CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – 2020 World Champion, and current world No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme, said in Fort Worth, Texas, last weekend he was extremely excited when he learned that there would be a second Cowboys for a Cause event this year.

Leme elected to not compete at the inaugural event in November as he had returned home to Brazil for the first time in two years to celebrate his World Championship with his family and friends.

“Unfortunately, last year I was not here, and I was in Brazil,” Leme said. “This year it is a good date and now I can go. This will be fun. I saw all my friends riding there on the ship last year, and I told myself, ‘I need to ride there.’”

Outside of Lucas Divino, Ezekiel Mitchell, Eduardo Aparecido and Mauricio Moreira, the other 20 riders competing in this weekend’s PBR Air Force Reserve Cowboys for a Cause team bull riding competition will be riding on a an aircraft carrier for the first time in their lifetimes.

Divino was a replacement for Cody Teel Friday after Teel had to withdraw from the event because of a personal matter.

Teel competed on the USS Lexington in November and he said prior to withdrawing from the event just how special an opportunity this weekend is for the new riders attending.

 “Once you get there and read about the history of the battleship, that just makes it that much cooler,” Teel said. “Not many guys ever have that opportunity. Even if we do it ever y year, it will only be a select few guys who can say they ever did it.”

There are a limited number of world points available this weekend. One rider can earn a maximum of 69 world points if he wins Round 1 and posts two 90-point rides.

Leme, who is riding for Team South Point, has a 519.5-point lead in the world standings on No. 2 Kaique Pacheco. He takes on Steel Wishes (5-0 PRCA) in Round 1.

At the first Cowboys for a Cause event last November, PBR and its partners raised $250,000 for military charities, and league partners Wrangler and Bad Boy Mowers each donated $25,000 to Operation Homefront.

This year, the beneficiary of Cowboys for a Cause will be Farmer Veteran Coalition, whose goal is to cultivate a new generation of farmers and food leaders, and develop viable employment and meaningful careers through the collaboration of the farming and military communities.

“This is really important because this can help a lot of people, this is amazing,” Leme said last Saturday in Fort Worth.

2016 World Champion Cooper Davis, Leme and all 24 riders competing this weekend also decided Tuesday night that they would donate their $100,000 prize purse to the family of Amadeu Campos Silva.

The young Brazilian passed away last Sunday at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event in Fresno, California. He was 22 years old.

COWBOYS FOR A CAUSE TEAM ASSIGNMENTS

Team Bad Boy Mowers: Claudio Montanha Jr., Mauricio Moreira and Eli Vastbinder

Team Boot Barn: Alex Cerqueira, Joao Henrique Lucas and Kaique Pacheco

Team Pendleton Whisky: Cooper Davis, Jesse Petri and Mason Taylor

Team South Point: Cole Melancon, Eduardo Aparecido and Jose Vitor Leme

Team Wrangler: Cody Jesus, Silvano Alves and Thiago Salgado

Team Kubota: Ezekiel Mitchell, Junior Patrik Souza and Taylor Toves

Team Zip Recruiter: Austin Richardson, Dalton Kasel and Joao Ricardo Vieira

Team Lucas Oil: Lucas Divino, Marcelo Procopio Pereira, Andrew Alvidrez

COWBOYS FOR A CAUSE EVENT FORMAT

• All three riders on each team will attempt to ride one bull in the first round of competition.
• The three teams with the highest aggregate score in Round 1 will advance to the Championship Round.
• In the Championship Round, each rider for every remaining team in the competition will get on one bull apiece.
• The team with the highest aggregate score in the Championship Round will be the winning team. (Essentially, the slate is wiped clean for the three teams and it will be winner-take-all).
• The Rider/ Bull matchups will be by random draw via computer by PBR personnel.

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media