By Kacie Albert; photos by Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
Guthrie, Okla. – As the revival of the iconic PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Bullnanza wound to a close on Saturday August 15, perennial contender Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) iced the competition to win his first elite tour event in 2020, gaining significant ground in the world standings on No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil).
After 2018 PBR World Champion Pacheco was bucked off TikTok (Paradigm Bull Company) in Round 1 Friday evening, he needed to cover on Championship Saturday to keep his chances alive for ascending to the top.
“The Ice Man” converted under pressure with the second best score of Round 2, dominating Midnight Ride (Cord McCoy/Pioneer Bulls) for 88 points.
Earning the fifth pick in the championship round bull draft, Pacheco selected 2018 ABBI (American Bucking Bull Inc.) Classic Champion Hocus Pocus (D&H Cattle/Almand/Lone Star/Outlaw).
A powerful bovine athlete known for swift buckoffs, Hocus Pocus entered the showdown having been ridden just twice in his 26 career outs across all levels of competition, including a 10-out buckoff streak on the PBR’s premier series.
However, despite the bull’s prowess of downing the world’s best cowboys, Pacheco proved to have the solution to Hocus Pocus’ magical ways. Matching the bull jump for jump, Pacheco reached the 8 second whistle, leading the crowd inside Lazy E Arena to erupt in raucous cheers as the speakers boomed to announce his 89.25-point score.
While four cowboys still remained in the round, Pacheco’s 2-for-3 showing was enough to outlast their gritty efforts, propelling him to his first Unleash The Beast event win of the 2020 season. The 25-year-old left Lazy E Arena $30,779.69 richer, having also earned a critical 100 world points. Pacheco is now ranked No. 5 in the world.
Cody Teel (College Station, Texas) renewed his rivalry with Milk Man (TNT Bucking Bulls/Hart Cattle Co.) en route to a runner-up finish, garnering $14,521.31 and 68 world points.
Teel entered Round 2 having yet to record a qualified ride. Turning the tides, the Texan covered Hell on The Red (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) for 87.75 points for his sixth championship round of the season.
In a match-up that has been seen five times in the past 16 months, Teel selected Canadian born Milk Man. Teel was poised in the chutes, and would once again remain in step with Milk Man, reaching the requisite 8 for 88.75 points.
First meeting in April 2019 on the elite tour in Columbus, Ohio, the two teamed for an 89.25-point score. While their next meeting resulted in a re-ride, the subsequent three showdowns all concluded in similar fashion – Teel celebrating as massive scores flashed on the scoreboards. Most recently, the two accomplished athletes squared off in the championship round of the final closed event held inside Lazy E Arena in mid-May. The result, a 90-point score, Teel’s first of the season.
Teel is now ranked No. 16 in the world.
Third was young gun Ezekiel Mitchell (Rockdale, Texas), who for the second consecutive week recorded a 90-point ride in the championship round.
Delivering a perfect 2-for-2 performance on Saturday afternoon, Mitchell began the final day of PBR Bullnanza action with an 85.75-point ride aboard Cinnamon Kat (Payson Parker/D&H Cattle Co.).
Mitchell then initially selected Marquis Metal Works’Bill The Butcher (Paradigm Bull Co./Marquis Metal Works) in the championship round; however, he earned a re-ride keeping his hopes of victory alive.
As his new opponent Zorro (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) was loaded into the chutes, the charismatic 22-year old appeared as focused as ever. Mitchell converted in monstrous fashion, dominating the Gene Owen bovine athlete for 90.25 points, the high-marked ride of the event, and his second consecutive 90-point effort in an elite tour event’s final round.
Last weekend in Bismarck, North Dakota, Mitchell reached an important career milestone when he recorded the first 90-point ride of his Unleash The Beast career, a 90-point score aboard Goodnight Robicheaux (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Diamond Willow).
Mitchell’s seventh Top-10 finish of the 2020 season netted him $11,376.62 and 59.5 world points, propelling him to No. 14 in the world.
Fourth was Paulo Lima (Bezerros, Brazil). As one of only two riders to cover his first two draws, Lima entered the championship round atop the leaderboard having covered Shaken (Owens/Wyatt/Smith) for 87.25 points and XO (D&H Cattle Co./KB Bulls) for 86.5 points.
Lima’s hopes of victory, however, were dashed when he was bucked off three-time PBR World Champion Bull SweetPro’s Bruiser (D&H Cattle Co./Buck Cattle Co.) in 5.32 seconds in the final round. He concluded the event earning a $7,124.09 payday, in addition to 36 world points. The 32-year-old is now No. 38 in the world.
Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil) and Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas) rounded out the Top 5, tying for fifth. Each going 1-for-3 to collect 29 world points, Vieira won Round 1 with an 88.75-point score aboard Marquis Metal Works Draggin Up (Paradigm Bull Co./Marquis Metal Works), while Taylor topped Round 2 with a matching score on Black Cadillac (Gene Owen/David Perry). Vieira earned $6,128.84, while Taylor collected $6,015.77.
With his finish, Vieira surpassed two-time World Champion Jess Lockwood (Volborg, Montana) in the world rankings, now No. 2 and within 203.25 points of No. 1 Leme.
Taylor rose two positions, climbing from No. 17 to No. 15, within 613.75 points of Leme.
Top Bulls
In the bullpen, Chiseled (Flinn/D&H Cattle Co.) delivered a massive 46.25-point score courtesy of his 7.27-second buckoff of Taylor in the championship round, en route to his third YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Event honors of 2020.
Entering the event No. 3 in the world, Chiseled is now tied with reigning World Champion Bull Smooth Operator (Dakota Rodeo/Julie Rosen/Clay Struve/Chad Berger) for the No. 1 spot in the world. Each bull currently holds a 45.75-point season average.
Event Leaders
1. Kaique Pacheco, 0-88-89.25-177.25-100 Points
2. Cody Teel, 0-87.75-88.75-176.50-68 Points
3. Ezekiel Mitchell, 0-85.75-90.25-176.00-59.5 Points
4. Paulo Lima, 87.25-86.5-0-173.75-36 Points
5. João Ricardo Vieira, 88.75-0-0-88.75-29 Points
(tie) Mason Taylor, 0-88.75-0-88.75-29 Points
7. Boudreaux Campbell, 85.25-85.75-0-171.00-27.5 Points
8. J.B. Mauney, 0-87.25-0-87.25-13 Points
9. Cooper Davis, 86.5-0-0-86.50-10 Points
10. Matt Triplett, 0-86.75-0-86.75-9.5 Points
(tie) Alex Cerqueira, 0-86.75-0-86.75-9.5 Points
Guthrie, Okla. – As the revival of the iconic PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Bullnanza wound to a close on Saturday August 15, perennial contender Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) iced the competition to win his first elite tour event in 2020, gaining significant ground in the world standings on No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil).
After 2018 PBR World Champion Pacheco was bucked off TikTok (Paradigm Bull Company) in Round 1 Friday evening, he needed to cover on Championship Saturday to keep his chances alive for ascending to the top.
“The Ice Man” converted under pressure with the second best score of Round 2, dominating Midnight Ride (Cord McCoy/Pioneer Bulls) for 88 points.
Earning the fifth pick in the championship round bull draft, Pacheco selected 2018 ABBI (American Bucking Bull Inc.) Classic Champion Hocus Pocus (D&H Cattle/Almand/Lone Star/Outlaw).
A powerful bovine athlete known for swift buckoffs, Hocus Pocus entered the showdown having been ridden just twice in his 26 career outs across all levels of competition, including a 10-out buckoff streak on the PBR’s premier series.
However, despite the bull’s prowess of downing the world’s best cowboys, Pacheco proved to have the solution to Hocus Pocus’ magical ways. Matching the bull jump for jump, Pacheco reached the 8 second whistle, leading the crowd inside Lazy E Arena to erupt in raucous cheers as the speakers boomed to announce his 89.25-point score.
While four cowboys still remained in the round, Pacheco’s 2-for-3 showing was enough to outlast their gritty efforts, propelling him to his first Unleash The Beast event win of the 2020 season. The 25-year-old left Lazy E Arena $30,779.69 richer, having also earned a critical 100 world points. Pacheco is now ranked No. 5 in the world.
Cody Teel (College Station, Texas) renewed his rivalry with Milk Man (TNT Bucking Bulls/Hart Cattle Co.) en route to a runner-up finish, garnering $14,521.31 and 68 world points.
Teel entered Round 2 having yet to record a qualified ride. Turning the tides, the Texan covered Hell on The Red (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) for 87.75 points for his sixth championship round of the season.
In a match-up that has been seen five times in the past 16 months, Teel selected Canadian born Milk Man. Teel was poised in the chutes, and would once again remain in step with Milk Man, reaching the requisite 8 for 88.75 points.
First meeting in April 2019 on the elite tour in Columbus, Ohio, the two teamed for an 89.25-point score. While their next meeting resulted in a re-ride, the subsequent three showdowns all concluded in similar fashion – Teel celebrating as massive scores flashed on the scoreboards. Most recently, the two accomplished athletes squared off in the championship round of the final closed event held inside Lazy E Arena in mid-May. The result, a 90-point score, Teel’s first of the season.
Teel is now ranked No. 16 in the world.
Third was young gun Ezekiel Mitchell (Rockdale, Texas), who for the second consecutive week recorded a 90-point ride in the championship round.
Delivering a perfect 2-for-2 performance on Saturday afternoon, Mitchell began the final day of PBR Bullnanza action with an 85.75-point ride aboard Cinnamon Kat (Payson Parker/D&H Cattle Co.).
Mitchell then initially selected Marquis Metal Works’Bill The Butcher (Paradigm Bull Co./Marquis Metal Works) in the championship round; however, he earned a re-ride keeping his hopes of victory alive.
As his new opponent Zorro (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) was loaded into the chutes, the charismatic 22-year old appeared as focused as ever. Mitchell converted in monstrous fashion, dominating the Gene Owen bovine athlete for 90.25 points, the high-marked ride of the event, and his second consecutive 90-point effort in an elite tour event’s final round.
Last weekend in Bismarck, North Dakota, Mitchell reached an important career milestone when he recorded the first 90-point ride of his Unleash The Beast career, a 90-point score aboard Goodnight Robicheaux (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Diamond Willow).
Mitchell’s seventh Top-10 finish of the 2020 season netted him $11,376.62 and 59.5 world points, propelling him to No. 14 in the world.
Fourth was Paulo Lima (Bezerros, Brazil). As one of only two riders to cover his first two draws, Lima entered the championship round atop the leaderboard having covered Shaken (Owens/Wyatt/Smith) for 87.25 points and XO (D&H Cattle Co./KB Bulls) for 86.5 points.
Lima’s hopes of victory, however, were dashed when he was bucked off three-time PBR World Champion Bull SweetPro’s Bruiser (D&H Cattle Co./Buck Cattle Co.) in 5.32 seconds in the final round. He concluded the event earning a $7,124.09 payday, in addition to 36 world points. The 32-year-old is now No. 38 in the world.
Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil) and Mason Taylor (Maypearl, Texas) rounded out the Top 5, tying for fifth. Each going 1-for-3 to collect 29 world points, Vieira won Round 1 with an 88.75-point score aboard Marquis Metal Works Draggin Up (Paradigm Bull Co./Marquis Metal Works), while Taylor topped Round 2 with a matching score on Black Cadillac (Gene Owen/David Perry). Vieira earned $6,128.84, while Taylor collected $6,015.77.
With his finish, Vieira surpassed two-time World Champion Jess Lockwood (Volborg, Montana) in the world rankings, now No. 2 and within 203.25 points of No. 1 Leme.
Taylor rose two positions, climbing from No. 17 to No. 15, within 613.75 points of Leme.
Top Bulls
In the bullpen, Chiseled (Flinn/D&H Cattle Co.) delivered a massive 46.25-point score courtesy of his 7.27-second buckoff of Taylor in the championship round, en route to his third YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Event honors of 2020.
Entering the event No. 3 in the world, Chiseled is now tied with reigning World Champion Bull Smooth Operator (Dakota Rodeo/Julie Rosen/Clay Struve/Chad Berger) for the No. 1 spot in the world. Each bull currently holds a 45.75-point season average.
Event Leaders
1. Kaique Pacheco, 0-88-89.25-177.25-100 Points
2. Cody Teel, 0-87.75-88.75-176.50-68 Points
3. Ezekiel Mitchell, 0-85.75-90.25-176.00-59.5 Points
4. Paulo Lima, 87.25-86.5-0-173.75-36 Points
5. João Ricardo Vieira, 88.75-0-0-88.75-29 Points
(tie) Mason Taylor, 0-88.75-0-88.75-29 Points
7. Boudreaux Campbell, 85.25-85.75-0-171.00-27.5 Points
8. J.B. Mauney, 0-87.25-0-87.25-13 Points
9. Cooper Davis, 86.5-0-0-86.50-10 Points
10. Matt Triplett, 0-86.75-0-86.75-9.5 Points
(tie) Alex Cerqueira, 0-86.75-0-86.75-9.5 Points
