Greatest Performers at PBR Majors

By: Justin Felisko

PUEBLO, Colo. – It has become the norm since the PBR launched the PBR Majors in 2015 to see one of two riders atop the shark cage time after time.

2018 World Champion Kaique Pacheco and current world No. 3 Joao Ricardo Vieira have dominated events with some of the PBR’s largest payouts.

Pacheco and Vieira’s four PBR Majors victories apiece are the most in PBR history.

RidePass is re-airing Vieira’s fourth PBR Major victory – his 2020 victory at the season-opening Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden win – Monday night at 8 p.m. ET for FREE.

There are currently four PBR Majors on the Unleash The Beast calendar: New York, Iron Cowboy (Los Angeles), Last Cowboy Standing (Cheyenne, Wyoming) and Nashville, Tennessee.

PBR Last Cowboy Standing at Cheyenne Frontier Days is July 20-21, and the PBR Ariat Music City Knockout, presented by Cooper Tires, is Aug. 22-23.

Here is a look back at the riders with multiple PBR Major victories in their careers.

Joao Ricardo Vieira (4)

 
Victories: New York (2020), Iron Cowboy (2019, 2015), Last Cowboy Standing (2015)
Money won in 4 PBR Major wins: $638,833.33
Best Ride: 90.75 points on Percolator (2015 Last Cowboy Standing)

Vieira’s victory (4-for-4) in New York this January put him on top of the world standings for the first time since September 4, 2015.

It was in 2015 in which Vieira’s dominance at PBR Majors was at its finest, too. Vieira won Iron Cowboy and Last Cowboy Standing that year to open up a 1,662.5-point lead in the world standings by going 6-for-8 with two 90-point rides at the two PBR Majors.

However, Vieira’s bid for the 2015 World Championship came up short as two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney staged another memorable comeback, while Vieira fell into an 8-for-26 slump.

Vieira’s other PBR Major victory came last season when he went 3-for-3 to win the inaugural Iron Cowboy event in downtown Los Angeles. Vieira rode Cochise for 90.25 points, cementing himself as 2019 world title contender.

The 35-year-old has used a PBR Major win again to put himself in contention for a World Championship in 2020. If Vieira, who turns 36 in July, can finally get over the championship hurdle this year, he would become the second oldest PBR World Champion in PBR history behind three-time World Champion Adriano Moraes.

HE SAID IT: “I had a dream to come here and win in this city. It is a special arena, and there are a lot of people here. It is good energy, and to come here and get a win, I am so glad for this.” – Joao Ricardo Vieira on winning New York.

Kaique Pacheco (4)

 
Victories: Last Cowboy Standing (2018, 2017, 2016) and Nashville (2015)
Money won in 4 PBR Major wins: $509,391.67
Best Ride: 92.75 points on SweetPro’s Bruiser (2018 Last Cowboy Standing)

Pacheco’s last PBR Major win came during his 2018 championship campaign and capped off a historic run a Last Cowboy Standing. Pacheco won the final Last Cowboy Standing event in Las Vegas by going 4-for-5 during the PBR’s return to the Thomas & Mack Center. It was also a PBR-record third consecutive Last Cowboy Standing victory. Pacheco took over the world No. 1 ranking, and would stay there for the final six months of the season.

The Itatiba, Brazil, native also rode three-time World Champion Bull SweetPro’s Bruiser for a career-best 92.75 points.

In 2015, Pacheco became the first rookie to win a PBR Major by going 2-for-5 in the old bracket-style event. He eliminated Aaron Roy, Tanner Byrne, Matt Triplett, Stetson Lawrence and Fabiano Vieira on his path to victory. The win pushed Pacheco to third in the world, and made him an outside challenger at the 2015 world title.

Cole Melancon, who won this past February’s Iron Cowboy, is the only other rookie to win a PBR Major.

HE SAID IT: “This is one of the hardest events to win in the season, and for me to win it for a third time is amazing. I am just really happy to be able to ride all of my bulls. When you do that, the prize comes with it. Now I just find out I am the new No. 1 in the world, and it is even better.” – Kaique Pacheco following his 2018 Last Cowboy Standing victory

Jess Lockwood (2)

 
Victories: New York (2019, 2017)
Money won in 2 PBR Major wins: $235,533.33
Best Ride: 91.75 points on Prayer Warrior (2019)

Both of Lockwood’s world titles are tied to a PBR Major victory in New York.

Lockwood won the 2017 and 2019 season-openers in New York City, and used those two victories to overcome a series of injuries that could have derailed his world titles in both seasons.

The 2017 victory was one of redemption for Lockwood as he was coming off a disappointing 0-for-5 showing at the 2016 World Finals. 2019 was more so about Lockwood taking the next step in his career and solidifying himself once again as a world title contender after his 2018 season was ruined by a second-half groin tear.

Only one World Champion in the past five years – J.B. Mauney – has won a world title without a PBR Major victory. For Lockwood, his title aspirations were tied to New York – he won 17.69% of his total points in New York in 2017, and 10.53% in 2019.

HE SAID IT: “I feel like nothing can buck me off right now, and that is the best feeling in the world,” –Jess Lockwood following his 2019 New York win

Other riders with a PBR Major victory: Paulo Lima, Gage Gay, Shane Proctor, Eduardo Aparecido, Ramon de Lima, Cole Melancon, Chase Outlaw, Cooper Davis, Fabiano Vieira, Cody Teel and Marco Eguchi.

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

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