Leme Rode Woopaa for 94.75 Points Despite Broken Ribs; May Be Out for Glendale
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – Reigning World Champion Jose Vitor Leme did not even think anything was truly wrong until he pulled into his ranch in Decatur, Texas, late on the night of Feb. 27.
Leme had earlier won the PBR Can-Am Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas, with a 94.75-point ride on Woopaa in his first event back since breaking his right ankle at the PBR season-opener in Ocala, Florida.
Leme was excited to see his son, Theodoro, and celebrate his victory with his wife, Amanda. Once he went to lay down for the night, though, he began to realize something might be wrong.
“I didn’t feel pain like today I feel,” Leme told PBR.com on Friday morning. “I think my adrenaline in my body was still high when I rode Woopaa. I don’t feel too much pain on that bull, but I felt uncomfortable. After I rode Woopaa, when I arrived home and laid down to sleep, I feel a lot of pain. I take so long to fall asleep because the pain was so bad.”
Leme figured this past week that he was just sore from a Round 2 buckoff against Rooty Tooty. After 5.38 seconds, the fifth-year pro had been flipped into the air, and his right side landed on Rooty Tooty. But he bounced right back to win the Unleash The Beast event shortly after aboard Woopaa.
That soreness, though, never subsided this week.
Leme was still feeling rough on Thursday when he made the 45-minute trek back to Cowtown Coliseum for RFD-TV’s The American Semi-Finals. He believed he could take some medication and grit his way through a qualified ride. The opportunity to be in contention for $1 million was one he did not want to pass up.
Leme rode for 86.25 points to advance to the Friday night performance of the American Semi-Finals, but he knew something was still wrong. He immediately grabbed at his right side and limped off the dirt.
He underwent X-rays on Friday morning and was surprised to learn that he has two broken right ribs.
Leme could be out for a few weeks, but he hasn’t made a final decision on his availability for next weekend’s PBR Built Ford Tough Invitational in Glendale, Arizona, on March 13-14.
“I am surprised,” Leme said. “This is some bad news. I take X-rays here at Fit-N-Wise, and I meet with the therapist here. Before I ride (Thursday), I was not comfortable to ride. I thought I was not going to ride because I felt a lot of pain, but I took some strong medicine to try and get on. But I hurt so bad. Thank God I rode that bull because I could have gotten hurt worse.”
Leme withdrew from The American Semi-Finals Friday afternoon, which opened a spot for two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney to compete. Mauney was the odd man out in 11th place following the first two performances and a slack round in Fort Worth, Texas, this week.
The Top 6 riders from Friday night’s performance will advance to The American on Saturday and Sunday, where they will compete alongside 10 invited bull riders from the PRCA’s 2020 world standings. Other top PBR riders competing Friday night include 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis, 2018 World Finals event winner Marco Eguchi and 2019 Rookie of the Year Dalton Kasel.
“I will give J.B. my place for today, but only for today,” Leme said before laughing.
Leme is staying positive and remains in good spirits despite another setback to his world title defense.
The difference this time compared to his broken ankle is that he now has points in the world standings. The No. 9-ranked bull rider in the world said he also erased any previous worries he had about himself in Fort Worth last weekend.
When Leme returned from his broken ankle in Fort Worth, he had essentially been out of competition for three months, outside of a handful of bulls, following the 2020 PBR World Finals.
“I felt more scared than now. I was scared if I would ride again like last year and other years because I take so long for recovery,” Leme said. “I just rode three bulls. Two at my house in practice and one at the first event of PBR, and then I stay out again. I took a month and a half off in Brazil after the Finals. Altogether, it was like three months.
“Now I feel comfortable again. Now that I win an event again, I feel so excited for this season. I am so excited to try and win again. Now I know I can do it.”
Leme earned 138 world points with his victory in Fort Worth. He trails world No. 1 Davis by 188.50 points in the world standings.
“I am not too frustrated because I win the event, and I got some points,” Leme said. “I am ninth in the standings now. This is good for me because it is hard when you don’t have any points. You start thinking about this, and it is hard. You just think about getting points and staying in the Top 10, Top 5, but now I have some points. Now I am in the race. I have a chance to win again.”
There is a good possibility Leme will have to miss Glendale and maybe even the following event in Kansas City, Missouri, if the injury doesn’t heal quickly.
Leme knows it is simply a waiting game after missing two premier series events last year because of broken ribs on the same side. Coincidentally, he broke his ribs last season in Kansas City.
He isn’t worried, though.
“I will start doing some things to recover and some therapy, but not too much because broken ribs, we can’t do nothing crazy,” Leme said. “Now I have more time to stay with (my newborn son) Theodoro. I try to look at it this way. Not only the bad, but a good part too. I can stay home.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
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