Two-time reigning PBR (Professional Bull Riders) world champion Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) dropped two monster 90-point lifts on Saturday night at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas, winning the Unleash The Beast’s elite race. PBR Bad Boy Mowers Mowdown, his first nobility palm of 2022.
At the 10th Unleash The Stylish event of the 2022 season, Leme rose to No. 4 in the world rankings, inching closer to his uncharted third consecutive PBR World Championship.
Leme was quick to attack in Round 1 on Friday night, tying off the bench after making Choc Tease (Cord McCoy/ BuzzBallz LLC) score 89.75 points.
When Championship Saturday began, Leme won the palm of it in the third round of the season when he conquered Hang Em High (BryanT. Smith/Nathan Doss) by 90.25 points.
Launched to the top of the event leaderboard, Leme had the first pick in the crown round bull draft. With his choice of the range pen, the former semi-pro football player outclassed Woopaa (Barker Bulls/Hookin’W Ranch), an opponent with whom he had recorded the two highest-scoring lifts in PBR history, and rather did a strategic move. the choice to go toe-to-toe with Diddy Wa Diddy (Cord McCoy/Bill McCarty).
A familiar matchup, Leme rode the top beast athlete for 93.25 points in May 2021 en route to his event palm in the main series event in Billings, Montana.
Leme was again a picture of perfection aboard Diddy Wa Diddy, matching the bull jump for a score of 92 points, deciding the palm of the PBR Bad Boy Mowers Mowdown event. The 90-point score was Leme’s fourth of the PBR-style season and 59th of his career.
By the sweat of it, Leme earned a check for $ along with 145.5 critical world points. While traveling to Simmons Bank Arena ranked No. 9 in the world, Leme broke into the Top 5 for the first time this season. He is now ranked No. 4 in the standings, just 160.66 points behind No. 1 Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York).
If Leme were to be crowned PBR World Champion again in 2022, the stoic Brazilian would be the first rider in history to win the honor three consecutive seasons and only the third three-time PBR World Champion.
At the height of the World Championship race, both No. 1 Swearingen and No. 2 Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil) were shut out inside Simmons Bank Arena.No. World 3 Kyler Oliver (Roy, Utah) went 1-for-2 to finish eighth, earning 34 world points, but he was unable to compete in the crown round after injuring his right groin in the alternate round.
Swearingen leads Vieira by 75.66 points but is now just 144.16 points ahead of No. 3 Oliver.
Manuelito de Souza Junior (Itamira, Brazil) was the only other rider to post a perfect 3-for-3 and finished an alternate race styled with his race at the PBR Bad Boy Mowers Mowdown, earning $106.5 world points.
Souza advanced to the final-round alternate in the standings after pinning Homegrown (Cord McCoy/Chad Reese) for 89.5 points in Round 1 and Skull Crusher (Shuler Bucking Bulls) for 87 points in Round 2.
With the alternate selection in the bull draft, Souza was quick to pick current YETI PBR World Champion Bull Woopaa as his latest beastly athlete opponent.
Souza also delivered the steepest drive of his career and first 90-point issue in the main series, pinning Woopaa for a 92.75-point parenting and crowning round in style.
The 26-time table finish earned him seven positions in the world rankings, raising him from No. 20 to No. 13. Souza is now 357.16 points out of the No. 1 spot and 39 points out of the Top 10.
Mauricio Moreira (Gaviao Peixoto, Brazil) and home-state hopeful Chase Outlaw (Hamburg, Arkansas) tied for third place.
Moreira was sensational on Championship Saturday as he looked to bounce back from a 6.52 alternate backoff given to him by High Records (Stevens Bucking Bulls) in Round 1.
The rising youth weapon put points on the board for the first time when he pinned Jersey Tuff (McClellan/ Lingard/ Hart) for 89.25 points in Round 2.
Moreira also soared up the event standings in the final round when he went the distance atop I’m Legit Too (Hart CattleCo./Hale) by 90.5 points.
The attractive Brazilian left the room with a check for $ and 63.5 world points. He kept his No. 5 in the world rankings but came within 189.66 points of top-ranked Swearingen.
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