2016 World Champion Davis Dominates in Jacksonville to Win Second Consecutive Unleash The Beast Event
By: Kacie Albert
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One of the most fiercely contested PBR (Professional Bull Riders) World Championship races in league history intensified in a slugfest in Jacksonville, Florida, this weekend.
Red hot 2016 PBR World Champion Cooper Davis (Jasper, Texas) went a perfect 3-for-3, including a 90-point championship round ride, to win the PBR Unleash The Beast Bad Boy Mowers Invitational, presented by Union Home Mortgage and inch within 180.5 points of the world No. 1 rank, while 2018 PBR World Champion Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) reclaimed the top position in the world standings courtesy of his fourth-place effort combined with an uncharacteristic shut-out of previous world No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil).
Davis traveled to Jacksonville after having been unable to compete at the most recent tour stop in Billings, Montana. En route to his first Unleash The Beast victory of the year in Omaha, Nebraska, in early May, Davis sustained a left thigh strain, which sidelined him for a week of competition.
“Taking off last weekend, I felt really good coming into this week, and my confidence is pretty high right now,” Davis said following his victory. “It’s amazing seeing fans back in the seats. It definitely amps us up and made us ride a little better today. This season is a marathon; it’s not a one-event type deal. There’s a lot of season left. I just got to keep riding good.”
Davis’ march to the top of the Can-Am Cage, his 11th career Unleash The Beast win, began in Round 1 when he rode Experiment 626 (Rickey West Bucking Bulls/Hatcher) for 88.25 points.
The stoic Texan then remained perfect in Round 2 when he went the distance aboard Amy’s Pet (Universal Rodeo) for 85 points.
With the third pick in the championship round bull draft, Davis selected Mike’s Motive (Blake Sharp/High Voltage Cattle), a bovine athlete who had been ridden just once prior in nine attempts across all levels of competition.
Met by a raucous cheer from the electric crowd inside VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Davis matched the bovine athlete jump-for-jump, making the 8 and earning a monstrous, championship round-winning 91.75-point score.
The 90-point effort was Davis’ sixth of the season, the second-most of any rider on the premier series trailing only Leme, who has 12.
Compliments of his flawless performance, Davis earned $26,009.34 and a critical 139.5 points.
While remaining No. 3 in the world, he gained significant ground on the No. 1 rider. After beginning the event 304 points behind the No. 1 position, Davis is now within 180.5 points of the top spot, a ranking he has already held for five weeks this season.
Davis has covered his last seven draws and now holds the longest active ride streak of a contender currently competing on the premier series. Having gone a combined 22-for-36 (61.11%) to date on the Unleash The Beast, Davis also holds the second-best riding percentage, trailing only reigning PBR World Champion Leme, who has gone a torrid 22-for-34 (64.71%).
While Davis claimed the glittering Montana Silversmiths buckle, Pacheco reclaimed the world No. 1 rank after going 2-for-3 in Jacksonville to finish fourth, earning $10,994.90 and 54.5 world points. While Pacheco began the event 38.5 points behind No. 1 Leme, he leap-frogged his countryman with his seventh Top-5 finish of the season and is now atop the world standings with a 16-point lead.
Pacheco began the first PBR premier series event in Jacksonville in four years on a high note, tying for fourth in Round 1 after making the whistle atop Dirty Sancho (Blake Sharp/Koe Wetzel/High Voltage Cattle) for 87.75 points. Exemplifying Pacheco’s grit and determination, the qualified ride was notched aboard his third bull of the evening, having earned two re-rides.
While the “Ice Man” was unable to continue his momentum in Round 2, bucked off by Chinese Cigar (Universal Rodeo/Fabulous IV Ranch) in 5.95 seconds, he was quick to rebound in the championship round, architecting a rematch with The Sauce (Blake Sharp/Henry Wilson), a bull who had never been ridden in 14 prior attempts.
Pacheco had twice prior been bested by the striking bovine athlete. After The Sauce bucked him off in 5.43 seconds in Round 1 in St. Louis, Missouri, in February 2020, the bull again got the better of Pacheco in March 2020, sending the World Championship contender to the dirt in 2.83 seconds during Round 1 of the tour stop in Duluth, Georgia.
Pacheco, however, reversed his fortunes in Florida as the first rider to cover The Sauce, score 89.75 points.
In addition to reclaiming the world No. 1 rank, a position he held for four weeks earlier this season, and for one day last weekend in Billings until overtaken by Leme, Pacheco now leads elite tour riders in qualified rides (27), going 27-for-45 (60%) to hold the third-best riding percentage.
While Pacheco and Davis both gained ground in their quest to become the league’s seventh multi-time World Champion, Leme stumbled, going an uncharacteristic 0-for-2. His weekend came to an abrupt end after Walks Far (5S Bucking Bulls/Tex Brothers Ranch) bucked him off in 7.41 seconds in Round 1 and Notorious Nonsense (Staci Addison/Julian/D&H Cattle Co.) sent him to the ground in a quick 3.04 seconds in Round 2.
As the only other rider to go a perfect 3-for-3, 2018 PBR World Finals event winner Marco Eguchi (Poa, Brazil) was second.
Eguchi entered the championship round as the fifth man on the event leaderboard, having covered Rebel Call (Torres Brothers Bucking Bulls LLC) for 83.5 points in Round 1 and Sharon’s Lil Twister (Glover Cattle/D&H Cattle Co.) for 84.5 points in the championship round.
In a decision that proved dividends, Eguchi opted to face off against Born To Sin (Martinez Bucking Bulls, LLC) in the championship round. He punctuated a perfect weekend by riding the bull for 87.75 points to clinch the silver finish.
Eguchi is now ranked No. 6 in the world, having surged five positions after beginning the event ranked No. 11. He trails No. 1 Pacheco by 641 points.
Third was 2021 PBR Rookie of the Year contender Jesse Petri (Palestine, Texas).
Following a 2.86-second buckoff aboard Mule Train (Rickey West Bucking Bulls) in Round 1, Petri rebounded flawlessly on Championship Sunday.
Petri first brought the Floridian crowd to its feet when he won Round 2, the first Unleash The Beast round victory of his young career, after riding Hard Shot (Glover Cattle/D&H Cattle Co.) for 88.75 points.
In the event’s final round, the 23-year-old then delivered the high-marked ride of his career, going the distance atop Apper’s Mind Freak (Jo-Z Bucking Bulls/K-C Bucking Bulls/Spark-Lin Acres) for 89 points.
Marking Petri’s career-best finish on the premier series, his bronze effort earned him a check for $14,029.45, in addition to 81 world points.
In the world standings, the Texan surged 11 positions, catapulting from No. 33 to No. 22. In the Rookie of the Year race, Petri rose from No. 6 to No. 3, now within 173.17 points of standings leader Colten Fritzlan (Rifle, Colorado).
Rounding out the Top 5 in fifth was Ezekiel Mitchell (Rockdale, Texas).
In Round 1 of the PBR Bad Boy Mowers Invitational, presented by Union Home Mortgage, Mitchell emerged from a slump, snapping his eight-out buckoff streak when he rode Express Lane (Rickey West Bucking Bulls) for 87.75 points.
Mitchell then surged to the top of the event leaderboard in the second round, riding Buffalo Scott (Blake Sharp/TBR Bucking Bulls) for 87 points.
With the top pick in the championship draft, Mitchell selected a bull with a propensity to propel riders to big scores – Chiseled (Flinn/D&H Cattle Co.). Before the matchup, in his three most recent trips, Chiseled elevated riders to 90-point scores, including a 94-point effort by both Davis and Pacheco.
Mitchell, however, was not able to continue the streak, thrown off and slammed into the railing by the then world No. 2-ranked bovine in 4.13 seconds.
The Top-5 result earned Mitchell a crucial 49.5 world points. Seeking his first PBR World Championship in 2021, Mitchell rose from No. 36 to No. 27 in the world.
In the bull pen, Detroit Lean (Blake Sharp/Henry Wilson) was the YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Event. Earning the honor for the first time this season, Detroit Lean topped the event’s deep field of bulls when he was marked 45.5 points in the championship round for his 2.11-second buckoff of Mauricio Moreira (Gaviao Peixoto, Brazil).
Following a three-week break, the PBR Unleash the Beast will next travel to Las Vegas and MGM Grand Garden Arena for the PBR Showdown in the Desert. The event will be on Friday, June 11 at 6:45 p.m. PDT and Saturday, June 12 at 5:45 p.m. PDT. On Sunday, June 13, following the elite Unleash The Beast tour stop, the league will host its first event in partnership with Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo. The Showdown in Vegas will get underway at 12:45 p.m. PDT.
Elsewhere in the PBR, the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, welcomed the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour for the first time in league history.
As the dust settled, young gun Conner Halverson (Gordon, Nebraska) emerged victorious after going 2-for-3 at the PBR Sioux City Classic, presented locally by Bomgaars and Wilson Trailer.
After things didn’t go as planned in Round 1 on Friday night when he hit the ground after a mere 3.27 seconds, dispatched by Tannerite (Lightning Livestock, Inc.), Halverson was successful in both of his Championship Saturday matchups.
In Round 2, the 19-year-old drew Black Cadillac (Halpain Bucking Bulls), making the 8 for a solid 88.5-point score.
In the championship round, Halverson rocketed from the chutes aboard Mongoose (Championship Pro Rodeo/CCC/Cunningham), and fans roared as his 89-point score was announced, confirming his first-ever Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour win.
The victory earned the Nebraska cowboy 42.5 world points, and he is now ranked No. 50 in the world, surging 50 positions in the standings after beginning the event ranked No. 100.
Fans can relive all the action from both the PBR Unleash The Beast’s Bad Boy Mowers Invitational, presented by Union Home Mortgage, and Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour’s Sioux City Classic, presented locally by Bomgaars and Wilson Trailer, starting at 8:00 a.m. EDT on Monday, May 24, on RidePass, at RidePass.com or via the mobile app.
PBR Unleash The Beast
PBR Bad Boy Mowers Invitational, presented by Union Home Mortgage
VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena – Jacksonville, Florida
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Cooper Davis, 88.25-85-91.75-265.00-139.5 Points.
2. Marco Eguchi, 83.5-84.5-87.75-255.75-85.5 Points.
3. Jesse Petri, 0-88.75-89-177.75-81 Points.
4. Kaique Pacheco, 87.75-0-89.75-177.50-54.5 Points.
5. Ezekiel Mitchell, 87.75-87-0-174.75-49.5 Points.
6. Caic Cassio Carvalho, 87-86.75-0-173.75-42 Points.
7. Dener Barbosa, 85.5-84.5-0-170.00-27.5 Points.
8. Dakota Louis, 82-84.25-0-166.25-23 Points.
9. João Henrique Lucas, 88.75-0-0-88.75-32 Points.
10. Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 88.25-0-0-88.25-19.5 Points.
11. Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 0-87.25-0-87.25-19 Points.
12. Andrew Alvidrez, 0-86.5-0-86.50-15 Points.
13. Mason Taylor, 86.25-0-0-86.25-13 Points.
14. Taylor Toves, 85.75-0-0-85.75-11.5 Points.
(tie). Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 0-85.75-0-85.75-14 Points.
(tie). Matt Triplett, 85.75-0-0-85.75-11.5 Points.
17. Paulo Ferreira Lima, 85.25-0-0-85.25-9 Points.
18. Michael Lane, 85-0-0-85.00-8 Points.
19. Kyle Jones, 84.75-0-0-84.75-8 Points.
20. Boudreaux Campbell, 82.75-0-0-82.75-8 Points.
Jose Vitor Leme, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Teel, 0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0.00
Junior Patrik Souza, 0-0-0-0.00
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0.00
Chase Dougherty, 0-0-0-0.00
Eduardo Aparecido, 0-0-0-0.00
J.T. Moore, 0-0-0-0.00
Eli Vastbinder, 0-0-0-0.00
Luciano De Castro, 0-0-0-0.00
Hunter Ball, 0-0-0-0.00
Leonardo Lima, 0-0-0-0.00
Joe Hostetler, 0-0-0-0.00
Logan Biever, 0-0-0-0.00
Cole Skender, 0-0-0-0.00
Wyatt Rogers, 0-0-0-0.00
Alecio Ferreira da Costa, 0-0-0-0.00
Lane Nobles, 0-0-0-0.00
Eli Byler, 0-0-0-0.00
Thor Hoefer II, 0-0-0-0.00
PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour
PBR Sioux City Classic, presented locally by Bomgaars and Wilson Trailer
Tyson Events Center – Sioux City, Iowa
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Conner Halverson, 0-88.5-89-177.50-42.5 Points.
2. Lucas Fideles Souza, 87-0-89-176.00-28.5 Points.
3. Bob Mitchell, 87-0-88-175.00-16 Points.
4. Adriano Salgado, 87-85-0-172.00-12 Points.
5. Manoelito de Souza Junior, 87.5-0-0-87.50-11 Points.
6. Jake Morinec, 0-87-0-87.00-7 Points.
7. Mason Ward, 0-84-0-84.00-4 Points.
8. Fernando Henrique Novais, 0-83.5-0-83.50-1 Points.
Grayson Cole, 0-0-0-0.00
Thor Hoefer II, 0-0-0-0.00
Triston Dean, 0-0-0-0.00
Justin Houston, 0-0-0-0.00
Keith Hall, 0-0-0-0.00
Rubens Barbosa, 0-0-0-0.00
Jake Lockwood, 0-0-0-0.00
Laramie Craigen, 0-0-0-0.00
Dirlei Bonani, 0-0-0-0.00
Hayden Harris, 0-0-0-0.00
Jorge Valdiviezo, 0-0-0-0.00
Vinell Mariano, 0-0-0-0.00
William Wright, 0-0-0-0.00
Eduardo de Oliveira, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Campbell, 0-0-0-0.00
River Stephenson, 0-0-0-0.00
Ricky Aguiar, 0-0-0-0.00
Dylan Madsen, 0-0-0-0.00
Dalton Krantz, 0-0-0-0.00
Weston Hartman, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Jones, 0-0-0-0.00
Wyatt Austin, 0-0-0-0.00
Matt Hennelly, 0-0-0-0.00
Levi Hershberger, 0-0-0-0.00
Anthony Hopen, 0-0-0-0.00
Zach Laney, 0-0-0-0.00
Josh Lewis, 0-0-0-0.00
Fernando Mayans, 0-0-0-0.00
Christian Melgarejo, 0-0-0-0.00
Elijah Monnett, 0-0-0-0.00
Mason Moody, 0-0-0-0.00
Matt Oliver, 0-0-0-0.00
D.J. Parker, 0-0-0-0.00
Jacob Ramirez, 0-0-0-0.00
Cimarron Rucker, 0-0-0-0.00
Bo T Vocu, 0-0-0-0.00
Chase Wimer, 0-0-0-0.00
2021 PBR World Standings
(Place, Rider, Events, Wins, Top 5’s, Points, Total Winnings)
1. Kaique Pacheco, 22, 5, 12, 1,016.50, $174,646.12
2. Jose Vitor Leme, 16, 4, 10, 1,000.50, $189,499.49
3. Cooper Davis, 17, 3, 9, 836.00, $125,130.04
4. João Ricardo Vieira, 24, 1, 9, 696.00, $111,868.03
5. Dener Barbosa, 24, 1, 9, 605.33, $81,931.39
6. Marco Eguchi, 16, 1, 5, 375.50, $55,407.51
7. Colten Fritzlan, 17, 1, 4, 339.50, $55,653.36
8. Cody Teel, 17, 1, 5, 328.00, $53,786.47
9. Derek Kolbaba, 22, 1, 2, 326.00, $68,704.93
10. Silvano Alves, 22, 0, 5, 314.50, $38,817.07
10. Junior Patrik Souza, 26, 0, 5, 314.50, $33,178.03
12. Rafael Henrique dos Santos, 17, 1, 3, 281.50, $39,626.42
13. Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 26, 1, 4, 268.50, $42,122.49
14. Keyshawn Whitehorse, 22, 1, 4, 260.00, $44,438.99
14. Cole Melancon, 15, 0, 3, 260.00, $35,677.78
16. Chase Dougherty, 21, 2, 5, 227.50, $41,488.55
17. Boudreaux Campbell, 16, 1, 2, 222.00, $41,186.24
18. Eduardo Aparecido, 15, 0, 1, 215.00, $26,091.54
19. Alex Cerqueira, 19, 0, 3, 210.50, $27,647.49
20. João Henrique Lucas, 18, 0, 2, 200.50, $27,037.05
21. Taylor Toves, 16, 0, 2, 185.00, $28,260.80
22. Jesse Petri, 14, 1, 2, 166.33, $23,640.11
23. Kyler Oliver, 7, 0, 1, 163.00, $23,452.09
24. Cody Nance, 16, 0, 5, 149.16, $26,296.64
25. Marcelo Procopio Pereira, 19, 1, 2, 149.00, $15,492.55
26. Caic Cassio Carvalho, 7, 1, 2, 136.00, $20,046.08
27. Ezekiel Mitchell, 13, 1, 2, 128.00, $17,085.17
28. Mason Taylor, 11, 2, 3, 127.50, $24,516.45
29. Jess Lockwood, 9, 0, 1, 119.50, $21,219.20
30. Austin Richardson, 13, 1, 4, 107.00, $23,921.78
31. J.T. Moore, 15, 1, 3, 99.00, $14,636.51
32. Eli Vastbinder, 17, 1, 2, 93.50, $14,133.24
33. Claudio Montanha Jr., 16, 0, 0, 92.50, $13,169.25
34. Dalton Kasel, 9, 0, 1, 90.00, $13,651.39
35. Paulo Ferreira Lima, 15, 1, 3, 87.83, $11,769.25
36. Lucas Divino, 9, 0, 2, 81.00, $23,474.00
36. Michael Lane, 12, 1, 3, 81.00, $12,851.20
38. Luciano De Castro, 13, 0, 3, 77.33, $24,273.61
39. Brady Fielder, 5, 1, 3, 77.00, $5,915.91
40. Brennon Eldred, 13, 0, 1, 70.50, $11,058.93
41. Cody Jesus, 8, 2, 2, 69.00, $17,728.14
42. Dakota Louis, 22, 1, 3, 67.50, $9,935.24
43. Andrew Alvidrez, 11, 0, 0, 61.50, $4,618.24
44. Kyle Jones, 14, 0, 1, 58.50, $7,577.50
45. Aaron Kleier, 5, 2, 3, 57.00, $12,317.95
© 2021 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.