By the Numbers: T-Mobile Arena Has Good History for Top 3 Riders in the World

By: Justin Felisko

PUEBLO, Colo. – Jose Vitor Leme’s victory this past weekend at the Dakota Community Bank & Trust PBR Bull Riding Challenge helped him increase his lead in the 2021 World Championship race. Still, this year’s class of title contenders all know the race will come down to the PBR World Finals.

The PBR is bringing the PBR World Finals back to T-Mobile Arena following a one-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state-of-the-art venue on the Vegas Strip has already played host to its fair share of historic moments.

In fact, the Top 3 riders in the world all have had their own version of success inside T-Mobile Arena.

Here is a statistical breakdown of Leme, Kaique Pacheco and Cooper Davis at T-Mobile Arena with less than five months until the Finals begin on Nov. 3.

Jose Vitor Leme

 
World Championships at T-Mobile: 0
World Finals victories: 1
Top 5: 3
Top 10: 3
Rides: 14
Outs: 18
Riding Percentage: 77.78%
Round Wins: 3
Average Ride Score: 89.89
90-point Rides: 6
Top Ride: 94.5 points on Magic Train (2017 World Finals)

ANALYSIS: It is not surprising to hear Jose Vitor Leme say he cannot wait to get back to T-Mobile Arena: he has been close to perfect in his three trips there. He has only bucked off four bulls in his career at the venue and has recorded at least four qualified rides all three seasons.

Leme, most noteworthy, went a perfect 6-for-6 to win the 2017 PBR World Finals event average as an unknown rookie competing at his first premier series event just 10 days after coming to the United States from Brazil. In 2018, Leme rode his first three bulls as he attempted to make a late push at Pacheco for the world title before South Texas Gangster and Frequent Flyer bucked him off in Rounds 4 and 5. Leme, though, went on to ride three-time World Champion Bull SweetPro’s Bruiser for 93.5 points to finish second in the event average.

In 2019, Leme went 4-for-6 and had a crushing loss to Jess Lockwood in the world title race. He finished fifth in the event average that year.

If Leme rides at his normal career pace inside T-Mobile Arena, it is going to be extremely hard for any rider to catch him in the world title race unless they are near perfect at the Finals (Lockwood was 5-for-6) and do not enter Las Vegas too far back in the world standings.

Kaique Pacheco

 
World Championships at T-Mobile: 1
World Finals victories: 0
Top 5: 0
Top 10: 1
Rides: 8
Outs: 17
Riding Percentage: 47.05%
Round Wins: 1
Average Ride Score: 86.59
90-point Rides: 0
Top Ride: 89 points on Crazy Horse (2016 World Finals)

ANALYSIS: Pacheco has surprisingly never finished inside the Top 5 at any World Finals, let alone inside T-Mobile Arena. He has ridden a respectable 47.05% of his bulls at T-Mobile, but a 3-for-6 showing at the World Finals is most likely not going to be enough to defeat Leme or Davis at the Finals this year. However, Pacheco certainly has the pedigree and mentality to ride all of his bulls at the Finals. He nearly did just that last season in Arlington, Texas, as he attempted to challenge Leme for the 2020 world title.

In 2018, Pacheco did show everyone he has a warrior mentality. His bid at winning the 2018 World Championship appeared doomed when he tore his left MCL/PCL at the 2018 Velocity Tour Finals attempting to ride Fly Over just four days before the start of the 2018 PBR World Finals.

But Pacheco put on a memorable performance of toughness and grit at the Finals by riding his first two bulls – 87.25 points on Rugby and 88.75 points on Smooth Wreck – and finishing 2-for-5 to hold off Leme’s last-second world title push.

Cooper Davis

 
World Championships at T-Mobile: 1
World Finals victories: 0
Top 5: 1
Top 10: 2
Rides: 11
Outs: 24
Riding Percentage: 45.83
Round Wins: 1
Average Ride Score: 88.61
90-point Rides: 4
Top Ride: 91 points on Catfish John (2016 World Finals)

ANALYSIS: Davis won the World Finals event average as a rookie during the final year at the Thomas & Mack Center (2015) and then finished third at the 2016 Finals in T-Mobile. That performance helped Davis usurp Pacheco for the 2016 world title on the last day of the World Finals for his first gold buckle.

However, Davis is only 7-for-18 in his last three trips to T-Mobile Arena.

Davis may need a 2016-level performance at the Finals again to win this year’s world title. The 2021 race appears to be one that will truly go down to the wire, and having the ability – mentally and physically – to seal the deal on Championship Sunday may be necessary.

Davis has proven before that he can come from behind on the last day of the World Finals to win a gold buckle, using a 91-point ride on Catfish John in Round 5 to overcome Pacheco in 2016. He may need a last-day push again this coming November to defeat Pacheco and Leme.

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

Photo courtesy of Matt Breneman/Bull Stock Media

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