DULUTH, Ga. – In front of a boisterous Sunday afternoon crowd inside Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia, 2018 PBR World Champion Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) iced the competition, delivering a perfect 3-for-3 performance at the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast’s Gwinnett Chute Out to win the event and vault to No. 3 in the race for the 2023 World Championship.

Two-time PBR World Champion Jess Lockwood (Volborg, Montana), who had been out of competition at PBR’s elite level since February 2022, was triumphant in his return, delivering a 2-for-3 effort to finish second, including the weekend’s top score of 92 points.

Pacheco began the eighth elite series event of the 2023 season on a high note, finishing fourth in Round 1 compliments of an 87.5-point ride atop YETI Yonder (Bob & Jeri Adams/D&H Cattle Co.).

“The Ice Man” then remained white-hot in Round 2, delivering his second score in as many attempts when he went the distance atop Chanler’s Dream (Universal Pro Rodeo/Rachel & Dustin Powell) for 82.75 points.

Surging to second on the event leaderboard, Pacheco used his early pick in the championship round bull draft to architect a showdown with UTZ BesTex Smokestack (Blake Sharp/Chris Utz/Garrett Carey).

In a decision which proved dividends, Pacheco matched the powerful animal athlete jump-for-jump en route to a monstrous 90.5-point score. The 90-point ride was the 29^th of Pacheco’s career, and first during the 2023 Unleash The Beast season.

The golden finish earned Pacheco a crucial 126 Unleash The Beast points, and a check for $42,786.67. He catapulted from No. 12 to No. 3 in the gold buckle race, now within 145 points of No. 1 Andrew Alvidrez (Seminole, Texas).

Alvidrez retained his spot atop the standings after he tied for ninth at the PBR Gwinnett Chute Out, while No. 2 Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) inched within 60 points of the contender via his own fifth place effort.

Alvidrez’s 1-for-3 showing earned him 18.5 Unleash The Beast points.

Despite being upended by Nigel (Hale/Ogden/Hart Cattle Co.) in 4.13 seconds in Round 1, Alvidrez returned determined in Round 2 as Championship Sunday got underway. Dominating Outlaw (Cord McCoy/Big Sky Bulls, LLC/McCoy Rodeo), Alvidrez advanced to the final round via an 87-point score.

Alvidrez, however, was unable to conclude the event with a score, bucked off by JAG Metals Grand Theft (D&H Cattle Co./Philip Elkins) in 4.03 seconds.

Leme also went 1-for-3; even in being bucked off twice this weekend, his mammoth 90.5-point score in Round 2 propelled him to collecting an augmented 46 Unleash The Beast points. After travelling to Duluth 87.5 points back of No. 1 Alvidrez, he is now within 60 points of the top spot.

In Round 1, Leme’s five-out ride streak came to an end when he was tossed by Empty Glass (Hart Cattle CO.) in an uncharacteristic 2.75 seconds.

Undeterred, the two-time PBR World Champion regained his title-contending form in the second round, turning in the top score when he dominated Homegrown (Cord McCoy/Chad Reese/McCoy Rodeo) for 90.5 points. The score was Leme’s 66^th 90-point ride of his career, and second of the season.

Leme was unable to continue his success in the championship round, brought down by Montana Jacket (Berg/Coleman/Ogden/Hart) in a swift 3.21 seconds.

Meanwhile, Lockwood, riding at his first Unleash The Beast event since February 2022, was quick to strike in Round 1, catapulting to the top of the event standings when he rode Spotted Rust (Blake Sharp) for 88.25 points.

The charismatic Montana native, however, was unable to convert in Round 2, bested by Lone Survivor (Blake Sharp/CB & Traci Lee) in 4.02 seconds.

With the sixth pick in the championship round bull draft, Lockwood selected I’m Legit Too (Hart Cattle Co./Hale), a bull he had ridden once prior for 90 points.

Replicating his past successes, Lockwood remained centered atop the powerful animal athlete, reaching the requisite 8 for an event-best 92 points.

Lockwood left Gas South Arena having earned 102 Unleash The Beast points and $23,329.67.

Unranked prior to the tour stop, Lockwood vaulted to No. 23 in the standings.

Third was Luciano De Castro (Guzolandia, Brazil), collecting 70.5 Unleash The Beast points and $13,787.67.

After bucking off Mike’s Motive (Blake Sharp/High Voltage/Wetzel/Knott) in 2.63 seconds in Round 1, Castro returned with a new mindset for Championship Sunday.

He first converted in Round 2 when he rode Mike’s Effect (Blake Sharp/Michael Floyd/High Voltage Cattle/Wheeler) for 87 points to punch his ticket to the final round.

Continuing his momentum, Castro delivered his second score of the event when he conquered Big Bank (Universal Pro Rodeo/Rachel & Dustin Powell) for an impressive 90.75 points to cement the podium finish.

Castro climbed six positions in the standings, rising from No. 15 to No. 9, and is now within 230.5 points of No. 1 Alvidrez.

Rounding out the Top 5 in fourth was Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil).

Vieira advanced to the final round atop the event leaderboard compliments of an 87.25-point ride on Whiplash (Blake Sharp/Floyd Lowry/CB & Traci Lee) in Round 1 and an 88.75-point ride atop Cold Chill (D&H Cattle Co./Futrell) in Round 2.

The veteran Brazilian was unable to complete the perfect sweep of the event when he was tossed by Flapjack (Parker/OK Corralis/Gordon/D&H Cattle) in 5.54 seconds in the championship round.

The finish earned Vieira a much needed 53 Unleash The Beast points. He rose from No. 29 to No. 21 in the standings.

In the bull pen, Ricky Vaughn (D&H Cattle Co./Buck Cattle Co.) was unrivaled, crowned the YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Event. The powerful bull turned heads in Round 1 when he posted a massive 46.75-point score for his 3.01-second buckoff of Kyler Oliver (Roy, Utah).

The PBR Unleash The Beast next travels to Gainbridge Field House in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the PBR ZipRecruiter Invitational, presented by Ariat. The event will be on Saturday, January 28 at 7:45 p.m. EST, and Sunday, January 29 at 1:45 p.m. EST.

PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer re-airs and on-demand replays of every PBR Unleash The Beast and Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event. PBR RidePass is available on desktops, laptops and mobile devices via www.pluto.tv. Click here for on-demand PBR programming.

PBR Unleash The Beast PBR Gwinnett Chute Out Gas South Arena – Duluth, Georgia  Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points) 1. Kaique Pacheco, 87.5-82.75-90.5-260.75-126 Points. 2. Jess Lockwood, 88.25-0-92-180.25-102 Points. 3. Luciano De Castro, 0-87-90.75-177.75-70.5 Points. 4. João Ricardo Vieira, 87.25-88.75-0-176.00-53 Points. 5. Jose Vitor Leme, 0-90.5-0-90.50-46 Points. 6. Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 0-90-0-90.00-31 Points. 7. Koltin Hevalow, 88.25-0-0-88.25-29 Points. 8. Derek Kolbaba, 88-0-0-88.00-22 Points. 9. Andrew Alvidrez, 0-87-0-87.00-18.5 Points. (tie). Bob Mitchell, 87-0-0-87.00-17 Points. 11. Dener Barbosa, 86.5-0-0-86.50-13 Points. (tie). Alex Cerqueira, 86.5-0-0-86.50-13 Points. 13. Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 86.25-0-0-86.25-10.5 Points. (tie). Manoelito de Souza Junior, 86.25-0-0-86.25-10.5 Points. 15. Braidy Randolph, 0-86-0-86.00-14 Points. 16. Ednei Caminhas, 85.25-0-0-85.25-9 Points. 17. Wyatt Rogers, 0-85-0-85.00-13 Points. 18. Ezekiel Mitchell, 84-0-0-84.00-8 Points. Daniel Keeping, 0-0-0-0.00 Rafael Jose de Brito, 0-0-0-0.00 Thiago Salgado, 0-0-0-0.00 Mason Taylor, 0-0-0-0.00 Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0.00 Dalton Kasel, 0-0-0-0.00 Eduardo Aparecido, 0-0-0-0.00 Jesse Petri, 0-0-0-0.00 Boudreaux Campbell, 0-0-0-0.00 Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0.00 Colten Fritzlan, 0-0-0-0.00 Sandro Batista, 0-0-0-0.00 Eli Vastbinder, 0-0-0-0.00 Tate Pollmeier, 0-0-0-0.00 Chase Outlaw, 0-0-0-0.00 Casey Roberts, 0-0-0-0.00 Dakota Louis, 0-0-0-0.00 Conner Halverson, 0-0-0-0.00 Alex Marcilio, 0-0-0-0.00 Dalton Rudman, 0-0-0-0.00 Kyler Oliver, 0-0-0-0.00 Alisson De Souza, 0-0-0-0.00 Jake Morinec, 0-0-0-0.00

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media