(Editor's note: PBR release)
FORT WORTH, Texas – For the second time at the 2022 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) World Finals, there was a lead change in the ferocious seesaw race to crown the season’s world champion.
After surrendering the world No. 1 rank following Round 1 of competition on Friday night, Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York) reclaimed the top position Sunday afternoon, leapfrogging now-No. 2 Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil), after delivering a runner-up ride score in Round 3 of competition at the first-ever PBR World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas.
Montanans Matt Triplett and Dakota Louis were held scoreless for the third straight round.
At the end of the first weekend of action in Fort Worth, Cody Jesus (Window Rock, Arizona) is atop the World Finals event leaderboard with three rides of 89 points or better through the opening three rounds. Two other riders – Vieira and Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) – are also a perfect 3-for-3 at the 202 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast.
On the spurs of Swearingen’s career-best 93-point ride score from Round 2, which inched him within 3.01 points of the No. 1 rank, he was riding a strong swell of momentum as Round 3 commenced.
Awaiting the young New Yorker was Amarillo, Texas animal athlete Hey Bartender (JQH Bucking Bulls/Skip & Elaine Jones).
With the raucous Texas crowd brought to the edge of their seats, Swearingen was in full control of the powerful animal athlete, reaching the requisite 8 for 89.5 points.
The silver finish in the round garnered him $20,000 and a crucial 48 world points. As a result, Swearingen catapulted back to the world No. 1 rank, now 16.99 points ahead of No. 2 Vieira while also gaining critical ground in the World Finals event standings. Having gone 2-for-3, Swearingen is now fourth on the leaderboard.
Despite surrendering the No. 1 rank, Vieira converted in the third round of competition on the final out of the day. Dominating Canadian bull Norse God (Wild Hoggs Bucking Bulls), Vieira was marked 87.75 points to finish seventh in the round.
Vieira netted 28 world points and surged to second place in the 2022 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast event standings.
Should Vieira earn his first gold buckle at season’s end, he would become the oldest PBR World Champion in history. Currently 37, Vieira would surpass Adriano Moraes (Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil), who won his third title in 2006 at age 36.
Two-time and reigning PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme maintained his world No. 5 rank and is also 3-for-3 . He is now within 290.66 points of the top position in the world standings ahead of Round 4.
Leme earned his third qualified ride at the sport’s most prestigious event when he covered Big Whiskey (Tex Brothers Ranch/5S Bucking Bulls) for 86 points. The former semi-professional soccer player previously rode Mr. Personality (Southern Cross Bucking Bulls) for 85.75 points in Round 1 and Lone Survivor (Whitman Bucking Bulls/Jenkins Cattle Co.) for a commanding 90.25 points in Round 2.
Should Leme once again be crowned the PBR World Champion in 2022, the stoic Brazilian would become the first rider in history to claim the honor in three consecutive seasons and just the third three-time PBR World Champion.
Leme’s score also elevated him to third on the event leaderboard, positioning him within a mere 6.25 points of aggregate leader Jesus. If Leme were to win the 2022 PBR World Finals, he would tie Robson Palermo (Rio Branco Acre, Brazil) for the most World Finals won by one rider and become just the second rider to win the event in back-to-back seasons.
Palermo, who won his first World Finals in 2008, is also the only rider to win the event in consecutive years, topping the field in 2011 and 2012. Leme notably won the event in his debut in 2017 and is the defending World Finals event winner from 2021.
The world’s Top 5 also has a new face following Round 3 of competition. Compliments of his round-winning, 90.25-point effort aboard Mike’s Motive (Blake Sharp/High Voltage Cattle/American Spirits/Koe Wetzel), Luciano de Castro (Guzolandia, Brazil) was propelled to No. 4 in the world.
Castro, who also delivered a 90-point ride in Round 2, covering Montana Jacket (Berg/Coleman/Ogden/Hart) for 91.25 points, rose three positions after beginning the afternoon No. 7. He is now 262.49 points behind No. 1 Swearingen.
Despite competing with a foot injury, 2018 PBR World Champion Kaique Pacheco (Itatiaba, Brazil) continued to ice the competition in Round 3.
Matching Canuck animal athlete Happy Camper (Two Bit Bucking Bulls) jump-for-jump, Pacheco reached the whistle for 89 points, tying for fourth place.
Pacheco left Dickies Arena with a check for $8,000 and 38 world points. He is now 107.49 points back of the top position. The reserved Brazilian is also now seventh in the event, having gone 2-for-3 in the opening rounds.
Jesus leads the world’s Top 40 bull riders on the 2022 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast event leaderboard, now a perfect 3-for-3.
Following an 89-point ride atop Short Circuit (McWhorter/D&H Page) in Round 1 and 90.25-point effort aboard I’m Legit Too (Hart Cattle Co./Hale) in Round 2, Jesus remained perfect when he bested La Grande (Davis Rodeo Ranch) for 89 points in Round 3.
The score, which was tied for fourth in the round, earned Jesus $8,000 and 38 world points. He rose from No. 21 to No. 19 in the world.
The 2022 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast continues with Round 3 on Thursday, May 19 at 7:45 p.m. CDT.
PBR Unleash The BeastPBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast
Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, Texas
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Round 4-Round 5-Round 6-Round 7-Round 8-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Cody Jesus, 89-90.25-89-0-0-0-0-0-268.25-105 Points.
2. João Ricardo Vieira, 90.25-86-87.75-0-0-0-0-0-264.00-89 Points.
3. Jose Vitor Leme, 85.75-90.25-86-0-0-0-0-0-262.00-67.33 Points.
4. Daylon Swearingen, 0-93-89.5-0-0-0-0-0-182.50-97 Points.
5. Luciano De Castro, 0-91.25-90.25-0-0-0-0-0-181.50-126 Points.
(tie). Josh Frost, 88.75-92.75-0-0-0-0-0-0-181.50-77 Points.
7. Kaique Pacheco, 0-91.75-89-0-0-0-0-0-180.75-79 Points.
8. Ezekiel Mitchell, 88.5-89-0-0-0-0-0-0-177.50-52 Points.
9. Andrew Alvidrez, 85.75-0-89.25-0-0-0-0-0-175.00-60.33 Points.
10. Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 0-94.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-94.25-89 Points.
11. Brady Oleson, 91.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-91.25-89 Points.
12. Dalton Kasel, 90.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-90.25-45 Points.
(tie). Mason Taylor, 90.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-90.25-45 Points.
14. Ramon de Lima, 0-0-88.75-0-0-0-0-0-88.75-32 Points.
15. Eli Vastbinder, 87.5-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-87.50-24 Points.
(tie). Eduardo Aparecido, 0-0-87.5-0-0-0-0-0-87.50-24 Points.
17. Ednei Caminhas, 0-87.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-87.25-20 Points.
18. Lucas Divino, 0-0-85.75-0-0-0-0-0-85.75-16 Points.
(tie). Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 85.75-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-85.75-16.33 Points.
20. Cody Teel, 0-0-84.5-0-0-0-0-0-84.50-13 Points.
21. Brady Fielder, 84.25-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-84.25-12 Points.
Austin Richardson, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Derek Kolbaba, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Chase Dougherty, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Dener Barbosa, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Manoelito de Souza Junior, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Bob Mitchell, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Clayton Sellars, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Dakota Louis, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Matt Triplett, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
João Henrique Lucas, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Marco Eguchi, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Alex Marcilio, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Adriano Salgado, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Brandon Davis, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Casey Coulter, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
Alex Cardozo, 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.00
