(Editor's note: PBR release)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In front of a raucous Sunday afternoon crowd inside the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri, Lucas Divino (Nova Crixas, Brazil) captured his career-first PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast victory, delivering a flawless 3-for-3 performance to win the Caterpillar Classic.
The weekend’s competition also bore witness to both world No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) and No. 2 Jess Lockwood (Volborg, Montana) sustaining injuries. While Leme was relegated to the sidelines for Championship Sunday in Kansas City, Lockwood notched two 90-point rides to gain ground in the title race, nearly halving Leme’s lead atop the rankings.
Divino’s march to the top of the Can-Am Cage began on Saturday evening when the surging Brazilian delivered the fifth best score of Round 1, covering White Squirrel (Lonnie & Amy Austin) for 86 points.
On Championship Sunday, the surging Brazilian’s momentum continued to roll when he recorded the top marks of Round 2, an 88.5-point trip on The Punisher (Bill Henson/Gene Owen), to win the round and enter the championship round atop the event leaderboard.
With the pivotal first pick in the championship round bull draft, the 26-year-old selected a familiar foe in Medicine Man (TNT Bucking Bulls/Hart Cattle Co.). While the duo previously found themselves matched up at the premier series event in Oklahoma City in February 2019, they never left the chutes, with Divino earning a re-ride.
This time, however, the chute gates burst open for a clean out, and Divino reached the 8-second whistle for a massive 91 points, the first 90-point ride of his career on the elite Unleash The Beast.
Divino’s flawless performance earned him a career-high payday for $38,430 in addition to 117 world points.
After beginning the event No. 20 in the world, Divino is now ranked No. 10, within 417 points of No. 1 Leme.
Leme competed on the opening night of action for the Caterpillar Classic, bucked off in both Round 1 and the 15/15 Bucking Battle, however was unable to compete on Championship Sunday due to a back injury. He is questionable for the Unleash The Beast’s stop next week in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Divino’s win comes amidst a surge for the rising Brazilian as he continues to compete through a broken riding (right) hand.
Sidelined for the late January premier series event in Oklahoma City, followed by the Iron Cowboy Major in Los Angeles, Divino returned to the elite tour last weekend in St. Louis, nearly capturing his first Unleash The Beast victory. As one of just two riders to go a perfect 3-for-3, Divino concluded the event second, netting 65 world points and rising from No. 78 to No. 20 in the world.
Also also going a perfect 3-for-3 in Kansas City, Eduardo Aparecido (Gouvelandia, Brazil) finished second, earning $16,625 and 71.5 world points.
Following his 85-point trip aboard Smooth Gangster (K-C Bucking Bulls/Joe & Nina Webb) in Round 1, the veteran cowboy recorded his second qualified ride when he covered Invizibull Fire (Cord McCoy/Bruce Wold) for 86.5 points in Round 2.
Architecting a rematch for the championship round, Aparecido selected Rising Sun (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Heald Pro Bulls) as his final bovine athlete opponent.
Having met twice prior, Aparecido was bested in both trips. After Rising Sun dispatched the 29-year-old in a swift 2.85 seconds in their first showdown on the premier series in Little Rock, Arkansas, in March 2017, Aparecido was most recently bucked off in a quicker 2.63 seconds in Oklahoma City in February 2019.
In Kansas City, however, Aparecido finally reached the 8-second whistle, marked 89 points.
Compliments of the silver finish, Aparecido rose from No. 10 to No. 7 in the world. He is now within 372.5 points of No. 1 Leme.
Two-time, and reigning, PBR World Champion Lockwood inched closer to recapturing the world No. 1 ranking at the Caterpillar Classic compliments of his third-place finish.
While he remains No. 2 in the world, Lockwood, who earned $16,680 and 61 world points, honed in on the top-ranked rider Leme, shrinking his lead from 133.5 points to 72.5 points.
Recently becoming the youngest, and quickest, athlete to eclipse $4 million in career earnings with the PBR, the Montanan began the event in dominating fashion, winning Round 1 with a massive 90.5-point effort aboard Suns Up (Joe & Nina Webb/BS Cattel Co.).
In Round 2, Lockwood then faced a matchup that had Kansas City abuzz all week long in drawing Mahomie (Paradigm Bull Company), a bull named in honor of the MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Super Bowl LIV-winning Kansas City Chiefs. The clash of titans, however, resulted in no score for Lockwood, with Mahomie besting him in 3.68 seconds.
Undeterred after being smashed hard to the ground and helped off by PBR Sports Medicine, Lockwood returned in the championship round determined to ascend the Can-Am Cage.
Drafting I’m Legit Too (Bloyd Land & Cattle Co. Inc.), Lockwood earned both his league-leading fifth 90-point ride, and eighth round win, when reached the requisite 8 for a monstrous 91.5 points.
The ride, however, may alter Lockwood’s season.
During the dismount the 22-year-old sustained a left, medial hamstring strain when his spur got hung up in his bull rope. Lockwood is set to undergo an MRI tomorrow and, like No. 1 Leme, is questionable for next weekend’s event in Little Rock.
As the final rider to go a perfect 3-for-3, Dener Barbosa (Paulo de Faria, Brazil) was fourth.
His flawless weekend was highlighted by an 82.5-point trip on Drop Top (Blake Sharp/Chris Mclendon) in Round 1, 84.5-point ride aboard Big Shot (Blake Sharp) in Round 2, and 87.75-point score on Cinnamon Kat (Payson Parker/D&H Cattle Co.) in the championship round.
Barbosa left the Sprint Center with $5,400 along with 49 world points. He is now ranked No. 9 in the world, rising from No. 11 at the start of the event, 404.59 points behind the No. 1 position.
Rounding out the Top 5 in fifth on a Sunday when Brazilian riders would take four of the Top 5 finishing positions was 2018 PBR World Champion Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil).
While he bucked off Dollar Hide (M Rafter E Bucking Bulls) in 2.48 seconds in Round 1, the Brazilian phenom bounced back on Championship Sunday delivering two qualified rides.
First riding Cut The Cord (Kruger Bucking Bulls) for 87.25 points in Round 2, Pacheco then rode Outlaw (Hart Cattle Co./Hale) for 88.75 points in the championship round.
Pacheco’s 2-for-3 showing earned him $7,116.67 and 34 world points. He remains No. 5 in the world, now 281.5 points behind No. 1 Leme.
In the bull pen, Canadian Mist (TNT Bucking Bulls/Hart Cattle Co.) earned the YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the event honor compliments of his performance in Saturday evening’s 15/15 Bucking Battle.
The bovine athlete was scored a massive 46 points after bucking off Claudio Montanha Jr. (Pacaembu, Brazil) in 2.5 seconds to win his first high-marked bull event award of the 2020 season.
Fans can relive all the action from the PBR Unleash The Beast’s Caterpillar Classic on Monday, March 2 at 8:00 a.m. EST on RidePass, at RidePass.com or via the mobile app.
CBS Sports Network will broadcast all the action from Championship Sunday, with coverage of Round 2 and the championship round, on Sunday, March 1 at 8:00 p.m. EST.
The elite PBR Unleash the Beast will next travel to Little Rock, Arkansas, and Simmons Bank Arena for the Bad Boy Mowdown. The event will be on Friday, March 6 at 7:45 p.m. CST, and Saturday, March 7 at 6:45 p.m. CST.
PBR Unleash The Beast
Caterpillar Classic
Sprint Center – Kansas City, Missouri
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Lucas Divino, 86-88.5-91-265.50-117 Points.
2. Eduardo Aparecido, 85-86.5-89-260.50-71.5 Points.
3. Jess Lockwood, 90.5-0-91.5-182.00-61 Points.
4. Dener Barbosa, 82.5-84.5-87.75-254.75-49 Points.
5. Kaique Pacheco, 0-87.25-88.75-176.00-34 Points.
6. Brennon Eldred, 88-0-86.75-174.75-28 Points.
7. Ezekiel Mitchell, 87.75-0-0-87.75-14 Points.
8. Ramon de Lima, 80.5-85.25-0-165.75-12 Points.
9. Tye Chandler, 0-87.25-0-87.25-11.33 Points.
(tie). Bruno Scaranello, 0-87.25-0-87.25-11.33 Points.
11. Aaron Kleier, 87.25-0-0-87.25-10.33 Points.
12. Fabiano Vieira, 0-86.5-0-86.50-6.5 Points.
13. João Ricardo Vieira, 84.5-0-0-84.50-5 Points.
(tie). Cole Melancon, 0-86-0-86.00-5 Points.
15. Jake Lockwood, 84.25-0-0-84.25-4 Points.
Jose Vitor Leme, 0-0-0-0.00
Daylon Swearingen, 0-0-0-0.00
Matt Triplett, 0-0-0-0.00
Colten Jesse, 0-0-0-0.00
Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-0-0-0.00
Derek Kolbaba, 0-0-0-0.00
Mason Taylor, 0-0-0-0.00
Bradley Brittain, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Campbell, 0-0-0-0.00
Joao Henrique Lucas, 0-0-0-0.00
Taylor Toves, 0-0-0-0.00
Marcus Mast, 0-0-0-0.00
Brady Sims, 0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0.00
Stetson Lawrence, 0-0-0-0.00
Alisson De Souza, 0-0-0-0.00
Rubens Barbosa, 0-0-0-0.00
Luciano De Castro, 0-0-0-0.00
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0.00
Michael Lane, 0-0-0-0.00
