Leme Feeding Off Energy of World Championship Race

By: Justin Felisko
August 14, 2018

PUEBLO, Colo. – Jose Vitor Leme could feel the energy everywhere he went this past weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

He felt it heading up the escalator to the main lobby of the Hyatt Regency on Friday afternoon.

It was there when he unpacked his gear in his hotel room and as he began to study some of the bulls for the championship round.

There was an extra giddy-up in his step during the half-mile walk through downtown Tulsa to get to the BOK Center.

The sense of urgency was in the palm of his hand as he grabbed a piece of rosin to prepare his bull rope inside the locker room.

Most of all, when he climbed into the bucking chutes and, of course, heard the all-too-familiar 8-second buzzer go off did he truly sense and believe the time is now.

It took him longer than expected – nine months since being a perfect 6-for-6 at the PBR World Finals – but Leme finally got his first premier series victory (regular season) this past weekend and, in turn, he has reignited his belief that a World Championship may indeed be in his future this season.

“I feel this is an amazing energy because before this deal I was very focused on winning and being a World Champion, but then I went into that slump,” Leme said with the help of Paulo Crimber translating. “I still have that drive to win like I was before I got hurt. It is coming back. I got that hunger back for a world title.”

Leme clinched the victory at the Express Employment Professionals Classic, presented by Osage Casino & Hotel, by riding Bottoms Up for 90.5 points in the championship round. The 21-year-old began the event by tying with Cody Nance for the Round 1 victory (88.5 points on Pick-It Construction’s Find Jesus) and then riding Wound Up for 86 points in Round 2.

The 2017 Rookie of the Year earned 625 points towards the world standings and is up to No. 3 in the world.

It is the highest Leme has been ranked since tearing his left ACL attempting to ride Shelley’s Gangster in Tacoma, Washington in April.

Leme opted not to get surgery and instead took three weeks off to rehab his knee.

Therefore, the Ribas Do Rio Pardo, Brazil, native really didn’t necessarily fall into a slump as he describes. It was rather a mere speed bump along the way, seeing as Leme has returned in dominant fashion.

Leme is 10-for-15 at all levels of competition since tearing his ACL.

He finished third at Last Cowboy Standing in May, won the WCRA Rodeo Showdown in Las Vegas that same weekend (with another 90 points on Bottoms Up), went 2-for-3 to help Team Brazil win the Sydney Global Cup, and then was 3-for-4 in Tulsa this past weekend.

In fact, Leme has won three consecutive events if you include his 4-for-4 victory at the only event he competed at back home in Assis, Brazil, this summer.

“I went back to Brazil and I stayed with my family,” Leme said. “I only went to one event and I was champion at that event. That is the only place I went during the break. I got my family I like to be around. I did everything I wanted to do. Now I am going to be here for the rest of the season. I know I have to be ready for that and I am ready.”

 
Leme also got married this summer to his girlfriend of two-and-a-half years, Amanda.

Jose Vitor is excited for Amanda to come to the United States on Aug. 28.

“Without her, I couldn’t be here today,” he said. “She helps me a lot emotionally and everything I have she is part of. It is going to be awesome to have her around me for the rest of the season. She is really, really a part of all of these great things happening right now. She kind of motivates me and really helps me in my bad times, good times and she is really a part of everything that has happened in my life. God has just put a great person in my life to wrap up this great moment in my career. She is part of everything.”

Leme is 24-for-46 (52.17 percent) with two 90-point rides and six Top-5 finishes on the premier series. He has also earned world points in 13 of the 15 25^th PBR: Unleash The Beast events he has competed in and leads the PBR with nine round wins.

The combination of round-winning ability and consistency is going to make Leme a dangerous world title contender.

Leme heads into the Music City Knockout, presented by Cooper Tires, only 370 points behind world No. 1 Kaique Pacheco, and he has the opportunity to leave Nashville as the new world leader.

“Going to a major event with a lot of points on the line after winning a big event like this is good,” Leme said. “On the other hand, I can’t lose my focus on training and need to keep working. I cannot get lazy. I need to keep working like I am and it is going to help me a bunch.

“After a big win, to show up next weekend is going to be awesome.”

PBR Director of Livestock Cody Lambert let out a smile when asked about Leme’s performance in Tulsa before giving Leme a huge compliment.

“He is kind of the complete package,” Lambert said. “It’s a total different style, but he is like Adriano (Moraes). He can ride any kind of bull. It is a total different style of riding, but it is pretty dominating. He was the best bull rider here this weekend, no doubt.”

Leme was grateful to even be considered similar to the three-time World Champion.

“I just want to thank him for his words,” Leme said. “That really means a lot to me, for a person like him involved in the bull riding and the PBR to say something like that about me in good way. I want to thank him.

“That gives me more motivation to go forward.”

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

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