Perfect Pacheco Wins PBR Unleash the Beast Event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Vaults to No. 2 in Feverish 2023 World Championship Race

By: Kacie Albert

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – As the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, wound to a close, Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) emerged supreme, winning the PBR Brew City Classic to vault to No. 2 in the heated World Championship Race, while the legendary rivalry between Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) and Woopaa (Barker Bulls/Hookin’ W Ranch) was renewed, with the powerful animal athlete besting the Austin Gamblers standout for the first time in five previous showdowns.

As the lone rider to go a perfect 3-for-3, Pacheco collected his second Unleash The Beast victory of the season inside Fiserv Forum.

Chasing his second gold buckle, 2018 PBR World Champion Pacheco first put points on the board when he won Round 1 courtesy of an 89-point ride atop Alter Ego (Fabulous IV Ranch/Josh & Dalton Walling).

The standout rider for the reigning PBR Team Series Champion Nashville Stampede then logged his second score in Wisconsin when he went the distance atop Midnight Flyer (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) for 81 points.

With the third pick in the championship round bull draft, Pacheco architected a familiar showdown in selecting Canadian-born Moonlight Party (Jane Clark/Gene Owen). Having attempted the bull four times prior, Pacheco had ridden Moonlight Party in their three most recent showdowns, including most recently for 88.75 points at the February premier series event in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Pacheco would make it 4-for-5 on Moonlight Party, remaining in perfect time with the powerhouse bull, matching him jump-for-jump en route to an 89-point score, enough to clinch the victory.

Pacheco would make it 4-for-5 on Moonlight Party, remaining in perfect time with the powerhouse bull, matching him jump-for-jump en route to an 89-point score, enough to clinch the victory.

Pacheco became the fifth rider with multiple Unleash The Beast event wins this season and leaves Milwaukee having earned $45,312.67 along with a critical 135 Unleash The Beast points. After travelling to the PBR Brew City Classic ranked No. 3 in the title race, he climbed one position to No. 2, now within 71.5 points of No. 1 Leme.

After Pacheco rode his third bull to move ahead in the championship round, all eyes were on two-time PBR World Champion Leme, who used his first pick in the championship round bull draft to select 2021 World Champion Bull Woopaa for the fifth time in his career.

In each of the previous meetings, Leme was marked 94.75 points or more, including rewriting the history books with the two highest scores in PBR history during their two most recent matchups.

In July 2021, Leme shattered the PBR’s previous all time high-marked ride record of 96.5 points when he teamed up with Woopaa for a 97.75-point score. Less than four months later, the two again made history when they combined for an unprecedented 98.75-point score during the championship round of the 2021 PBR World Finals as Leme delivered the first perfect 50-point rider score.

Leme earned the opportunity to select Woopaa after riding Spirit World (Nixon Bucking Bulls) for 87.5 points in Round 1 and Air Shift (Blake Sharp/Henry Wilson) for 87 points in Round 2.

The boisterous crowd inside Fiserv Forum was brought to the edge of its seat as Leme, the last man to leave the chutes, readied to nod. Bursting from the chutes, Leme was in control until the 6.39-second mark when Woopaa upended the Brazilian for the first time short of the requisite 8.

The 2-for-3 showing left Leme third in the event, and he earned 69 Unleash The Beast points. He remains No. 1 in the World Championship race as he seeks his record-tying third gold buckle this May in Fort Worth, Texas.

Second was Wingson Henrique da Silva (Navirai, Brazil), collecting 92 Unleash The Beast points.

After riding Taking Chances (Frihauf Cattle Co.) for 86.5 points in Round 1, Silva was humbled in Round 2 when he was tossed by Pearl Snap (Blake Sharp) in a quick 3.16 seconds.

As the last rider to earn a berth to the championship round, Silva readied to take on Ivy League (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) as his final animal athlete opponent. Quick to rebound, Silva covered the bull for a commanding 89.5 points to cement his silver finish.

Silva rocketed from No. 20 to No. 11 in the title race. He is now 442.5 points back of the top spot.

Carolina Cowboys’ Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett, Texas) was fourth.

The 2020 World Finals event winner and Rookie of the Year was undeterred following his swift 1.88-second buckoff dealt to him by Sweetness (KB Bulls/Gene Baker/Hookin’ W Ranch) in Round 1.

Reversing his fortunes in Round 2, Campbell kept his hopes of victory alive when he converted atop Detroit Lean (Blake Sharp/Henry Wilson) for 87.5 points.

Campbell then catapulted inside the event’s Top 5 when he topped Crunch Time (Sterk Bucking Bulls) for 86.75 points in the championship round.

Collecting 55.5 Unleash The Beast points, Campbell rose from No. 8 to No. 6 in the standings as he continues to contend for his first PBR World Championship. He is within 310 points of No. 1 Leme.

Rounding out the Top 5 in fifth was the Kansas City Outlaws’ Kyler Oliver (Roy, Utah).

Going 2-for-3, Oliver earned his scores in Round 1 when he rode Unstoppable (Guy Bucking Bulls/Frihauf Cattle Co.) for 86.5 points, and in Round 2 when he covered Lone Survivor (Blake Sharp/CB& Traci Lee) for 87.25 points.

Oliver earned 47 Unleash The Beast points while in Wisconsin, to rise from No. 32 to No. 26 in the standings.

In the bull pen, UTZ BesTex Smokestack (Blake Sharp/Chris Utz/Garrett Carey) bucked supreme, crowned the YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Event. The animal athlete was marked 45.75 points in the championship round for his 6.99-second buckoff of Oliver.

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Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media

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