PUEBLO, Colo. – Inside Jose Vitor Leme’s man cave – there is, literally, a neon sign that proclaims it Leme’s man cave – the walls are lined with big checks.

“The World Finals event champion – that was the first check here,” Leme pointed out in episode seven of The Ride, streaming now on Amazon Prime. He laughed. “That was a lot of numbers on that check. And all the other ones from different places, different events. But they’re all special.”

In the middle are two $1 million checks from 2020 and 2021, when he won his World Championships.

“I’ve got those two in the middle – it’s the most special ones because that’s the World Champions ones,” he said.

Between those $1 million checks is a vertical banner from the 2019 PBR World Finals, featuring Leme’s likeness and the words, ‘Nothing is impossible,’ in big, bold letters.

Leme gestures at the banner.

“I like that sign, too,” he said. “‘Nothing is impossible.’ I believe in that.”

Since 2019, Leme has indeed achieved the impossible. In addition to becoming just the second rider in PBR history to win back-to-back world titles, his 2021 season is arguably the best ever. He set or tied six records that year, including the highest-scoring ride in PBR history – 98.75 points aboard Woopaa to clinch the world title.

In 2022, Leme looked to hit another milestone accomplishment: winning the first-ever PBR Teams MVP award as a member of the Austin Gamblers.

Handed out at the conclusion of the regular season, the MVP award would go to the rider with the highest aggregate score from his rides throughout the season and be accompanied by a $50,000 bonus.

But it wasn’t going to be easy for Leme. Heading into the final event of the regular season – Ridge Rider Days in Glendale, Arizona – Daylon Swearingen of the Carolina Cowboys was just three bulls behind.

“I would have to fall from three bulls, and he would have to beat three bulls to take the lead. He has a mathematical chance of doing that,” Leme said. “However, if it depends on me, it will not happen. I will not make it easy for him. I am going to work hard so that I can keep the advantage and be the champion.”

Swearingen, meanwhile, took some time before heading to the desert to work on his confidence.

“When I just need some good vibes, I watch good rides that I’ve made and kind of slow it down and just remind myself that I know how to do it,” Swearingen said. “If I want to win the MVP, I’ve got to be the best. I’ve got to be putting the work in, have the confidence level. And the other half is drawing good bulls to get on and making every ride count. I think having confidence in yourself is big, and when I watch videos of myself, that’s what I’m doing, is just boosting my confidence level and getting it back where it needs to be.”

On the first night of competition at Ridge Rider Days, the Cowboys took on the Texas Rattlers, and Swearingen rode Bad Deal for 85.75 points to keep his MVP hopes alive.

The Gamblers took on the Missouri Thunder, and Leme climbed into the chutes aboard Bad Decisions in a clinching situation.

“Let’s do it, little brother. All day, little brother,” Gamblers head coach Michael Gaffney said as he crouched next to the chute. “’Atta boy. All day, Jose. Enjoy yourself.”

That he did. Leme rode Chainsaw for 87.75 points, clinching yet another accolade and big check to hang on his man cave wall.

“I’m so happy,” Leme told Alan Bestwick after the ride. “Another big win for me for my career – that’s going to be amazing. I’m just so happy to help my team.”

Leme would go on to ride Chainsaw for 85 points against the Kansas City Outlaws before being called for a slap after 7.45 seconds on Dagger against the Arizona Ridge Riders.

Swearingen matched Leme’s 2-for-3 weekend, bucking off Bullet Train against the Thunder and riding Karizma for 89.25 points against the Nashville Stampede.

But he fell 189 points short of Leme, 1,683.25 points to 1,494.25 points.

“The MVP race, I think it come down to two rides,” Swearingen said. “It was definitely something I wanted to win, and there’s spots where I messed up where I shouldn’t have. I didn’t ride to my fullest potential, and I let some bulls slip up that I probably shouldn’t have. That was just on me.”

Cowboys head coach Jerome Davis was disappointed for his star rider but knows this is far from Swearingen’s last opportunity to contend for an MVP award.

“Daylon had a good shot to win the MVP, and he only lost by a couple bulls,” Davis said. “But it was a tough deal. Jose Leme, he’s a machine. But at the end of the day, Daylon Swearingen’s tough. He’s gritty tough, and he’ll take a gut punch and still come back the next night.”

Leme and Swearingen then headed to Las Vegas for the 2022 PBR Teams Championship, where the season ended in a way not many could have foreseen.

They’ll be back at it for their respective teams when the 2023 PBR Teams season kicks off on July 24-25 at Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Both should be frontrunners in the MVP race again.

“Nothing comes easy, and we’ve got to fight for it every single day,” Swearingen said. “We’re hungry, and we want it, and we’ve got to make it happen.”