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Leme Wins the WCRA Rodeo Showdown

By: Justin Felisko
May 06, 2018

Jose Vitor Leme went 2-for-4 to win the WCRA Rodeo Showdown. Photo: Andy Watson/BullStockMedia.com.

LAS VEGAS – It wasn’t emphatic as his last victory in Las Vegas, but Jose Vitor Leme is once again leaving Vegas with another big-time payday and another belt buckle.

Leme won the inaugural WCRA Rodeo Showdown at Helldorado Days and $22,000 on Sunday afternoon courtesy of a 90-point ride on Bottoms Up.

The 2017 PBR Rookie of the Year earned the victory via tiebreaker (high-scored ride of the long round) after he and runner-up Claudio Montanha Jr. bucked off two bulls each in the Showdown Round.

 
“It is always great to be back in Vegas,” Leme said with the help of Paulo Crimber translating. “If I didn’t get anything done here, I would be going back home sad. To get this check is another dream come true. This is where my history started. I think there is a lot more to come. I am prepared for the end of the year when we come back for the PBR World Finals.”

Leme’s win comes six months and one day after he stunned the PBR world with a 6-for-6 performance to win a record-setting $416,000 and the 2017 PBR World Finals event title.

The 21-year-old is 14-for-18 in his career in Las Vegas at all levels of competition and he has won over $448,000 in two trips and four events in Vegas.

Two of those buck offs came in a span of 10 minutes Sunday.

Leme had a chance to win the event aboard More Big Bucks before coming down at the 6.94-second mark. Montanha had bucked off Indian Medicine in 4.05 seconds.

They then attempted two final bulls. Montanha first bucked off Hangman in 1.52 seconds, and Leme then came down at 7.67 seconds aboard Sitting Bull.

“Today I was exhausted against More Big Bucks because I was gone for a few weeks without riding,” Leme said. “I still rode good this weekend, but I wasn’t as in good enough shape like I was before I got hurt. He got me being a little bit tired, and then on the second one I didn’t have any time to put rosin on my rope. My rope was slick and towards the end my hand was slipping out, slipping out and then he jumped out of the spin and he got my head off and my heels off too.”

Leme finished in third place at Last Cowboy Standing on Saturday night and went a combined 5-for-8 in his first weekend of competition since tearing his left ACL three weeks ago in Tacoma, Invitational.

He earned 120 points toward the world standings for his victory Sunday, and 155 points at Last Cowboy Standing, to head into the summer break sixth in the world standings. Leme trails world leader Kaique Pacheco by 915 points.

“There is a long ways to go,” Leme said.

Leme began his WCRA weekend by tying Montanha for the Saturday round win with 87.75 points on Livin Large.

The ride impressed 2002 World Finals event winner J.W. Hart, as did his 90-pointer on Hart’s bull Sunday.

Hart had told Leme before the event Sunday to go out there and be 90 on Bottoms Up, while Leme was excited to get a chance to ride the bull.

“I had been watching that bull and I had been wanting to get on him,” Leme said. “I knew he was a great bull and you could be 90 on him. I knew I was going to have a little trouble with him in the chutes, but I was willing to do with that. It went great. He was favored to go into my hand, so it was ok he was a little hard in the box. I always want to go for bulls that I can be 90 on.”

Hart said Leme proved this weekend he could bounce back from injuries.

Leme had never tore a ligament until this recent knee injury.

“It is a frame of mind,” Hart said. “You never know until you are faced with it. We don’t know about him until he comes through one way or the other. If you want it bad enough, it won’t bother you, and it don’t bother him.”

Montanha advanced to the Showdown Round by riding High Razor for 87.75 points on Sunday. He had split the Round 1 win Saturday with Leme by riding Catfish John for 87.75 points.

The 29-year-old had lost the world No. 1 ranking to Kaique Pacheco less than 24 hours earlier during the conclusion of Last Cowboy Standing.

The No. 2 rider in the world standings trails Pacheco by 239.17 points after earning 70 points for his second-place finish.

“I want to congratulate Kaique because he deserved every bit of it,” Montanha said. “He rode great at Last Cowboy Standing and made awesome rides on awesome bulls. For me to lose that position doesn’t mean anything really. It is not done yet. I am riding good. I am glad I got one down today.”

Leme had the first pick of the Showdown Round draft, which allowed Montanha to elect to ride first in the round.

The two had agreed on which bulls they wanted prior to the start of the event.

“It worked out the way we thought about it in the locker room,” Montanha said. “We had an opportunity to stay with our plan. I got to choose to ride first or second. I decided to go first just to get it off my chest.”

Jess Lockwood made a great readjustment during his 87.5-point ride on The Don, but ultimately did not advance to the Showdown Round. Lockwood left the chute behind with The Don, before lifting himself back up into position.

The reigning PBR World Champion earned 40 points toward the world standings.

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

© 2018 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.

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