Kolbaba and Kimzey Express Mutual Respect for Each Other

LAS VEGAS – Here are three things we learned from Round 1 of the Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour Finals Saturday night at South Point Arena.

Kolbaba and Kimzey express mutual respect; both ride in Round 1 (10-28-17)

PBR world leader Derek Kolbaba and PRCA no. 1 bull rider Sage Kimzey both laughed off all the talk about the two top bull riders squaring off against each other at South Point Arena.

Kolbaba and Kimzey are far from rivals, and instead are peers with mutual respect for the other’s accomplishments.

“I don’t see how you couldn’t have respect for the kid, it is not like he is that old,” Kolbaba said. “Every time he has went to the NFR he won the world. That guy is damn good. You can’t take anything away from him. I personally think if he devoted his time to the PBR he would be there. He would be a Top-10 guy all day long. It is fun to have him come out here and get the opportunity.

“People like to talk it up and try to sell tickets, but at the end of the day, it is just a good bull riding. I like Sage and he is a good guy to me. It is fun.”

Kimzey said, “I have mad respect. (Derek and Jess Lockwood) are great bull riders and are really good guys too. My thing is it is not about how good you ride really, but it is about the legacy you are going to leave. Both of those guys are going to be absolute legends in and out of the arena.”

The reality is both Kolbaba and Kimzey have much bigger things to focus on this weekend than a PBR vs. PRCA showdown.

Kolbaba is riding a hot streak toward the 2017 World Championship and saw good buddy and world No. 5 Jess Lockwood win Round 1 with a 91-point ride on Night Sweats.

Meanwhile, Kimzey is trying to finish in the top-two of the event standings to earn a trip to the World Finals on Wednesday.

Kimzey finished tied for fifth in Round 1 with an 86.5-point ride on ‘Merica.

“That was a really nice bull,” Kimzey said. “He blew up and had a lot of timing right out of the chute.”

Kolbaba answered Lockwood’s ride by tying for second-place in Round 1 with an 87.5-point ride on Ellis 1413.

1413 took a big leap out of the bucking chute before the 21-year-old regained control and made the 8-second mark into his hand.

“He kind of had some things that aren’t really the most fun and rider-friendly, but you have that grit and fight for that next jump,” Kolbaba said.

Kolbaba’s ride helped him tie with Trey Holston (87.5 points on Coal Face) for second-place to earn 40 world points.

The 40 points helped diminish the 80 points Lockwood earned for the round win.

Kolbaba heads into Round 2 of the Velocity Tour Finals 615 points ahead of Lockwood in the world title race.

“Seeing (Lockwood) ride dang sure fires me up,” Kolbaba said. “It more excites me than, ‘Shit, he got one rode, I better ride.’

“Seeing your buddies ride good like that fires you up to step up to the plate.”

Kolbaba is also now 45 points behind Velocity Tour leader Skeeter Kingsolver and will face 16B Budakon in Round 2.

Kingsolver was bucked off by Little Texas in 2.91 seconds, while Velocity No. 2 Alex Marcilio rode Flab Slab for 85.5 points.

Marcilio tied for ninth in the round and earned no world points, but the 29-year-old is also in contention for a Top 35 ranking.

The No. 37 rider in the world standings picked up a qualified ride in Round 1, while No. 36 J.W. Harris was bucked off by How Bout It in 5.72 seconds.

Marcilio trails Harris by 60.41 points for the last World Finals qualification spot.

Lockwood takes shot on his broken ribs; says he will be fine

Things got a little dicey for Lockwood in the seconds following his 91-point ride.

Lockwood had a rough get off before Night Sweats stomped on his left side, making contact with the same area where he broke four ribs last month in Uniondale, New York.

“I went to get up and hit me right in those broken ribs,” Lockwood said. “I will take that with being 91 though.”

Lockwood had bucked off four bulls in a row since returning from the broken ribs two weeks ago.

“Coming back from injury it always takes a little bit,” Lockwood said. “When you finally break the ice like that and you are 91 points, I would like to keep it rolling like that and usually I can.”

Lockwood will try to continue to gain ground in the world title race when he faces Blood Money in Round 2.

Jose Vitor Leme takes the lead in international wild card race

Jose Vitor Leme was the only international invite to post a qualified ride in Round 1 and the 2017 PBR Brazil champion is now in the driver’s seat at earning a wild card bid to the World Finals.

Leme made a beautiful 85.5-point ride on Wileywood Blue for the first ride of his PBR career on American soil and finished tied for ninth in the round.

He has ridden 11 straight bulls in PBR competition.

“I was real nervous before the ride, but as soon as I got on that bull I got focused, concentrated, relaxed and tried to do what I came here to do – ride bulls,” Leme said with the help of Paulo Crimber translating. “It really is a movie when I started walking through the arena for introductions. I can’t describe how happy I was. My family is probably real proud.”

2017 PBR Canada champion Zane Lambert was the next closest at hitting the 8-second mark and was bucked off in 7.86 by Bullets & Boots.

2017 PBR Australia champion Troy Wilkinson (3.25 seconds on Hot Time) and PBR Mexico invite Francisco Morales (4.24 seconds on Whiskey) also bucked off.

Leme takes on The Original in Round 2 on Sunday night.

The international invite that finishes the highest at the Velocity Finals will receive an invitation to compete at the World Finals.

In the event that all international invites are bucked off at the Velocity Finals, the international invite who is ranked highest in the PBR world standings, and not already qualified for the PBR World Finals as a Top 35 bull rider, will receive the wild card spot.

If any of the international invites finish ranked inside the Top 35 of the world standings, then the international wild card spot at the World Finals will be filled by the next highest-finishing international invite at the Velocity Finals.

“If I qualify for the World Finals I think I am really going to be dreaming because I have no words about how great that will be,” Leme said. “It already is a dream come true just being here. Being able to walk into the World Finals is going to be something amazing and phenomenal.”

Injury Updates

According to PBR Sports Medicine Program Director Rich Blyn, Michael Lane is questionable for Sunday after straining his left groin in Round 1.