Photos by Andy Watson / BullStock Media
By Barbara Pinnella
PREVIEW The pandemic has certainly resulted in a major change for the PBR World Finals. Originally slated to once again be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, ultimately had to be moved because of Covid-19 restrictions. The venue that would work the best ended up being the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, so that is where those finalists will take their gear. But one thing that has not changed is the exciting race itself, and this year finds many men vying for the opportunity to be crowned the 2020 World Champion. As of this writing, and with two events left before the Finals, Jose Vitor Leme is leading the world standings by 563.09 points over Joao Ricardo Vieira.
When he first set foot on U.S. soil in 2017, Leme was PBR’s Rookie of the Year. He followed that up by finishing second in the world in both 2018 and 2019. He holds the top score this season of 94.25 after riding the Dakota Rodeo/Julie Rosen/ Clay Struve/Chad Berger charge Smooth Operator in the 15/15 Bucking Battle in Billings, MT. Earlier in the year and paired with Chiseled, owned by Flynn/D&H Cattle Co., he posted a 94-point score. Make no mistake, Leme does not want to be a bridesmaid three years in a row! As previously mentioned, in that second place is fellow Brazilian Vieira. The veteran bull rider has been on a streak of his own, with three wins this season, along with other top placings. He has also been particularly strong in the 15/15 Battles this season. It is no secret that JRV has worked hard to get and stay in riding shape, and his efforts have paid off. It certainly doesn’t hurt that he is finally pretty healthy as well. JR. is ahead of third place Kaique Pacheco by 150.41 points. Pacheco moved up a
Jose Vitor Leme rides Chiseled for 94 points in Salt Lake City. Photo by Andy Watson / BullStock Media.
Humps-Horns.com · 22 · November 2020
