DULUTH, Ga. – Things started a bit dicey for reigning two-time World Champion Jose Vitor Leme in his season debut in Duluth. But with a bit of help from the PBR Sports Medicine team and Mauricio Moreira, Leme quickly got himself back to his gold-buckle mission.
Leme bounced back from his Round 1 buckoff and a dislocated IPJ joint of his right thumb (free hand) to ride both of his bulls on Championship Sunday at the PBR Gwinnett Invitational for a third-place finish at Gas South Arena.
The 25-year-old made his season debut Saturday night at Gas South Arena after missing the first three events of 2022 recovering from a core muscle injury, and he was welcomed back by Blue Duck rocking him in 3.92 seconds. Blue Duck was marked a Round 1-high 45.75 points as he jerked Leme into the air and sent the two-time World Champion crashing down to earth on the bovine’s back before tumbling to the arena floor.
Leme then got up a bit gingerly, holding his right thumb, which had popped out of socket during his buckoff. Leme was diagnosed with a dislocated IPJ joint of his thumb, and the PBR Sports Medicine staff was able to get the joint back into place.
On Sunday, Leme had his thumb placed in a splint and wrapped before the event started, and the five-time World Finals qualifier quickly proved his minor injury would be no big deal.
Leme rode Cold Chill for 88.5 points in Round 2 to sneak into the championship round in 11th place before riding Mike’s Motive for 89.25 points. Leme then sat in the winner’s position for the next seven outs until Daylon Swearingen (90.75 points on Montana Jacket) and Marcelo Procopio Pereira (91.75 points on Chiseled) surpassed him on the event leaderboard.
It was a new experience for Leme as he had never had an injury get in the way of taking his wrap in the bucking chute before. Therefore, Leme got assistance from his good friend Mauricio Moreira on Sunday afternoon.
“It was hard because I don’t have position to put a rope on my hand,” Leme said. “I never had anything like that before. I’m happy to have friends who help me, and I feel so happy to ride my first bulls in 2022. I just had to block out the pain and not think too much about it.”
Rounding out the Top 5 behind Pereira, Swearingen and Leme were Chase Dougherty (2-for-3, 174 points) and Brennon Eldred (1-for-3, 90.75 points). Dougherty had an opportunity to win his first Unleash The Beast event, but 2021 YETI World Champion Bull Woopaa dashed his hopes in 3.21 seconds.
Leme’s third-place finish nets him 70.5 world points, and he will head into next weekend’s three-day PBR Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic, presented by Bass Pro Shops, in Sacramento, California, ranked 16th in the world standings. Leme trails world leader Joao Ricardo Vieira, who tied for ninth place in Duluth, by 270.5 world points.
“Everything’s good,” Leme said. “I feel great.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media