LAS VEGAS – Kaique Pacheco glanced at three-time World Champion Silvano Alves and then at 2013 Rookie of the Year Joao Ricardo Vieira earlier this week inside the MGM Grand hotel.
During a pre-World Finals interview, Pacheco was asked what it would mean to have his name in the PBR record books alongside two of his idols who are both PBR Rookie of the Year award winners.
“I would be very happy to see that,” Pacheco said via translator Miriaham Contreras. “Back in Brazil, I watched them and I always wanted to be up here with them.”
Following Thursday night’s second round of the Built Ford Tough World Finals, Pacheco officially clinched the 2015 Rookie of the Year title.
Pacheco rode Born Sinner for 81.75 points in the second round for an eighth-place finish.
However, with only 1,800 points remaining for one rider to earn at the World Finals, No. 2 rookie Cooper Davis (1,907.5 points behind) is unable to catch Pacheco.
“It is an important honor for every rookie starting in bull riding,” Pacheco said. “It is very important for me because this was my dream in Brazil to come here and ride in the PBR. This is a good day for me. I am very happy.”
The Itatiba, Brazil, bull rider leads all rookies in event wins (three), round wins (seven), qualified rides (35) and riding percentage (47.3 percent).
He also will go down in history as the first PBR rookie to win a PBR Major when he went 2-for-5 in Nashville.
Alves has taken Pacheco under his wing all season long and is proud of all that the 21-year-old has accomplished.
Pacheco is actually the youngest Rookie of the Year since Alves, who won the award in 2010 at 22 years old.
The 21-year-old sat up in his chair, while Alves began to describe what has made Pacheco so great in his first BFTS season.
“He is very capable of succeeding,” Alves said with Contreras translating. “God has given him a great talent. He is really good at it and he is a very good person. He is very focused and humbled, which is a really good thing for him. He knows what he has to do and he is very good.”
Alves went 33-for-53 and won three events as well during his rookie season. Alves posted one 90-point ride during his rookie year, and Pacheco currently has one as well.
Pacheco is currently third in the world standings and trails world leader J.B. Mauney by 1,522.5 points.
The 2015 world title is likely out of reach, but Pacheco is on pace to finish inside the Top 3 of the world standings.
Vieira finished third in the world during his 2013 Rookie of the Year season and posted similar numbers to Pacheco.
Vieira went 35-for-72 (48.61 percent), won three events and finished third in the world.
“It is not that I am impressed, but it was already foreseen.” Vieira said through Contreras. “We already knew Kaique was very talented, very good and very capable. Like my year, we knew he could fight for a world title.”
Pacheco could still potentially become the first rookie to win the World Finals event title since Jody Newberry (2003), but he says that once Monday morning arrives he will be begin training for a run at the 2016 world title.
If he were to win the 2016 title, he would become the second rider in PBR history to win the world title the year after claiming top rookie honors.
The only rider to achieve that feat so far?
Alves.
“It is every guy’s dream to win that title,” Pacheco said. “Of course I am going to try and get better every day to go win that title.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
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