Cooper Davis and Joao Ricardo Vieira Split Round 1 Win in Windy City

CHICAGO – 2016 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) World Champion Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas) and 2013 PBR Rookie of the Year Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil) tied for the Round 1 win Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd at Allstate Arena for the 25^th PBR: Unleash The Beast Series’ Chicago Invitational.

The victory was each rider’s second round wins of the season, courtesy of matching 87.25-point scores.

Earning $3,165 and 80 world points each, Davis’ qualified ride came aboard Luke (Broken Arrow Bucking Bulls), while Vieira made the 8 atop Maximum Risk (Broken Arrow Bucking Bulls).

For Vieira the ride was via a familiar draw, as he bucked off the Missouri-based bovine athlete last weekend during Round 3 of the Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden in New York City at the 6.42-second mark.

Dakota Buttar (Kindersley, Saskatchewan, Canada) finished third to earn $2,000 and 50 world points.

The 2017 Glen Keeley Award winner covered Acting Crazy (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Staci Wilks/N Bar Ranch) for 86.75 points.

Three riders, Valdiron de Oliveira (Piranhas, Brazil), Guilherme Marchi (Três Lagoas, Brazil), and Jordan Hansen (Okotoks, Alberta, Canada), all marked 86 points, split the fourth place finish, and took home a paycheck for $916.67 and 28.33 world points.

In his second elite tour event since emerging from retirement, Oliveira’s ride came aboard Shelly’s Gangster (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Shelly Gadzow).

Currently a perfect 5-for-5 on the 25^th PBR: Unleash The Beast Series, Oliveria is amid the best start to a season since 2011 when he logged nine consecutive rides to open the year.

2008 World Champion Marchi covered Nailed (Broken Arrow Bucking Bulls), the 615^th qualified ride of his career on the elite tour, to earn the Top 5 finish.

Joining the veteran riders in just his fifth event on the premier series, Hansen made the 8 on Slinger (Torres Brothers Bucking Bulls LLC).

The Top 35 bull riders in the world will return to Allstate Arena for Championship Sunday of the Chicago Invitational tomorrow afternoon, Sunday, January 14. Each rider will face one bull in Round 2 before the Top 15 riders advance to the Championship Round, where a winner will be crowned.

CBS Sports Network will broadcast all the action from Championship Sunday, with coverage of Round 2 and the Championship Round, on Sunday, January 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Fans will also be able to watch the action in its entirety at PBR.com/ondemand. Action from Round 1 will be viewable starting at 8:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, January 14. Round 2 and the Championship Round can be seen starting at 8:00 a.m. ET on Monday, January 15.

Professional Bull Riders – 25^th PBR: Unleash The Beast Series

Chicago Invitational

Allstate Arena, Chicago, Illinois

Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)

1. Joao Ricardo Vieira, 87.25-0-0-87.25-80 Points.

(tie). Cooper Davis, 87.25-0-0-87.25-80 Points.

3. Dakota Buttar, 86.75-0-0-86.75-50 Points.

4. Valdiron de Oliveira, 86-0-0-86.00-28.33 Points.

(tie). Guilherme Marchi, 86-0-0-86.00-28.33 Points.

(tie). Jordan Hansen, 86-0-0-86.00-28.33 Points.

7. Cody Nance, 85.75-0-0-85.75-5 Points.

8. Ramon de Lima, 85.5-0-0-85.50

9. Wallace Vieira de Oliveira, 85-0-0-85.00

(tie). Silvano Alves, 85-0-0-85.00

11. Claudio Montanha Jr., 84.25-0-0-84.25

12. Mason Lowe, 84-0-0-84.00

13. Dener Barbosa, 83.75-0-0-83.75

14. Emilio Resende, 83-0-0-83.00

15. Cody Teel, 81.25-0-0-81.25

16. Cody Campbell, 80.25-0-0-80.25

17. Eduardo Aparecido, 77.5-0-0-77.50

18. Alex Marcilio, 64.75-0-0-64.75

Gage Gay, 0-0-0-0.00

Kaique Pacheco, 0-0-0-0.00

Jose Vitor Leme, 0-0-0-0.00

Ryan Dirteater, 0-0-0-0.00

Luciano De Castro, 0-0-0-0.00

Rubens Barbosa, 0-0-0-0.00

Jess Lockwood, 0-0-0-0.00

Lachlan Richardson, 0-0-0-0.00

Stetson Lawrence, 0-0-0-0.00

Brock Radford, 0-0-0-0.00

Derek Kolbaba, 0-0-0-0.00

Troy Wilkinson, 0-0-0-0.00

Reese Cates, 0-0-0-0.00

Francisco Morales, 0-0-0-0.00

Brennon Eldred, 0-0-0-0.00

Marco Antonio Eguchi, 0-0-0-0.00

Nathan Burtenshaw, 0-0-0-0.00

Fabiano Vieira, 0-0-0-0.00