(Editor's note: PBR release)
NEWARK, N.J. – At the first-ever PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast event in Newark, New Jersey, reigning World Champion Jose Vitor Leme’s (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) season for the ages continued to roll. The Brazilian phenom registered two round wins to tie two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney (Statesville, North Carolina) for the season round win record, and also delivered a walk-off 90-point ride in the championship round to clinch his elite tour-best seventh event victory of the 2021 season at the PBR ZipRecruiter Invitational at Prudential Center.
Leme was quick to strike in Round 1, covering A-Team (Universal Rodeo) for 88.5 points to begin Championship Sunday tied for third on the event leaderboard.
In the second round of competition inside the home of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, Leme catapulted to the top of the event standings when he rode Home Wrecker (Blake Sharp/Kanngiesser Cattle Co.) for a monstrous 92 points. The 90-point score, Leme’s 20th of the season, also earned him his 18th round victory of the year.
With the first selection in the championship round bull draft, Leme architected a rematch with Slingin’ Tears (Blake Sharp/Henry Wilson/Caveman Bucking Bulls), a decision that would allow him to again etch his name in the league record books.
Leme burst from the chutes aboard the powerful bovine athlete, the raucous Garden State crowd erupting in cheer as he reached the requisite 8. Marked 90.75 points, his unprecedented 21st 90-point ride of the season, Leme won the championship round, tying Mauney for most round wins in a season with 19. Mauney initially set the record in 2013 en route to his first gold buckle.
However, while the crowd celebrated, Leme winced in visible pain as he made his way off the dirt. Sustaining a right groin injury, Leme will undergo an MRI later in the week to determine the severity of the injury.
The golden finish earned Leme a check for $28,491.68 along with a critical 154.5 world points. He furthered his stronghold on the No. 1 rank in the race for the 2021 PBR World Championship, now a season-best 866 points ahead of No. 2 Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil).
With 23 rounds left in the season, Leme is poised to take sole ownership of the season round win record, and he is also within striking distance of overtaking two-time PBR World Champion Justin McBride (Elk City, Oklahoma) for most event wins in a year. In 2007, McBride won eight events en route to his second world title.
Additionally in 2021, Leme, who has now won the past two Unleash The Beast events and is amidst a six-out ride streak, is attempting to become just the second rider in history to win the PBR World Championship in back-to-back seasons. Three-time PBR World Champion Silvano Alves (Pilar do Sul, Brazil) is the lone rider to achieve the feat, winning his first two titles in 2011 and 2012. Should he repeat as the World Champion in 2021, Leme would also become just the seventh multi-time World Champion in PBR history.
Fernando Henrique Novais (Pereira Barreto, Brazil) went a perfect 3-for-3 to finish a career-best second at the PBR ZipRecruiter Invitational.
Needing a qualified ride in Round 1 to advance to Championship Sunday, the 35-year-old succeeded under pressure, covering Black Beetle (K-C Bucking Bulls/JoZ Bucking Bulls) for 86 points.
Novais then punched his ticket to the championship round when he delivered his second qualified ride of the event, marked 88.25 points aboard Dirty Sancho (Blake Sharp/Koe Wetzel/High Voltage Cattle) in Round 2.
In the championship round bull draft, Novais elected to go head-to-head against Mike’s Motive (Blake Shar/High Voltage Cattle/American Spirits/Koe Wetzel).
Prior to their showdown, Mike’s Motive had been ridden just twice in 15 outs on record, most recently by 2016 PBR World Champion Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas) in May for 91.75 points to clinch the Unleash The Beast victory in Jacksonville, Florida.
Replicating Davis’s success, Novais also made the 8 aboard Mike’s Motive for a head-turning score, registering his career-first 90-point ride on the elite Unleash The Beast with 90.25 points.
Novais left Prudential Center having earned $14,819.14 and 91.5 world points.
While he traveled to New Jersey ranked No. 63 in the world, Novais surged 24 positions, now No. 39. Still outside the Top 30, Novais inched within 86.5 points of a seeded position at premier series events.
Third was Derek Kolbaba (Walla Walla, Washington), earning $10,579.63 and 73 world points.
In the opening rounds of action, Kolbaba secured the seventh pick in the final round bull draft when he covered Godzilla (Blake Sharp/Henry Wilson/High Voltage Cattle) for 86 points in Round 1 and Cooter Brown (Lucas Manning/Waller Brothers Cattle Co.) for 87.5 points in Round 2.
Kolbaba was then propelled to his season-best finish on the premier series when he punctuated his perfect outing in New Jersey with an 88.25-point effort atop Walking Tall (Davis Rodeo Ranch) in the championship round.
The Washington rider rose two positions in the race for the 2021 PBR World Championship, climbing from No. 10 to No. 8.
As the final rider to go unbeaten inside Prudential Center, Davis was fourth.
Unrivaled in Round 1, Davis logged his eighth round win of the season when he rode Patillo Ridge (5S Bucking Bulls/Tex Brothers Ranch) for 89.5 points.
The Texan once again brought the electric crowd to its feet in Round 2 when he went the distance aboard Buffalo Scott (Blake Sharp/TBR Bucking Bulls) for 87.5 points.
In the championship round, despite being offered a re-ride, Davis, who was afflicted by a thumb injury, opted to keep his 77.5-point score on DJ Long John (Blake Sharp/High Voltage Cattle/American Spirits).
Davis will return to the Lone Star State with a check for $10,484.21 and 68.5 world points. He remained No. 3 in the world, now 914 points behind No. 1 Leme.
Rounding out the Top 5 in fifth was Mauricio Moreira (Gaviao Peixoto, Brazil).
Moreira rode Freakin Wicked (Davis Rodeo Ranch/Ed & Cindy Fogle) for 88.25 points in Round 1 and Bottom’s Up (TCB Ranch/K-C Bucking Bulls) for 89.25 points in Round 2. But his hopes of victory came to a heartbreaking end in the final round when he was called for a slap at the 3-second mark on Big Black (K-C Bucking Bulls/Joe & Nina Webb).
Moreira left Prudential Center with 49 world points. He remains No. 7 in the world standings.
In the bull pen, Satan’s Seed (Lucas Manning Bucking Bulls) was the YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Event. The accomplished animal athlete turned heads in Round 2 when he was marked an event-best 45.25 points for his swift 1.65-second buckoff of Joao Henrique Lucas (Bastos, Brazil).
PBR RidePass on PlutoTV will offer re-airs and on-demand replays of every PBR Unleash The Beast event. PBR RidePass is available on desktops, laptops and mobile devices via www.pluto.tv [pluto.tv]. Tune to channel 720 for the latest programming schedule.
The PBR Unleash the Beast will next travel to Deadwood, South Dakota, and the Deadwood Events Complex for the PBR Monster Energy Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires. The event will be on Saturday, September 25 at 5:45 p.m. MDT and Sunday, September 26 at 1:45 p.m. MDT.
Elsewhere in the PBR, at the first-ever Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event in Church Rock, New Mexico, Alex Cardozo (Indaiatuba, Brazil) proved the supreme athlete, going a perfect 2-for-2 to win the inaugural PBR Buckin’ at the Rock.
In Round 1 at the picturesque Red Rock Park Arena, the veteran contender got off to a hot start, delivering a dominant score when he covered Regulator (Humpz and Hornz/Frances Dandy) for 84 points.
Surging to the top of the leaderboard, Cardozo squared off against Blue Sky (Humpz and Hornz) in the championship round. Cardozo rose to the occasion, the crowd erupting in raucous cheer as he reached the requisite 8 for an event-best 88 points.
Marking his first event victory of the season on the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour, Cardozo netted a critical 44 world points as he attempts to qualify for the third PBR World Finals of his career.
Cardozo, who entered the event ranked No. 147 in the world, surged 81 positions in the world rankings compliments of the golden finish, now No. 66. He trails the Top 30 and a seeded position on the premier series by 180.34 points.
PBR Unleash The BeastPBR ZipRecruiter InvitationalPrudential Center
Newark, New Jersey - Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Jose Vitor Leme, 88.5-92-90.75-271.25-154.5 Points.
2. Fernando Henrique Novais, 86-88.25-90.25-264.50-91.5 Points.
3. Derek Kolbaba, 86-87.5-88.25-261.75-73 Points.
4. Cooper Davis, 89.5-87.5-77.5-254.50-68.5 Points.
5. Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 88.25-89.25-0-177.50-49 Points.
6. Dalton Kasel, 88.75-88.25-0-177.00-44 Points.
7. Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 86.75-87.25-0-174.00-26.5 Points.
8. Eli Vastbinder, 87-86-0-173.00-25 Points.
9. Junior Patrik Souza, 84.5-86.25-0-170.75-20 Points.
10. Kaique Pacheco, 83.5-87-0-170.50-18 Points.
11. Ramon de Lima, 87.75-68.25-0-156.00-14.5 Points.
12. Chase Dougherty, 0-89.75-0-89.75-18 Points.
13. João Ricardo Vieira, 88.5-0-0-88.50-16.5 Points.
(tie). Mason Taylor, 0-88.5-0-88.50-16 Points.
15. Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-88.25-0-88.25-14 Points.
16. Cody Jesus, 87.75-0-0-87.75-13.5 Points.
17. Silvano Alves, 0-87.25-0-87.25-9.5 Points.
18. Adriano Salgado, 0-86.75-0-86.75-8 Points.
19. Thiago Salgado, 86.25-0-0-86.25-10 Points.
20. João Henrique Lucas, 85.75-0-0-85.75-8 Points.
21. Ezekiel Mitchell, 84.75-0-0-84.75-8 Points.
22. Jesse Petri, 81.75-0-0-81.75-8 Points.
23. Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-65.25-0-65.25
Boudreaux Campbell, 0-0-0-0.00
Marco Eguchi, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Teel, 0-0-0-0.00
Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 0-0-0-0.00
Eduardo Aparecido, 0-0-0-0.00
Austin Richardson, 0-0-0-0.00
Andrew Alvidrez, 0-0-0-0.00
Conner Halverson, 0-0-0-0.00
Daylon Swearingen, 0-0-0-0.00
Lucas Divino, 0-0-0-0.00
Dakota Louis, 0-0-0-0.00
Leonardo Lima, 0-0-0-0.00
Kyle Jones, 0-0-0-0.00
Grayson Cole, 0-0-0-0.00
Hunter Ball, 0-0-0-0.00
Lucas Fideles Souza, 0-0-0-0.00
Joe Hostetler, 0-0-0-0.00
PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour – Buckin’ At The RockRed Rock Park Arena
Church Rock, New Mexico - Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Alex Cardozo, 84-88-172.00-44 Points.
2. Manoelito de Souza Junior [2], 80.5-0-80.50-24 Points.
3. Jesse Tillman, 77.5-0-77.50-13 Points.
Manoelito de Souza Junior [1], 0-0-0.00
Cole Skender [1], 0-0-0.00
Cole Skender [2], 0-0-0.00
Cody Casper, 0-0-0.00
Alvaro Aguilar Alvarez, 0-0-0.00
Rodrigo Melgar, 0-0-0.00
D.J. Parker, 0-0-0.00
Bob Mitchell [1], 0-0-0.00
Bob Mitchell [2], 0-0-0.00
Dalton Rudman, 0-0-0.00
Hunter Kelly, 0-0-0.00
Rubens Barbosa, 0-0-0.00
Venn Johns, 0-0-0.00
Francisco Morales, 0-0-0.00
Caden Bunch, 0-0-0.00
Josh Steele, 0-0-0.00
Andy Guzman, 0-0-0.00
Lindomar Lino, 0-0-0.00
Justin Granger, 0-0-0.00
Devin Hutchinson, 0-0-0.00
Anthony Hopen [1], 0-0-0.00
Anthony Hopen [2], 0-0-0.00
Ramon Curley, 0-0-0.00
Zac Osborne, 0-0-0.00
Latrell Long, 0-0-0.00
Joseph Vazquez, 0-0-0.00
Sheridan Laughter, 0-0-0.00
Jason Landing, 0-0-0.00
Chance Goodman, 0-0-0.00
Brandon Ballard [1], 0-0-0.00
Brandon Ballard [2], 0-0-0.00
Tyrell Tahe, 0-0-0.00
Wyatt Austin, 0-0-0.00
Cody Ibrahimi, 0-0-0.00
Wyatt Betony, 0-0-0.00
Merrell Cly, 0-0-0.00
Jacob Ramirez, 0-0-0.00
2021 PBR World Standings
(Place, Rider, Events, Wins, Top 5's, Points, Total Winnings)
1. Jose Vitor Leme, 35, 10, 20, 2,100.50, $469,457.92
2. Kaique Pacheco, 36, 5, 14, 1,234.50, $202,123.17
3. Cooper Davis, 32, 3, 14, 1,186.50, $177,011.51
4. Dener Barbosa, 43, 3, 14, 826.83, $123,394.14
5. João Ricardo Vieira, 39, 1, 9, 818.50, $122,923.66
6. Boudreaux Campbell, 29, 3, 6, 698.50, $136,663.00
7. Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 44, 2, 7, 534.00, $88,773.00
8. Derek Kolbaba, 37, 2, 5, 528.00, $105,099.07
9. Chase Dougherty, 40, 2, 11, 496.50, $90,546.42
10. Keyshawn Whitehorse, 40, 2, 8, 482.50, $73,143.70
11. Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 24, 3, 5, 480.00, $71,531.29
12. Junior Patrik Souza, 44, 2, 7, 443.00, $75,005.31
13. Marco Eguchi, 25, 1, 7, 433.50, $65,151.37
14. Dalton Kasel, 25, 2, 8, 426.25, $108,866.03
15. Cody Teel, 32, 1, 6, 404.50, $65,103.97
16. Paulo Ferreira Lima, 24, 2, 4, 377.83, $140,161.32
17. Jesse Petri, 35, 1, 5, 373.58, $45,987.92
18. Alex Cerqueira, 25, 0, 4, 343.00, $46,872.01
19. Eli Vastbinder, 39, 1, 7, 342.50, $64,726.76
20. Colten Fritzlan, 17, 1, 4, 339.50, $55,653.36
21. Cody Jesus, 16, 2, 7, 336.50, $66,820.09
22. Silvano Alves, 40, 0, 5, 333.00, $41,093.22
23. João Henrique Lucas, 30, 0, 4, 321.50, $39,602.93
24. Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 32, 1, 4, 293.00, $36,424.34
25. Eduardo Aparecido, 25, 0, 2, 285.50, $38,217.32
26. Austin Richardson, 28, 1, 6, 276.00, $47,736.43
27. Cole Melancon, 24, 0, 3, 263.50, $40,146.29
28. Mason Taylor, 25, 2, 5, 256.50, $46,872.10
29. Andrew Alvidrez, 32, 2, 5, 254.75, $42,520.88
30. Claudio Montanha Jr., 34, 1, 4, 233.00, $87,750.04
31. Ezekiel Mitchell, 29, 3, 4, 227.00, $31,702.72
32. Cody Nance, 24, 0, 6, 198.16, $30,280.86
33. Taylor Toves, 25, 0, 2, 187.00, $28,448.21
34. Thiago Salgado, 27, 0, 5, 184.00, $31,077.07
35. Conner Halverson, 38, 2, 4, 172.50, $25,421.98
36. Kyler Oliver, 7, 0, 1, 163.00, $23,452.09
37. Daylon Swearingen, 20, 1, 8, 152.00, $48,859.88
38. Lucas Divino, 18, 0, 2, 148.00, $30,331.08
39. Fernando Henrique Novais, 15, 0, 3, 146.50, $26,751.13
40. Manoelito de Souza Junior, 20, 1, 6, 139.00, $25,943.86
41. Caic Cassio Carvalho, 9, 1, 2, 136.00, $20,046.08
42. Luciano De Castro, 26, 0, 9, 131.83, $37,962.78
43. Michael Lane, 23, 2, 4, 128.00, $21,633.17
44. J.T. Moore, 22, 1, 3, 123.00, $15,236.51
45. Jess Lockwood, 9, 0, 1, 119.50, $21,219.20
