PUEBLO, Colo. – Bull riding fans around the world have witnessed an electric beginning to the 2023 Unleash The Beast season.

From seeing current No. 2 Andrew Alvidrez win back-to-back events in Manchester, New Hampshire, and Albany, New York, early in the season, to seeing now No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme bring home victories in three of his first five events, including consecutive wins in New York City and Chicago, his first two competitions of the season, it’s been one hell of a ride.

RELATED: Leme wins third event of the season at PBR Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic, moves to No. 1 in standings

“It’s a lot of work,” Leme said amidst a chuckle. “Two events, two victories, that is amazing. I didn’t expect that to come in my first two events of the season and win the first two. It’s a big moment for me in my career and I just want to enjoy my time.”

Fresh off capturing the first-ever PBR Team Series Most Valuable Player honors this past summer, en route to earning a $50,000 bonus and bragging rights until the series resumes this June, Leme credited taking time to heal at the beginning of the season for part of his success.

“That was one of the keys. I had to stay out a little bit to get ready for the season because I was hurt. I had enough time to heal back and now I’m ready to go,” Leme shared.

Meanwhile, Alvidrez, who began the season with a clean bill of health, missed the UTB’s most recent competition in Tulsa, Oklahoma, due to injury, and now trails Leme by 167 points in the race to be crowned the 2023 World Champion.

If anything, his No. 2 status will serve as motivation as the Seminole, Texas, native continues to rank and perform alongside the best cowboys in the business.

“It doesn’t change anything at all. I’ve been doing this for a while now, since 2015,” Alvidrez shared.

“It’s about understanding the process, understanding the timing and the preparation it takes to get to a position. I feel like this is all work that’s been done in the previous years and now it’s just unfolding.

His success and proven ability to fit in at the top may be a surprise to some, but not to the 26-year-old.

“It feels good, feels right, feels expected,” Alvidrez said. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been visualizing and praying for these days. Now that it’s here, it’s just reassurance that it was all part of his plan.”

Alvidrez (17-for-27; 63%) and Leme (15-for-22; 68.2%) continue to rank among the league’s Top 5 most efficient riders, while Ramon de Lima (4-for-5; 80%) and Wingson Henrique da Silva (10-for-15; 66.7%) have made the most of their limited opportunities thus far, joining the top-ranked riders in finding success in the tour’s first half of action.

As the premier series quickly approaches the midway point of the campaign, PBR.com is taking a look at some of the best performances, flawless showcases and top moments in this week’s By the Numbers as the best bull riders in the world prepare to perform in Eugene, Oregon, this weekend.

$166,109: Sure, his $50,000 bonus from capturing the PBR Team Series’ inaugural MVP award was a nice way to cap the summer off, but the two-time World Champion has already earned triple that through his first six UTB events and three complementary 15/15 Bucking Battles. In fact, the PBR ZipRecruiter Invitational, presented by Ariat 15/15 Bucking Battle Jan. 28 in Indianapolis was the only performance in which the talent Brazilian didn’t take home some sort of monetary prize this season. Courtesy of his trio of event titles secured thus far, he’s earned more than $44,000 in three of the pay days, with his first-place finish in Sacramento, California, Feb. 3 bringing in the largest check yet at $47,090. Meanwhile, Alvidrez, who ranks No. 2 in overall points and second in earnings, has accumulated $111,937 in 12 appearances (9 events, 3 15/15 Bucking Battles), $54,172 less than No. 1 Leme.

93 points: While Leme logged an impressive 92-point ride atop Cliff Hanger to clinch his first win of the season in New York City, it’s been a 93-point effort from “The Ice Man” Kaique Pacheco that continues to represent the highest score registered this season. Matched against 2023 standout bovine Ricky Vaughn, who’s currently ranked No. 2 in this year’s bull standings and holds a 6-1 all-time record, Pacheco recognized his opportunity to put up a healthy score and didn’t shy away, recording his third-best rider score ever atop the trending animal athlete.

2-for-3: While 24-year-old Dalton Kasel enters this weekend’s PBR Kubota Emerald Chute Out ranked No. 6, just 315 UTB points behind No. 1 Leme, he’s easily been viewed as the No. 1 rider when it comes to 15/15 Bucking Battles this season. Having finished first place in two of the three one-go formats this year, he nearly captured the victory in the second 15/15 Bucking Battle of the season after logging a flashy 92-point score atop Tulsa Time Jan. 28 in Indianapolis, but came up one point short to the aforementioned Pacheco/Ricky Vaughn combination.

RELATED: Kasel unstoppable in 15/15 Bucking Battles, wins second of the season in Sacramento

Top 20: Courtesy of the ever-challenging task of achieving the 8 aboard the best bovine talents known to man, many riders continue to carousel themselves in and out of the premier series’ Top 20 rankings as the field continues to endure cuts, injuries, exemptions and beyond. A tough set of obstacles for even the most experienced riders, but that’s not keeping the new kids on the block from succeeding during the first half of the 2023 UTB season. Heading into this weekend’s slate of bucking action inside Matthew Knight Arena, four newcomers to the tour have managed to stay within the Top 20, as Daniel Keeping sits ranked No. 5, Thiago Salgado at No. 7, Rafael Jose de Brito No. 9 and Wingson Henrique da Silva No. 17. While Keeping, Salgado and Brito have all logged 25 or more attempts this year, Silva has gone an impressive 10-for-15, securing a pair of third-place finishes in only 6 events, including a bronze placing last weekend in Tulsa, where he earned 66 Unleash The Beast points.

12: With 12 weekends of action remaining before the tour turns its attention to the 2023 World Finals in Fort Worth Texas, including premier series stops in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Milwaukee and beyond, the race to be crowned the 2023 World Champion continues to heat up. While wild cards like No. 4-ranked and 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis and No. 8-ranked Jesse Petri are always a threat to strike, tour leaders know fellow veterans in Jess Lockwood, Luciano De Castro, Silvano Alves and company are only a few momentous performances away from stealing the show. One thing’s for sure: the dramatic campaign will conclude May 12-21 as the 2023 World Champion is crowned inside Dickies Arena.

This weekend’s action in Eugene begins Friday, Feb. 17 at 7:45 p.m. PT featuring Round 1 on RidePass on Pluto TV, with the second round and championship go slated to begin Saturday, Feb. 18 at 6:45 p.m. PT. Round 2 will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network on Saturday evening, while the short round will debut on CBS on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 9 a.m. PT.

Fans can stay tuned to PBR.com and PBR social media channels throughout the weekend for behind-the-scenes content, stories, rank rides and the best wrecks of the weekend!

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media