Leme Out for Greensboro Following Setback in the Practice Pen
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – World No. 1 bull rider Jose Vitor Leme felt like he was close to making a return to competition from his partially torn groin this weekend at the PBR Union Home Mortgage Invitational, presented by Bass Pro Shops, in Greensboro, North Carolina.
However, Leme will not be riding at Greensboro Coliseum after attempting two practice bulls Wednesday night and learning on Thursday from Dr. Tandy Freeman that he extended his injury into a core muscle strain now affecting additional abdominal, oblique and thigh/groin muscles.
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The reigning World Champion told PBR.com Thursday morning he felt no pain during the rides, or while riding on horseback, but that he had some swelling develop later on that had him concerned following his comeback attempt. Leme, therefore, reached out to Freeman, who advised him to undergo an MRI on Thursday.
Freeman told PBR.com on Friday morning that Leme has extended his injury into a core muscle strain with rectus abdominus, pectineus, adductor longus, and external oblique muscle involvement. A total of four muscles on Leme’s right side are now strained – two of his groin/thigh muscles, as well as an abdominal and oblique muscle.
Leme had originally sustained a Grade 2 (partial tear) of his right adductor longus muscle during his event-winning 90.75-point ride on Slingin Tears in Newark, New Jersey, on Sept. 19.
“It is not that the muscle he hurt in New Jersey is a lot worse, but because that muscle is weak, it put some other muscles at risk,” Freeman told PBR.com on Friday morning. “So he has this injury now that is more extensive than what he had before. What is clear is this set him back. Now he has a new injury.”
Freeman has consulted with Dr. William Meyers, the nation’s leading core muscle expert in Philadelphia, to create a rehabilitation plan to help relieve some of Leme’s pain and allow him to do some accelerated therapy so he can attempt to ride with the injury at the 2021 PBR World Finals on Nov. 3-7.
Meyers, who Freeman refers to as the “guru” for core muscle injuries, is no stranger to bull rider and has previously worked with two-time World Champion Jess Lockwood and hundreds of pro athletes from various sports.
“We will do our best to get him to where he is competitive at the Finals and not hurt it worse,” Freeman said.
Leme he says he is committed to being ready for the World Finals and has every intention of finishing out his sensational season by becoming the second rider in PBR history to win back-to-back world titles. He has already set a PBR record with 21 90-point rides on the premier series in 2021 and has tied J.B. Mauney’s single-season round wins record (19).
This setback will not deter him, Leme affirmed.
“I will be at the World Finals, for sure,” Leme said. “Even if I am not 100%, I will be there. I want to try and be back before the Finals, but I am not sure if my injury will be better enough in time before then. We will work with the specialist to see if I can do something to help recover it sooner. I will be ready.”
Leme said he will continue to rehab at Fit-N-Wise Rehabilitation and Performance Center with the goal of returning as soon as possible, but he knows he has to be ready for the Finals.
“I will keep going to therapy every day again, and I won’t practice anymore until I get really better,” Leme said. “I will wait for the right time. Before I practiced (Wednesday) night, I felt good, and I felt confident and strong enough to ride again. I think this was just unlucky, maybe. I think I got this injury in practice because I didn’t feel this pain before.”
There are two regular-season events remaining after this weekend’s UTB tour stop in Greensboro before the World Finals begin on Nov. 3, and Leme doesn’t want to rush back too soon.
The PBR is set to visit Manchester, New Hampshire, and Lincoln, Nebraska, before heading to Las Vegas for the 2021 Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals and 2021 PBR World Finals.
Leme’s absence in Greensboro will once again keep the door open for world No. 2 Kaique Pacheco and No. 3 Cooper Davis to try and close the gap.
Pacheco is 726.5 points behind Leme ahead of his 15/15 Bucking Battle matchup against Blue Crush (30-8, UTB). He then takes on Diamond Show in Round 1 (7:45 p.m. ET Saturday on RidePass on Pluto TV).
Davis is 809 points behind Leme. The 2016 World Champion faces Hostage (32-4, UTB) in the 15/15 Bucking Battle and Shark Bait (15-4, UTB) in Round 1.
There are 560 world points left for one rider to earn in the Unleash The Beast regular season.
At the World Finals, the maximum amount of points a rider could earn is 1,094. That would come with a rider winning every round (80 points per round win) and the event average (560 points), and being 90 or more points with all six rides.
Joao Henrique Lucas is replacing Leme in the 15/15 Bucking Battle, while Fernando Henrique Novais is now in the draw for the regular event in Greensboro.
Fans can watch the 15/15 Bucking Battle Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on CBS national television.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
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