winston/Melton Bull Co.) for 87 points.
Davis and Pacheco’s fierce battle in both the event and atop the world standings will continue on Sunday afternoon when they face off against Lil Hott (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Stinger/Brunner) and Crazy Times (Hart Cattle Co./Randy Wood), respectively, in the second round.
As the first man to erupt from the chutes, Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas) set the tone for the event early. Riding Hard Shot (Glover Cattle/D&H Cattle Co.) for 88.5 points, his 8-second effort led him to finish second in the opening round.
The 2020 PBR World Finals event winner and reigning Rookie of the Year earned 18 world points, surging from No. 53 to No. 40 in the world.
Campbell, who will square off against Dr. Campbell (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve) in Round 2, is now within 23.5 points of the Top 30 and a seeded position on the elite Unleash The Beast.
Third in Round 1 was Luciano de Castro (Guzolandia, Brazil).
Castro covered Big Mac (Hodges/Shuler) for 88 points to collect 17 world points. He rose from No. 45 to No. 37 in the world standings and will attempt Coy Dog (Fabulous IV Ranch/Josh & Dalton Walling) in Round 2.
Poised to join the elite 300 club in Kansas City, Vieira recorded the 299th ride of his career on the premier series Saturday evening when he rode True Soldier (Blake Sharp/Henry Wilson) for 84.25 points. In PBR history, only 18 riders have recorded 300 or more qualified rides on the Unleash The Beast.
Vieira will look to join the prestigious group in Round 2 from Kansas City when he attempts Midnight Rock (Cord McCoy/Pioneer Bulls).
The veteran Brazilian’s Round 1 ride also earned him 11 world points, elevating him from No. 9 to No. 7 in the world standings. Seeking his first PBR World Championship in 2021, Vieira is now within 203 points of No. 1 Davis.
Round 1 of the PBR Caterpillar Classic from Kansas City was also an American Bucking Bull Inc. (ABBI) Classic Round that included 40 of the top 3- and 4-year-old up-and-coming bulls. An ABBI Classic competition is the next step in a young bovine’s competitive career that involves bucking with a rider.
Mr. Right Now (Silent 7/Hilton Bull Co.) was crowned the Kansas City Classic Champion with a 91.8-point performance during his rematch with Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas) for a payout of approximately $8,200.
Juju (Julian/D&H Cattle) notched a second-place finish with 91.4 points for more than $5,000, while Bread Basket (TNT/Hart Cattle) took third with 89.6 points for $4,300. Bulldaggar of Joe & Nina Webb and BS Cattle Co. posted 88.8 points for fourth place and $3,000, as Mike’s Magic (Five Star Ranch/BS Cattle Co.) rounded out the Top 5 in fifth with an 88.6-point performance for $2,300.
Fans can relive all the action from Round 1 of the PBR Caterpillar Classic starting at 8:00 a.m. EDT on Sunday, March 21, on RidePass, at RidePass.com or via the mobile app.
PBR Unleash The Beast action from Kansas City, Missouri, and T-Mobile Center will conclude on Sunday, March 21, starting at 1:45 p.m. CDT, with Round 2 and the championship round.
PBR Unleash The Beast
PBR Caterpillar Classic
T-Mobile Center – Kansas City, Missouri
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Jose Vitor Leme, 90-0-0-90.00-29 Points.
2. Boudreaux Campbell, 88.5-0-0-88.50-18 Points.
3. Luciano De Castro, 88-0-0-88.00-17 Points.
4. Cooper Davis, 87.25-0-0-87.25-16 Points.
5. Kaique Pacheco, 87-0-0-87.00-15 Points.
6. Dener Barbosa, 86.25-0-0-86.25-14 Points.
7. Ezekiel Mitchell, 85-0-0-85.00-12.5 Points.
(tie). Andrew Alvidrez, 85-0-0-85.00-12.5 Points.
9. João Ricardo Vieira, 84.25-0-0-84.25-11 Points.
10. Eduardo Aparecido, 83.75-0-0-83.75-10 Points.
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0.00
Junior Patrik Souza, 0-0-0-0.00
Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 0-0-0-0.00
Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 0-0-0-0.00
Colten Fritzlan, 0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0.00
Kyler Oliver, 0-0-0-0.00
Taylor Toves, 0-0-0-0.00
Marco Eguchi, 0-0-0-0.00
Derek Kolbaba, 0-0-0-0.00
Alex Cerqueira, 0-0-0-0.00
Mason Taylor, 0-0-0-0.00
Lucas Divino, 0-0-0-0.00
João Henrique Lucas, 0-0-0-0.00
J.T. Moore, 0-0-0-0.00
Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-0-0-0.00
Kyle Jones, 0-0-0-0.00
Eli Vastbinder, 0-0-0-0.00
Rodrigo Melgar, 0-0-0-0.00
Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 0-0-0-0.00
Thiago Salgado, 0-0-0-0.00
Chase Dougherty, 0-0-0-0.00
Dakota Louis, 0-0-0-0.00
Wallace Vieira de Oliveira, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Casper, 0-0-0-0.00
Leonardo Lima, 0-0-0-0.00
Hunter Ball, 0-0-0-0.00
Ramon de Lima, 0-0-0-0.00
Matt Triplett, 0-0-0-0.00
Chase Outlaw, 0-0-0-0.00
