NAMPA, Idaho – On Friday night in Idaho, reigning PBR (Professional Bull Riders) World Champion Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) and young gun Chase Dougherty (Stephenville, Texas) split the Round 1 win with matching 89.25-point ride scores at the PBR Unleash The Beast -Nampa Invitational.
Leme had the cheering crowd inside of the FORD Idaho Center at a deafening roar as he fired from the chutes aboard XO (D&H Cattle Co/KB Bulls) to lock in his fifth round win of the season. The reigning world champ started his weekend in Nampa at No. 3 in the world and held tight to that in earning 23 world points.
“I don’t know that bull so much,” Leme said. “To start with 89 points with the first bull during the weekend, that is awesome. I’m very happy.”
Leme now sits 83 points behind world leader and 2018 PBR World Champion Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil), who finished fourth in Round 1.
Pacheco held his No. 1 spot in the world standings courtesy of the 16 world points from his 87.75-point matchup with Voodoo Box (Myron Sharpe).
The limited-capacity crowd was again at full volume as 23-year-old Dougherty made the 8 aboard Liston (D&H Cattle Company) to collect his second round win of the 2021 season. The young Texan, who had his career-best finish on the premier series just one week ago in Oklahoma after a big championship-round ride cemented him in fourth place, began Friday night at No. 25 in the world standings and climbed to No. 22 with the 23 world points he earned.
“Confidence — that’s the main thing,” Dougherty said. “I feel like I can ride anything now.”
As the last rider of Round 1, Derek Kolbaba (Walla Walla, Washington) delivered an electrifying 88-point ride aboard Renegade (Julio Moreno/ Schott Bucking Bulls) to take third place in the round and earn 17 world points. The Washington cowboy, who arrived in Idaho at No. 13 in the world standings, is now tied for the No. 10 spot with three-time PBR World Champion Silvano Alves (Pilar do Sul, Brazil).
Brazilian Joao Henrique Lucas (Bastos, Brazil) rounded out the Top 5 in the round after he bested Notorious Nonsense (Staci Addison/ Julian/ D&H Cattle Co) for a satisfying 87.25-point score. His Top-5 finish brought the 31-year-old rider 15 world points to climb from No. 26 in the world standings to No. 25.
Just one week after a walk-off win in Oklahoma City that inched the Brazilian rider even closer to his goal of a world title, Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil) continued his hot streak by making his tenth consecutive qualified ride.
The veteran Vieira matched up against Gray Smoke (Farris/ Garcia Rodeo Bulls) for an 87-point ride score to finish sixth in the round. He earned 14 world points and held at No. 2 in the world standings, 69 points behind world leader Pacheco.
The PBR Unleash The Beast -Nampa Invitational will continue on with Round 2, followed by the championship round, on Saturday, April 23 at 6:45 p.m. MST.
Fans can relive all the action from Round 1 in Idaho starting on Saturday, April 23 at 8 a.m. EST on RidePass.com or via the RidePass mobile app.
PBR Unleash The Beast - Nampa Invitational
FORD Idaho Center -Nampa, Idaho
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Jose Vitor Leme, 89.25-0-0-89.25-23 Points.
(tie). Chase Dougherty, 89.25-0-0-89.25-23 Points.
3. Derek Kolbaba, 88-0-0-88.00-17 Points.
4. Kaique Pacheco, 87.75-0-0-87.75-16 Points.
5. João Henrique Lucas, 87.25-0-0-87.25-15 Points.
6. João Ricardo Vieira, 87-0-0-87.00-14 Points.
7. Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 86.75-0-0-86.75-13 Points.
8. Cody Teel, 85.5-0-0-85.50-12 Points.
9. Alex Cerqueira, 84.75-0-0-84.75-11 Points.
Cooper Davis, 0-0-0-0.00
Dener Barbosa, 0-0-0-0.00
Colten Fritzlan, 0-0-0-0.00
Marco Eguchi, 0-0-0-0.00
Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 0-0-0-0.00
Cole Melancon, 0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0.00
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0.00
Junior Patrik Souza, 0-0-0-0.00
Boudreaux Campbell, 0-0-0-0.00
Eduardo Aparecido, 0-0-0-0.00
Taylor Toves, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Nance, 0-0-0-0.00
Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 0-0-0-0.00
Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-0-0-0.00
Austin Richardson, 0-0-0-0.00
Jesse Petri, 0-0-0-0.00
Brennon Eldred, 0-0-0-0.00
Eli Vastbinder, 0-0-0-0.00
Ramon de Lima, 0-0-0-0.00
Andrew Alvidrez, 0-0-0-0.00