Dunn and Gaffney Tip their Hats to Leme’s Record-Breaking Ride on Woopaa
By: Justin Felisko
TULSA, Okla. – 2013 Ring of Honor inductee Bubba Dunn was chatting with Terry Williams Sunday morning when the two began to chat about 2020 World Champion Jose Vitor Leme’s sensational 5-for-5 performance at Last Cowboy Standing earlier in the week in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
At the time, Dunn had not yet watched Leme’s record-setting, 97.75-point ride on Woopaa during this weekend’s PBR Express Ranches Classic, presented by Pit Boss, 15/15 Bucking Battle, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but he was by no means surprised to hear that Leme had set a new standard in the PBR.
“That is the baddest, little son of a gun I have ever seen strap on a set of spurs,” Dunn told PBR.com via phone.
Dunn was one of three men who shared the previous PBR record (96.5 points) prior to Leme’s heroics inside the BOK Center.
The Louisiana native became the first rider in PBR history to record a 96.5-point score 21 years ago when he rode Promise Land in Tampa, Florida.
“I thought a long time ago he should have broken that record,” Dunn said. “I have seen him make some rides at the PBR Finals and I was like, ‘Dang, he will break it.’
“I am just so impressed.”
The ride Dunn was thinking about from the PBR Finals was Leme’s 95.75-point ride on Woopaa last year to clinch the 2020 World Championship.
On Sunday, Dunn was still raving about Leme’s toughness in Cheyenne. Leme won Last Cowboy Standing by riding four bulls on Tuesday night, three of which were scored north of 90 points.
“Terry was saying Leme can just put his body where he wants too, and I was like, ‘Yeah, but just think about the damn mental toughness that he has to go through.’ Like that deal at Cheyenne, he is mentally sound to keep going through that. And I am talking about on good bulls too.”
Two-time World Champion Chris Shivers was the next rider after Dunn to be scored 96.5 points, converting for the monster score aboard Jim Jam one year later in Tampa.
Shivers would record another 96.5 points at the 2001 World Finals on two-time World Champion Bull Dillinger.
Both riders were inducted into the PBR Ring of Honor together in 2013.
Shivers, who was unavailable for comment on Sunday, holds the PBR record for career 90-point rides on the premier series with 94.
Leme (45 career 90-point rides) may one day break that record as well.
“I don’t think we have ever seen anything like him,” Dunn said. “I love Chris to death, and I know Chris was really impressive when he was young, but this cat right here is something.”
1997 PBR World Champion Michael Gaffney was the last rider to make the 8-second mark for 96.5 points. Gaffney rode three-time World Champion Bull Little Yellow Jacket for 96.5 points in 2004, 17 years ago in Nampa, Idaho.
Gaffney was at one of his kid’s soccer games on Sunday morning, but he too tipped his hat to Leme on breaking the record via a text message to PBR.com.
“Wow! Wow!!!” Gaffney wrote. “Jeez, makes me feel even older, what an athlete he is.”
Big Mac played spoiler to any more Leme record-breaking rides in Tulsa Sunday, though, when the bovine athlete disposed of the world No. 1 bull rider in 4.76 seconds.
Leme finished 0-for-2 in the regular Tulsa event, but his PBR-record, tying sixth 15/15 Bucking Battle victory courtesy of Woopaa will help him take a 410.5-point lead on No. 2 Kaique Pacheco in the world standings into next weekend’s PBR Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic in Sacramento, California.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
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