15/15 Preview: Montanha No. 1 Rider for First Time in his Career
By: Justin Felisko
April 24, 2018
Claudio Montanha Jr is second in the PBR with 22 rides. Photo: Andy Watson/BullStockMedia.com.
PUEBLO, Colo. – Claudio Montanha Jr. laughed when asked about getting in a bidding war with Cooper Davis for the right to one day possibly buy Catfish John, but the newly minted world No. 1 bull rider is hopeful he will one day join Davis in the PBR record books.
Montanha’s 89.5-point ride on Catfish John Sunday during the championship round of the Stanley Performance In Action Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires, propelled him to a career-best 750 world points and the second win of his two-year career.
He is the only non-World Champion bull rider to have ridden Catfish John this season, and he has now done it twice after previously covering Chad Berger’s bovine star for 90 points in Anaheim, California.
Three-time World Champion Silvano Alves has also ridden Catfish John two times in 2018 for 88 points (Albuquerque, New Mexico) and 87 points (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), while Davis rode Catfish John for 91.25 points to win the Chicago Invitational.
In fact, Montanha credited Alves for helping him stay the course during his recent springtime slump.
Montanha had risen to third in the world standings following his first career victory in Duluth, Georgia, on March 11. The 28-year-old then went 5-for-15 prior to his 3-for-3 victory in Billings.
SweetPro’s Bruiser bucked off Montanha in 4.69 seconds during the 15/15 Bucking Battle.
“I talk to Silvano (last) week,” Montanha said. “He knew both of the bulls I drew (for Round 1 and the 15/15 Bucking Battle). I went to his house and he told me how I should try and ride those bulls. He said the way you ride, I think you will ride them easily.”
Montanha first met Alves in 2009 at a rodeo in Brazil.
Alves would come to the United States the next year, and Montanha eventually made his own journey to the U.S. seven years later.
The two are separated by two years in age and are now reunited on the 25thPBR: Unleash The Beast. Montanha considers Alves someone he can confine in.
The two have yet to discuss the 2018 world title race.
Montanha is the No. 1 bull rider in the world for the first time in his career. He leads No. 2 Ramon de Lima by 145.83 points ahead of this weekend’s Columbus Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires.
The Pacaembu, Brazil, bull rider has drawn Stretch for the 15/15 Bucking Battle.
15/15 Bucking Battle Matchups
Stetson Lawrence vs. Bad Beagle (20-4, PBR UTB)*
Valdiron de Oliveira vs. Rising Sun (9-7, PBR UTB)
Derek Kolbaba vs. Breaking Bad (7-4, PBR UTB)
Dakota Buttar vs. I Always Stand (39-7, PBR UTB)
Keyshawn Whitehorse vs. Beaver Creek Beau (62-9, PBR UTB)
Ryan Dirteater vs. TLW’s Big Cat (29-3, PBR UTB)
Brennon Eldred vs. Smooth Sailing (16-4, PBR UTB)
Cooper Davis vs. Red Bandana (27-7, PBR UTB)
Jess Lockwood vs. Milky Jones (21-5, PBR UTB)*
Eduardo Aparecido vs. Cut The Cord (15-6, PBR UTB)*
Luciano de Castro vs. Wicked Stick (24-7, PBR UTB)
Kaique Pacheco vs. Arctic Assasin (3-1, PBR UTB)
Cody Nance vs. Losing My Religion (26-2, PBR UTB)
Ramon de Lima vs. Twinkle Toes (4-3, PBR UTB)
Claudio Montanha Jr. vs. Stretch (4-1, PBR UTB)
*Rematch
Fans can watch the 15/15 Bucking Battle on CBS national television Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
Montanha is the fifth different rider to hold the top spot in the standings this season. Outside of Davis, the other three riders – Gage Gay, Dener Barbosa and Ramon de Lima – and Montanha had never been on top of the rankings.
Montanha is tied for second in the PBR with 22 qualified rides and is 22-for-48 (45.83 percent) in 15 events.
In just his second year on tour, Montanha has asserted himself in the World Championship conversation, which is something Alves used to be no stranger too.
“We haven’t gotten a chance to talk about that yet, but everything Silvano says you write it down,” Montanha said. “It is going to work. He knows everything about bull riding, and I trust him.”
A champion bull rider in his native homeland, Montanha said he knew he would eventually get things back on track.
“I have been riding for so long that I kind of got to realize some days you bucked off certain bulls,” Montaha said. “Sometimes we doubt ourselves. Can I do this? I try to forget all of this and move on to the next one. I try to go bull by bull and make sure I know I can ride.”
Montanha struggled to put into words how great it was to achieve one of his goals and become the No. 1 rider in the world.
Yet even the thought of a World Championship is still unimaginable in ways for him.
“It is going to be great to write our names down next to Adriano (Moraes), Silvano, J.B. (Mauney), Justin McBride,” Montanha concluded. “It is a dream. It is hard to explain how big that is.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
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