By the Numbers: PBR Bullnanza & WCRA Stampede at the E

By: Justin Felisko

PUEBLO, Colo. – 2018 World Champion Kaique Pacheco has been a world title contender every season of his career except for last season (reconstructive left elbow surgery), and the 25-year-old has put himself back into the mix for a possible second world title with his victory this weekend at PBR Bullnanza.

Pacheco trails world No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme by 427 points heading into this weekend’s PBR TicketSmarter Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires, on Friday and Saturday night at the Days of ’47 Arena.

Here is a by-the-numbers look at PBR Bullnanza & the WCRA Stampede at the E.

679: Days since Pacheco had won a premier series event. Prior to this weekend, Pacheco’s last event win came on October 7, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was the longest winless drought of Pacheco’s career.

197: Number of qualified rides for Kaique Pacheco. The 25-year-old needs three qualified rides to become the 31st rider in PBR history to record 200 or more rides on the premier series.

14: Pacheco’s career victories on the premier series. He is still averaging 2.3 victories per season since winning Rookie of the Year in 2015 despite missing the final five months of last season because of that elbow injury.

 
2,134,264.81: Leme won another $62,500 with his victory at the WCRA Stampede at the E, continuing to add to his increasing bank account and total career winnings ($2,134,264.81). Leme is one of 16 riders to earn over $2 million in their career, and is one of only four riders to earn that much money without winning a PBR world title.

Joao Ricardo Vieira leads all-time money earners without a world title with $2,649,731. That number increases to over $3 million (an estimated $3,083,064.33) if you count his $433,333.33 victory at The American last year.

38.46: 2020 YETI World Champion Bull co-leaders Smooth Operator and Chiseled have accounted for five of the 13 bull scores 46.25 points or higher this season (38.46%). Smooth Operator and Chiseled are both in the draw for this weekend’s UTB event in Salt Lake City, the seventh time in 2020 that they will have bucked at the same event. Chiseled has outscored Smooth Operator at all but one of those events.

 
173: World points Cody Teel has earned in his last four premier series events, which is third overall (Lucas Divino – 185.5 – and Leme – 141.5) and the most by one rider who has not won an event in that timespan. Teel entered the PBR Cooper Tires Invitational on May 9 in Guthrie, Oklahoma, ranked No. 55 in the world standings, and was on the verge of being cut from the premier series. He is 7-for-13 for 173 world points since then.

Teel took the summer off to continue to rehab a right knee injury that dates back to the 2019 PBR World Finals. The No. 13-ranked bull rider in the world has jumped 42 positions in the world standings and is moving up 10.5 spots per week at his current pace. Teel earned 28 world points with a 2-for-2, second-place finish at the WCRA Stampede at the E.

89.5: Average ride score for Teel vs. Milk Man this season. Three of Teel’s seven rides during his hot streak have come aboard Milk Man. Teel is 5-for-5 against Milk Man in his career.

87.27: Ezekiel Mitchell has increased his average ride score to 87.27 points following back-to-back weeks with 90-point rides. Never before had Mitchell reached the 90-point threshold until he rode Good Night Robicheaux for 90 points two weeks ago. He then followed it up this past weekend with 90.25 points on Zorro. Mitchell’s 87.27-point average score is second among active riders with 10 or more rides this season. World leader Jose Vitor Leme is averaging 87.62 points per ride.

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

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