SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Two-time PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Lime (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) went 3-for-3 in Sacramento this weekend to win the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic Sunday afternoon and reclaim the No. 1 spot in the World Championship standings.
Leme now sits in a familiar spot atop the Unleash The Beast (UTB) rankings, as he rose 187 points with his event win and second-place finish in Friday night’s 15/15 Bucking Battle to give him 594 points on the season. The former champion catapulted 115.5 points above previous leader Andrew Alvidrez (Seminole, Texas), who now sits in second place.
The Austin Gamblers star in the PBR Team Series started his perfect weekend aboard Havoc (Triplett / Sterk), scoring 85.5 points in Round 1. The Brazilian then stepped up his game on Championship Sunday, winning Round 2 with an 89.5-point romp atop Lil Hott (Stinger / Brunner / Clay Struve / Dakota Rodeo / Chad Berger). Seeded third entering the championship round, Leme selected The Right Stuff (Diamond Willow / Clay Struve / Dakota Rodeo / Chad Berger), who lived up to his name in bucking in perfect time with Leme for 87.5 points, giving the Brazilian superstar 262.5 points for the event.
Right behind Leme was Utah’s Keyshawn Whitehorse (McCracken Springs, Utah), who was the second of four riders to go a perfect 3-for-3 in the elite series’ tenth event of the 2023 season. Whitehorse began his weekend by tangoing with Look Alive (Triplett / Sterk) for 83 points in Round 1. Entering Championship Sunday tenth, the Arizona Ridge Riders standout solved Bubba G (Dakota Rodeo / Brian & Ashley Pintar /Clay Struve / Chad Berger) for 86.5 points in Round 2, a rematch from 2020 where the bovine competitor bucked him off in 5.64 seconds.
Needing a big score to rise up the leaderboard in the championship round, Whitehorse selected a familiar partner in the always game Pookie Holler (Dakota Rodeo / Brian & Ashley Pintar / Clay Struve / Chad Berger), wowing the crowd with an 89-point score that gave the Utahn 258.5 points on the weekend. With his perfect event, Whitehorse rose 89 points in the UTB standings and now sits in 12th with 224.5 points, 369.5 points behind Leme. In addition to the points, the Ridge Riders’ cowboy went home with $21,490.
The Carolina Cowboys’ Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas) finished third in Sacramento with a gusty performance on Championship Sunday. After riding Old School Cool (Flying C / Tom Baker) for 84.75 points on Friday, the Texan decided to take a re-ride in Round 2 despite having a qualified ride that would have guaranteed him a spot in the championship round. Davis took advantage of the opportunity and put on a show with Lights Out (Hawkins Bucking Bulls / Premier Ag) for 88.25 points, putting him fourth overall entering the final round.
Davis then finished his perfect 3-for-3 weekend with a solid 85.25-point ride atop Express Lane (Classic Jack Cattle / Viducic Bucking Bulls). The Jasper, Texas, native went from No. 5 to No. 3 in the UTB standings, as he gained a combined 115.5 points over the weekend, giving him 396 points on the year, 198 points behind the leader, and he went home with $16,055.
Ramon de Lima (Rio Branco, Brazil) was the last perfect rider in Sacramento, finishing fourth. The Austin Gamblers rider started his weekend with an 85-point ride atop Lights Out before securing a spot in the championship round with an 87.5-point ride on Karizma (Triplett Bucking Bulls / Melvy) in Round 2. He celebrated with the Sacramento faithful and gained 62.5 UTB points to put him 38th overall and took home $8,763 with a stellar ride atop Magic Moves (D&H Cattle Co. / Buck Cattle Co.) for 85.25 points in the final round.
Rounding out the top five was Flavio Zivieri (Balsamo, Brazil), who got off to a slow start by getting booted off Toot Bubbles (Pate / D&H Cattle) in 4.23 seconds in Round 1. The Brazilian would come back strong on Championship Sunday, wowing the crowd with an incredible 89-point romp on Reba McEntire’s The Hammer (Dakota Rodeo / Chad Berger) before bringing all of Golden 1 Event Center to its feet with an incredible 90.25-point ride atop Manaba (Joe & Nina Webb / Julian / D&H Cattle Co). Zivieri’s first 90-point ride on the UTB tour and the only 90-point ride of the weekend helped propel him to No. 37 in the UTB standings with the 64 points he earned this weekend.
Also of note, rookie Tyler Manor (Portland, Indiana) wowed the crowd in Sacramento in his first career Unleash The Beast event. The 18-year-old went 2-for-3 and entered the championship round at the top of the leaderboard after topping Karizma for 89 points in Round 1 and Back Jack (Dakota Rodeo / Chad Berger) for 87.75 points in Round 2. Unfortunately, the Indiana native was unable to solve the enigma that is July (Leffew Bucking Bulls), as the animal athlete retained his 100% buckoff percentage and won the YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Event title by bucking Manor off in 4.17 seconds and posting a bull score of 45 points.
Andrew Alvidrez, who entered the weekend ranked No. 1 in the Unleash The Beast standings, rode Bubba G for 87.25 points in Round 1, but was unable to continue due to injury.
The Missouri Thunder’s Jesse Petri (Dublin, Texas) led after the first round, completing an 8-second two-step with Reba McEntire’s The Hammer for 89.75 points. He had a solid ride aboard Sky High (Rancho Sanabria Bucking Bulls / Walking Lazy J Bull Team) for 85.75 points in Round 2 but was bucked off by Cold Creek (Young Cattle Co / Rocking A / Crooked Crown) in 4.52 seconds in the championship round. The Texan finished seventh, gaining 43 points to put him in eighth in the UTB standings.
In the third 15/15 Bucking Battle of the season, Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas) was once again crowned a king in Sacramento. Taking advantage of a re-ride, Kasel danced atop Chiseled (Flinn / D&H Cattle Co) for 88.25 points to win his second Bucking Battle of the season, boosting him 58 points up the UTB standings to sixth, 276.5 points behind Leme. Earlier this year, Kasel won the first 15/15 Bucking Battle of the season in Chicago, topping Roc Wit It (K-C Bucking Bulls) for 89.75 points. With the victory in the special round, the Texan has now placed in the Top 2 in an event or special round for three straight years at the home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.
Three other riders had qualified rides in the special round, with eventual event winner Jose Vitor Leme hanging on to Charmer (D&H Cattle Co. / Buck Cattle Co.) for 86.75 points. It is Leme’s second runner-up finish to Kasel in a Bucking Battle this season, as he rode The Right Stuff for 88 points in Chicago.
Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas) lasted the 8 for 85 points on Cold Creek, and Cooper Davis barely hung on to Express Lane for 77 points to round out the four qualified rides. The two Texans gained 43 and 37 points, respectively, in the UTB standings. Campbell now sits at No. 10, 367 points out of first.
Elsewhere in the PBR, the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour held events in both North Charleston, South Carolina, and Bakersfield, California, while the 2023 PBR Canada Cup Series, presented by Wrangler, got underway in Red Deer, Alberta.
In South Carolina, Grayson Cole (New Ringgold, Pennsylvania) delivered a 2-for-3 performance at the North Charleston Coliseum to clinch the Collision at The Coliseum victory.
Cole surged to an early event lead in Round 1, delivering the top score when he conquered Neon Street (Dustin Denning Bucking Bulls/Burnt Chimney Bucking Bulls) for 88.5 points.
With 15 riders converting in the opening round, the pressure was on in Round 2 with just 12 earning a berth to the championship round. Not only did Cole log his second score in as many attempts, but he remained atop the leaderboard via his 85-point effort aboard Next Question (UTC/Sellers Bucking Bulls).
While Cole failed to convert in the championship round, upended by Keep ‘em Guessin (UTC/Sellers Bucking Bulls) in a quick 3.29 seconds, his opening-round scores were enough to win the event.
The golden finish garnered Cole 122 Velocity Global points as he chases his first PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Championship at season’s end.
In California, as the PWVT Bakersfield Buck Off at Mechanics Bank Arena concluded on Saturday night, California’s own Aaron Williams (Pismo Beach, California) secured the first PWVT event win of his career.
In Round 1 of the night, Williams was paired with Candy (Crown 7 Bucking Bulls), but judges awarded the Pismo Beach cowboy a re-ride after his initial out.
Williams was then paired with Fred (Evan Matthews), firing out of the chutes for an impressive 87.5 points, marking the highest ride score of the night.
As the extraordinary animal athletes of the PBR showcased their supreme agility throughout the championship round, the 25-year-old California cowboy was no match against Ghost of Oscar (Leffew Bucking Bulls / Meza).
For his 1-for-2 night, Williams netted 108 Velocity Global points.
North of the border in Canada, no rider was more dominant than Jared Parsonage (Maple Creek, Saskatchewan). As one of four riders to go a perfect 2-for-2 inside Peavey Mart Centrium, Parsonage led the contingent, winning the PBR Cross Country Canada Classic and surging to the No. 1 rank in the race for the 2023 PBR Canada Championship and accompanying $50,000 bonus.
Parsonage was unrivaled in Round 1, delivering the top score when he covered Smoke Bomb (Vold Rodeo) for 86 points.
With the first pick in the championship round bull draft, Parsonage architected a rematch with Hard Not To Get (Vold Rodeo), who he had ridden for 88.5 points in winning the 2022 PBR Canada National Finals, presented by Command Tubular Products.
Replicating his past success, Parsonage reached the requisite 8 for 89 points to cement the victory, earning 58 national points and surging from unranked to No. 1 in the national standings, now 3.5 points ahead of the No. 2 contender.
The reserved Saskatchewan man has now won two consecutive PBR Canada events and is amid a six-out ride streak.
The PBR Unleash The Beast next travels to BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the PBR Express Ranches Classic, presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The event will be on Friday, Feb. 10, at 7:45 p.m. CST and Saturday, Feb. 11, at 6:45 p.m. CST.
The PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour next travels to Reading, Pennsylvania, and Palm Springs, California, on Feb. 10-11. The PBR Boot Barn Reading Invitational at Santander Arena gets underway on Friday, Feb. 10, at 8 p.m. EST, and concludes on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. EST. The PBR Palm Springs Duel in the Desert at Acrisure Arena begins on Friday, Feb. 10, at 8 p.m. PST and will come to a climactic conclusion on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. PST.
The 2023 PBR Canada Sup Series, presented by Wrangler, will next travel to Lethbridge, Alberta, and ENAMX Centre for the PBR South Country Co-op Showdown, presented by VisitLethbridge.com, on March 3-4. Action will get underway nightly at 7 p.m. MST.
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 Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic
Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, California
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Jose Vitor Leme, 0-85.5-89.5-87.5-262.50-139 Points.
2. Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-83-86.5-89-258.50-89 Points.
3. Cooper Davis, 0-84.75-88.25-85.25-258.25-78.5 Points.
4. Ramon de Lima, 0-85-87.5-85.25-257.75-62.5 Points.
5. Flavio Zivieri, 0-0-89-90.25-179.25-64 Points.
6. Tyler Manor, 0-89-87.75-0-176.75-44 Points.
7. Jesse Petri, 0-89.75-85.75-0-175.50-43 Points.
8. Adriano Salgado, 0-82.75-83.75-0-166.50-21.5 Points.
9. Manoelito de Souza Junior, 0-0-88.75-0-88.75-19.5 Points.
(tie). Dener Barbosa, 0-0-88.75-0-88.75-19.5 Points.
11. Andrew Alvidrez, 0-87.25-0-0-87.25-18 Points.
12. Thiago Salgado, 0-0-86.75-0-86.75-12 Points.
(tie). Aaron Williams, 0-86.75-0-0-86.75-16 Points.
14. Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 0-86.5-0-0-86.50-15 Points.
15. Eduardo Aparecido, 0-0-86.25-0-86.25-10 Points.
16. Boudreaux Campbell, 0-0-85.25-0-85.25-8 Points.
17. Sandro Batista, 0-84-0-0-84.00-11 Points.
18. Wingson Henrique da Silva, 0-82.75-0-0-82.75-8.5 Points.
19. Alvaro Alvarez Aguilar, 0-81.5-0-0-81.50-8 Points.
20. Wyatt Rogers, 0-81-0-0-81.00-8 Points.
21. Marcus Mast, 0-78.5-0-0-78.50-7 Points.
22. Brady Oleson, 0-76.5-0-0-76.50
Kaique Pacheco, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Dalton Kasel, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Rafael Jose de Brito, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Luciano De Castro, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Mason Taylor, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Casey Roberts, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Derek Kolbaba, 0-0-0-0-0.00
João Ricardo Vieira, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Koltin Hevalow, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Jess Lockwood, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Colten Fritzlan, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Eli Vastbinder, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Ezekiel Mitchell, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Chase Outlaw, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Alex Cerqueira, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Dakota Louis, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Austin Richardson, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Vitor Losnake, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Kyler Oliver, 0-0-0-0-0.00
João Henrique Lucas, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Conner Halverson, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Alex Marcilio, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Chase Dougherty, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Dalton Rudman, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-0-0-0-0.00
Casey Coulter, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Elijah Mora, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Dawson Branton, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Leonardo Lima, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Bill Henry, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Justin Ethridge, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Junio Quaresima, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Kyle Jones, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Ray Mayo, 0-0-0-0-0.00
