(Editor's note: PBR media release)
SACRAMENTO - As the dust settled inside the Golden 1 Center on Sunday evening in Sacramento, Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) stood atop the Can-Am cage in the arena with a triumphant smile on his face as he won his first event of the 2020 PBR Unleash The Beast season at the Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic.
Over the course of the weekend, which set a local attendance record for PBR’s 17th visit to Sacramento, Leme showcased the same energy and passion that fans saw during the heated 2019 world title race as he went a perfect 4-for-4, including winning or tying for the victory in three of this weekend’s five rounds.
As Sunday afternoon of the three-day event began, Leme conquered Danny Boy (D&H Cattle Co/ Gordon/ OK Corrals) in Round 3 for 87.75 score, landing him atop the leaderboard as the opening round ended. In the championship round, the determined world title contender stood behind the chutes intensely watchingMarco Eguchi (Poa, Brazil) take the lead with a 89.25-point ride aboard Midnight Rain (Dakota Rodeo/ Chad Berger/ Clay Stuve/ Staci Wilks/ N Bar Ranch), which made a qualified ride necessary for Leme to win.
On the last out of the three-day weekend, Leme mountedRising Sun (Dakota Rodeo/ Chad Berger/ Clay Struve/ Heald Pro Bulls), fired from the chutes, and was in complete control on the big black bull for 91 points, clinching the win. The win moved Leme from No. 6 in the world standings to No. 2, a mere 7.25 points behind new world leader Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil), who became the world’s top cowboy after winning this weekend’s 15/15 Bucking Battle.
Two-time World Champion Jess Lockwood(Volborg. Montana), who went 1-for-4 over the weekend, slid down to the No. 3 spot. For his efforts, Leme earned $41,845 and 157.5 world points.
Leme’s crowd-pleasing ride bumped fellow countryman Eguchi into second place for the weekend. Earlier in the night before his championship round battle with Leme, the veteran rider had made the 8 aboard Cold Water Willie(D&H Cattle Company). Eguchi, who won the Sacramento event in 2012, also went 4-for-4 over the weekend, moving from No. 64 in the world to No.13. He leaves the Golden State with $16,500 and 77.5 world points.
Third place went to went to young gun Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York), just two weeks after winning the Chicago Invitational. Despite a rocky start to the night when he bucked off Cha Ching (D&H Cattle Co./ Buck Cattle Co) at 7.94 seconds, the New Yorker recorded an 88.75-point ride aboardSmoke Show (Humpz and Hornz/ Sis ‘N’ Stan/ KMH) in the championship round. Swearingen’s 3-for-4 weekend earned him $11,925 and 65.5 world points. He began the weekend at No. 4 in the world and now holds the No. 5 position.
Rounding out the Top 5 was Claudio Montanha Jr.(Pacaembu Sau Paulo, Brazil) with a 3-for-4 performance. The confident Brazilian rider was matched with Fist City(Dakota Rodeo-Chad Berger/ Clay Struve/ Ken Barnhard) in Round 3 where he made the whistle and recorded and 86.25-point ride score.
In the championship round. Montanha Jr. selectedReinmaker (Flying U/ Cindy Rosser) and proved successful in his selection when he rode for 80 points, limping off and declining a re-ride option. He earned $7,700 and 46 world points and more impressively moved up from No. 22 in the world to No.8.
Fans can relive all the action from Sacramento, on Monday, January 27 at 8:00 a.m. EST at or via the RidePass mobile app.
The PBR Unleash The Beast next travels to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and the Chesapeake Energy Arena for the Express Ranches Invitational on Friday, Jan. 31 at 7:45 p.m. CST and Saturday, Feb. 1 at 6:45 p.m. CST.
Elsewhere in the PBR, in front of a sold-out crowd inside the Nutrien Western Event Centre, three-time Glen Keeley Award winner Dakota Buttar (Kindersley, Saskatchewan) delivered a flawless 3-for-3 performance to capture his career-first PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Canada Monster Energy Tour event win, winning the Calgary Classic, the season-launch event for the 2020 season.
Buttar began his march to victory when he recorded the fourth-best score of Round 1, logging an 85.5-point ride aboard Scarecrow (X6 Ranch Bucking Cattle). In Round 2, Buttar then faced a familiar opponent, drawing Mish Mash (Vold Rodeo), a bull the Saskatchewan cowboy had previously ridden to a Round 1 win at the 2019 PBR Canada Finals, scored 86 points.
In Calgary, Buttar again reached the 8-second whistle, this time marked 85.5 points. Sitting atop the aggregate entering the championship round, Buttar architected his second rematch of the night, drafting two-time PBR World Finals selection Tykro Pound Sand (Wild Hoggs/Corey Chmelnyk) for the championship round. The duo had met once prior, teaming up for an 87.5-point score during the championship round of the 2018 PBR Canada Finals.
Known to propel riders to notable victories, with phenom Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York) winning both the 2019 PBR Canada Finals and PBR Canada Championship aboard the bovine athlete, Tykro Pound Sand once again earned his rider a coveted buckle.
Bringing the record-setting crowd to its feet, Buttar recorded an 87.5-point ride to cement his victory. The four-time PBR World Finals qualifier earned $5,373.70, in addition to 535 Canadian and 30 world points. Buttar remains the No. 1-ranked rider in the nation, extending his lead atop the Canadian standings, now 582.5 points in front of No. 2 Brock Radford (De Winton, Alberta). Buttar also gained ground in the broader PBR world standings, now ranked No. 19.
PBR Unleash The Beast - Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic
Golden 1 Center -Sacramento, CaliforniaEvent Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Jose Vitor Leme, 88-84.75-87.75-91-351.50-157.5 Points.
2. Marco Eguchi, 75.5-84.25-85.25-89.25-334.25-77.75 Points.
3. Daylon Swearingen, 85.75-85.75-0-88.75-260.25-65.5 Points.
4. Ezekiel Mitchell, 86-83.5-87.75-0-257.25-49 Points.5. Claudio Montanha Jr., 87.5-0-86.25-80-253.75-46 Points.
6. Eduardo Aparecido, 0-87-84-78.5-249.50-33.5 Points.
7. Cody Teel, 0-86.25-85.25-68.75-240.25-25.75 Points.
8. Stetson Lawrence, 0-88-0-0-88.00-22 Points.
9. Alisson De Souza, 0-84.75-87-0-171.75-18.5 Points.
10. Lucas Divino, 0-85.75-85.75-0-171.50-15 Points.
11. Jess Lockwood, 87.75-0-0-0-87.75-10 Points.(tie).
11. Jake Lockwood, 0-87.25-0-0-87.25-10 Points.
13. Gage Gay, 0-0-87.5-0-87.50-9 Points.
14. Matt Triplett, 0-87-0-0-87.00-8.5 Points.1
5. Leandro Machado, 86.5-0-0-0-86.50-8 Points.
16. Derek Kolbaba, 0-0-86.75-0-86.75-7 Points.
17. Junio Quaresima, 85-0-0-0-85.00-5 Points.
18. Kaique Pacheco, 0-0-85.75-0-85.75-4.5 Points.
19. Colten Jesse, 0-85.25-0-0-85.25-4 Points.(tie).
19. Bradley Brittain, 82-0-0-0-82.00-4 Points.
21. Mason Taylor, 0-83.75-85.25-0-169.00-3.75 Points.
22. Aaron Kleier, 0-0-85.5-0-85.50-3 Points.
23. Fabiano Vieira, 70-0-0-0-70.00-2 Points.
24. João Ricardo Vieira, 0-0-85.25-0-85.25-0.75 Points.
Dener Barbosa, 0-0-0-0-0.00Brady Sims, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Taylor Toves, 0-0-0-0-0.00Brady Fielder, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Ramon de Lima, 0-0-0-0-0.00Shay Marks, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Lawson Nobbs, 0-0-0-0-0.00Cody Jesus, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0-0.00Luciano De Castro, 0-0-0-0-0.00
Brennon Eldred, 0-0-0-0-0.00
PBR Canada Monster Energy Tour – Calgary Classic
Nutrien Western Event Centre – Calgary, Alberta
Event Leaders (Round 1- Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Garrett Green, 86.5-0-0-86.50-100 Points.
2. Dayton Johnston, 86-0-0-86.00-55 Points.
(tie). Zachary Laney, 86-0-0-86.00-55 Points.
4. Dakota Buttar, 85.5-0-0-85.50-35 Points.
(tie). Callum Miller, 85.5-0-0-85.50-35 Points.
6. Tim Lipsett, 84.5-0-0-84.50-12.5 Points.
(tie). Wyatt Gleeson, 84.5-0-0-84.50-12.5 Points.
8. Zane Lambert, 84-0-0-84.00
(tie). Jared Parsonage, 84-0-0-84.00
10. Austin Richardson, 83.5-0-0-83.50
11. Aaron Roy, 83-0-0-83.00
(tie). Nick Tetz, 83-0-0-83.00
13. Jackson Scott, 82.5-0-0-82.50
14. Wacey Finkbeiner, 82-0-0-82.00
15. Lane Mellers, 81.5-0-0-81.50
(tie). Griffin Smeltzer, 81.5-0-0-81.50
17. Nick Goncalves, 81-0-0-81.00
PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour - Lexington Classic
Rupp Arena – Lexington, Kentucky
(Round 1-Round 2-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Cole Melancon, 86-89-175.00-31.5 Points.
(tie). Lindomar Lino, 85-90-175.00-32 Points.
3. Junio Patrik Souza, 83.5-86.5-170.00-13 Points.
4. Paulo Ferreira Lima, 83-86-169.00-8 Points.
5. Alex Cardozo, 88-0-88.00-11 Points.
6. Nathan Burtenshaw, 86-0-86.00-4.16 Points.
(tie). Marcus Mast, 86-0-86.00-4.16 Points.
(tie). Wallace Vieira de Oliveira, 86-0-86.00-4.16 Points.
9. Amadeu Campos Silva, 85.5-0-85.50-0.66 Points.
(tie). Joao Henrique Lucas, 85.5-0-85.50-0.66 Points.
(tie). Bruno Scaranello, 85.5-0-85.50-0.66 Points.
12. Mauricio Gula Moreira, 83.5-0-83.50
(tie). Jesse Petri, 83.5-0-83.50
14. Bryan Titman, 83-0-83.00
(tie). Tyler Harr, 83-0-83.00
Professional Bull Riders Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour - Spokane Classic
Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena – Spokane, Washington
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Alex Santana, 80.5-83.5-164.00-34 Points.
2. Cody Campbell, 79-84-163.00-27 Points.
3. Matt Werries, 85-0-85.00-17 Points.
4. Pedro Fonseca, 84.5-0-84.50-10 Points.
5. Cody Casper, 83-0-83.00-5 Points.
(tie). Dakota Louis, 83-0-83.00-5 Points.
(tie). River Stephenson, 83-0-83.00-5 Points.
8. Luis Blanco, 82.5-0-82.50-1 Points.
9. Ricky Aguiar, 81-0-81.00-1 Points.
10. Brady Oleson, 78-0-78.00
11. Joseph McConnel, 75.5-0-75.50
