Leme and Kimzey Join Forces on Powerhouse Squad for Monster Energy Team Challenge
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – World leader Jose Vitor Leme and reigning six-time PRCA champion Sage Kimzey understand their team has a long way to go before being crowned champions of the Monster Energy Team Challenge, presented by U.S. Border Patrol, but it will be hard to find any squad that will have the same of kind of top-end firepower.
The PBR announced Wednesday the six teams that will be competing in Division A of the Monster Energy Team Challenge, which begins June 5 in a private setting at the South Point Hotel Casino & Spa in Las Vegas.
It did not take long for the announcement to send shockwaves once it was revealed that Leme – a team captain – had selected Kimzey to be a member of his team.
“I’m very excited for this format and to ride with Sage,” Leme said. “I tried to mix the team between Brazilians and Americans, two that ride with left hand and two that ride with right hand. I believe that the team was well chosen and we have great chances of winning the title.”
Kimzey received an Instagram message from Leme once the PBR’s No. 1-ranked bull rider selected him.
At the time, the two had only talked a handful of times in person, and Kimzey did not even have Leme’s phone number.
Kimzey is obviously excited to join forces with one of the best in the sport for the Team Challenge that will culminate with a Championship Weekend in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on July 10-12.
“Jose has proven he is top-tier in every aspect,” Kimzey said. “The mental game is no different. So, yeah, it will be good. I am a firm believer that iron sharpens iron. And I think whenever you get two guys together of our caliber, that the only thing that can happen is us get sharper and get better. I am looking forward to feeding off his energy, and I am sure my energy that I bring to the team will be great too.”
Leme also selected Keyshawn Whitehorse and Stetson Lawrence for his four-rider squad. PBR co-founder Cody Lambert was randomly assigned to be the team’s general manager for the competition.
During the May 17 PBR Unleash The Beast event in Logan County, Oklahoma, the Captains, chosen by PBR, each formed their respective teams, selecting from any rider with a PBR card and in good standing with the league.
Leme previously selected 2016 PBR Brazil champion Dener Barbosa, but the No. 6-ranked bull rider had to turn down the opportunity because of travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. Therefore, Lambert and Leme replaced Barbosa with Lawrence, who is coming off an impressive 2-for-3 showing two weeks ago at the Lazy E Arena.
The Monster Energy Team Challenge is going to feature 12 teams and 48 bull riders. Each team will consist of four riders, and there will be two divisions of six teams. The Top 3 teams in each division will then qualify for Championship Weekend and a single-elimination tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on July 10-12 in front of fans.
Is it safe to say Team Leme will be the team to beat in Las Vegas?
“I believe so,” Leme said. “Our team has the two best riders in the world at the moment, and two other excellent riders too, so there is certainly a good expectation about us. But this does not mean it will be easy. It is a game, and to reach the Finals we will have to ride many bulls and beat them.
“Everyone can fall, and this is no different for us.”
Every game will be comprised of 12 collective outs, with each team attempting six bulls. Three riders per team, as selected by the General Manager, will attempt two bulls per game. The winner of each game will be the team with the top combined aggregate score from their six outs.
Leme knows that it will take a full-team effort to win the Monster Energy Team Challenge. The 2017 PBR World Finals event winner knows firsthand that the best teams on paper do not always win championships. Leme went 3-for-4 for an extremely talented Team Brazil at the 2020 Global Cup USA, but the rest of the team underperformed and lost to the Team USA Eagles by 88 points.
Kimzey, the No. 1-ranked bull rider in the PRCA, understands there will be a bullseye on their team. Every other team will want to knock off the on-paper favorites in Las Vegas.
That will begin when Team Leme faces Team Vieira on June 5 live on CBS Sports Network. Every game of the Monster Energy Team Challenge will be broadcast live on either CBS Sports Network or CBS national television.
“How do we handle ourselves?” Kimzey said. “Bottom line, both of us are professionals and we have excelled in high-pressure situations, but especially with the format of this, it really is each bull just really, really matters. I talk about it a lot, even riding at a 70-75% clip that me and Jose are, you throw in a bad go at one, or just a tough draw, or a bad matchup for one of us, and it puts us behind the 8-ball in that specific match. So it is going to be different. The big thing is just literally just making each bull count, because at the end of it there is just not that many opportunities. It will be like an overtime situation each bull you get on.”
One bad game in Sioux Falls, and that could be the end of it all for any team once the single-elimination postseason format begins July 10.
First, Team Leme will need to finish in the Top 3 of Division A pool play in Vegas to advance to the Championship Weekend.
Leme and Kimzey will arrive in Las Vegas both ranked No. 1, but having gotten there in very different ways.
Leme finished the first half of the 2020 Unleash The Beast atop the world standings by putting forth one of the best starts in the PBR’s 27-year history, even despite missing two events because of three broken ribs.
The 23-year-old headed into the summer UTB break leading the PBR in event wins (4) – qualified rides (25), riding percentage (73.53%) and 90-point rides (6). Leme’s eight round wins is also tied with Jess Lockwood for the most in the PBR.
No World Champion has ridden more than 70% of his bulls on the premier series since Guilherme Marchi (2008). Marchi began the 2008 season 28-for-34 (82.35%).
Meanwhile, Kimzey holds the No. 1 ranking in the PRCA despite only competing at two events in early March – Rodeo Houston and The American – after undergoing tightrope surgery on his left ankle in February.
The Monster Energy Team Challenge will be Kimzey’s first event in almost three months.
Kimzey was injured at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo when 84D tipped over during the ride, crushing his left leg and ankle after his 67-point ride.
The injury resulted in Kimzey having to withdraw from the Team USA Eagles four days before the 2020 Global Cup.
“It was definitely disheartening,” Kimzey said. “The Global Cup is one of my favorite events. There is something special about putting on the red, white and blue and competing for your country. It is kind of unexplainable, really.”
Kimzey rushed back from surgery, which was the same one that Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa underwent, in two weeks to try to compete at the two major rodeo events, but he admits he was nowhere near ready and went a disappointing 2-for-6.
Therefore, Kimzey took the last three months at home with no rodeos to compete at because of the coronavirus to really work on getting full strength back in his ankle.
Kimzey said he would likely get on a practice bull or two before the competition gets underway in Las Vegas, but either way he expects to be ready to go come June 5.
“I had a great team of doctors down in San Antonio,” Kimzey said. “Dr. Allen put my ankle back together. He got me ready to ride, and I haven’t competed since The American. I haven’t been on a bull or even really thought about bull riding that much. I just have been rehabbing it, which has also been kind of weird, too, because we usually are always pushing the envelope (for) when can we get back. With this one, I really got to go through the right protocol and really rehab it the right way with ample time. So with that, that was a huge blessing for me. That was one of the biggest things with the coronavirus for me personally. It really did give me a chance to get back to 100%.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
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