NEW YORK – It may be a new year and a new season, but it’s the same old Jose Vitor Leme.

The two-time World Champion is making his season debut this weekend at the PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden, presented by Ariat, and despite missing the first five events of the Unleash The Beast season, he hasn’t missed a beat.

Leme is 2-for-2 in Madison Square Garden this weekend and sits second overall in the event aggregate as he looks to rebound from broken ribs suffered at the PBR Team Series Championship in Las Vegas in November.

“I’m feeling great,” Leme said. “I don’t feel anything on my ribs. I’m just thankful and blessed about this, and I thank God for giving me the health to do what I most love to do in my life.”

And what Leme loves most is making the 8-second whistle. In Round 1, he tied for fifth with 87.75 points on Pickle Moonshine. He followed that up with 86.5 points on Bad Decisions and another fifth-place finish in Round 2.

“I knew that bull. I’ve been on him before twice, and he’s a really good bull,” Leme said of Bad Decisions. “I was so happy to have him tonight for the second round, and I’m just so happy for another qualified ride. It’s my second ride in New York, so coming back from injury, it’s amazing what God is giving me. I’m just so blessed now.”

Leme says he couldn’t ride bulls for 50 days as he recovered from his injury, leaving him on the sidelines as the premier series season got underway. He admits that he didn’t watch too much of the events he missed as it was too hard to see other riders doing what he wanted to be doing. But he spent his time off with friends and family to clear his mind and prepare for the long season ahead.

“It’s hard just watching, sit on the sofa at home and watch all those guys ride their bulls and making points, and you staying behind,” Leme said. “But I believe everything has a reason, and I believe in God, and I knew he has the best for me. If I had to stay out for a couple days or a couple months, it’s because he wants that, and I trust in his plan.”

Leme is back just in time to earn redemption in the world’s most famous arena. He’s one of the greatest bull riders in PBR history, but success in Madison Square Garden has thus far alluded him. In three previous appearances, he has one 15/15 Bucking Battle victory in 2019. His best finish in the main event, however, was fifth in 2020 – he would ultimately go on to win his first of two world titles – which was the only time he’d recorded more than one ride until now.

“I was very excited for this event, not only because it was my first event of the season, but because it’s Madison Square Garden,” Leme said. “I never rode that well here. I won one 15/15 one time, but I never did really good during the event. This time, I’m doing good so far, so I hope I continue that and finish with a buckle.”

Leme will continue his odyssey on Championship Sunday (8 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network).

He trails event leader Bob Mitchell (2-for-2, 175 points) by just .75 points as he chases another event win.

2022 was a bit of a down year for Leme. Great by anyone else’s standards, he finished No. 5 in the world after two consecutive world titles, recording just seven 90-point rides and two-event wins.

But even after setting countless records and rewriting the history books, Leme is still as motivated as ever to keep pursuing success.

“I think I have a lot of things to do in my career,” Leme said. “I still have a lot of time, and I always want to win, so I’m not going to stop. I’m not going to sit at home and just relax. I’m going to work for another world title every time I get on the chutes and ride any bull. I’m going to do my best to win. So every time when I win something, when I have some dream and accomplish it, I try to find another dream.

“And now my next dream is to be a three-time World Champion, so I’m going to work for that.”

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media