Photo by Andy Watson/BullStockMedia.com
With world No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme out, two-time and reigning PBR World Champion Jess Lockwood fails to ride and make up ground in the title race
DES MOINES, Iowa –Capturing his first round win since September 2019 Saturday evening during Round 1 of the elite PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast’s Lucas Oil Invitational in Des Moines, Iowa, two-time PBR (Professional Bull Riders) World ChampionJ.B. Mauney(Statesville, North Carolina) inched closer to further cementing his name in the league record books.
Mauney, who is tied for the most PBR elite tour wins with Justin McBride, is looking to break that record as the event leader going into championship Sunday.
First drawing,Poncho Villa(K-C Bucking Bulls/Bull Creek Bucking Bulls), Mauney earned a re-ride after he was unable to leave the chutes, re-matched againstShow Me Homie(K-C Bucking Bulls/JoZ Bucking Bulls).
Calm and collected, the veteran rider matched his new bovine athlete opponent jump-for-jump, earning a Round 1-winning, 88.5-point score as the electric crowd inside Wells Fargo Arena erupted in raucous cheer.
Mauney, the richest athlete in western sports, catapulted to the top of the event leaderboard, collecting a crucial 20 world points and check for $3,177.54, adding to his PBR career earnings currently totaling more than $7.3 million.
https://youtu.be/ZczyymppbUI
More importantly, Mauney is now on the verge of making further league history, poised to take sole ownership of the all-time record for career wins on the PBR’s premier series. After riding to the event victory at the 2019 elite tour stop in North Little Rock, Arkansas, the now Texas resident tied with fellow two-time PBR World ChampionJustin McBride(Elk City, Oklahoma) for the accolade, with 32 wins on the elite Unleash The Beast.
Competing via injury exemptions, after being sidelined for the entire first half of the 2020 season with a shoulder injury, Mauney gained significant ground in the world standings. He began the event No. 98 in the world and climbed more than 30 positions. Mauney is now No. 62 and 61.5 world points outside of the Top 35.
“You never change no matter where you are in the standings, whether you’re first or at the very bottom,” Mauney said moments after his ride. “It’s got to be the same mentality whenever you crawl into the bucking chutes. You want to win.”
Mauney will next attemptKid Knapper(EVP Bucking Bulls/Scruggs/Scarborough) in Round 2 as he looks to take his next step towards securing both his 15thconsecutive qualification to the PBR World Finals, and record-breaking 33rdcareer victory on the premier series.
Eduardo Aparecido(Gouvelandia, Brazil) was second, earning 10 world points and $2,146.86.
The 30-year-old coveredShadow’s Recruit(Kruger Bucking Bulls) for 86.5 points, climbing one position in the world standings to No. 13. Aparecido is now within striking distance of the Top 10, 41.5 points behind No. 10Cole Melancon(Paris, Texas).
In Round 2 of the Hawkeye State event, Aparecido will match-up againstBullseye(Rickey West Bucking Bulls).
Making the 8 aboard their respective draws for a matching 85 points, world No. 2Joao Ricardo Vieira(Itatinga, Brazil) andKeith Hall(Blakely, Georgia) tied for third.
Vieira coveredTime In a Bottle(Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve), while Hall went the distance aboardTapp Out(K-C Bucking Bulls/Daniels Cattle Co.), both collecting $1,358.81 and 8.5 world points.
The qualified ride allowed Vieira to gain ground on No. 1Jose Vitor Leme(Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil). Vieira is now 584.59 points behind the dominant Leme, who was not cleared to compete in Iowa.
World No. 3Jess Lockwood(Volborg, Montana) also failed to gain ground on Leme when he was bucked off byPlaying Chicken(Kruger Bucking Bulls) in 4.57 seconds.
Hall also rose in the world standings, climbing from No. 55 to No. 53, now within 43 points of the Top 35. The out was a career milestone, marking his first qualified ride on the premier series.
On Sunday afternoon in Round 2, Vieira will faceLockdown(EVP Bucking Bulls/Dennis Davis) while Hall has drawnRoulette(Torres Brothers Bucking Bulls LLC).
Rounding out the Top 5 was 2018 PBR World ChampionKaique Pacheco(Itatiba, Brazil) in fifth.
As the first man to erupt from the chutes, the stoic Brazilian rodePeep Show(Cornwell Bucking Bulls) for 83 points. A rematch for Pacheco, the qualified ride avenged an ever-close buck off from earlier in the season, when he was bested by the Ohio-raised bull in 6.87 seconds during Round 1 of the January premier series event in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Fans can relive Round 1 from PBR Unleash The Beast’s Lucas Oil Invitational on demand on RidePass at 8:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, September 20.RidePass is available at RidePass.com or via the RidePass app available on iOS, Android and Roku.
The PBR premier series event in Des Moines will conclude with Round 2 and the championship round on Sunday, September 20. RidePass’ LIVE coverage of Round 2 will begin at 3:45 p.m. ET, while CBS Sports Networks’ coverage will be broadcast at 4:00 p.m. ET.
PBR Unleash The Beast
PBR Lucas Oil Invitational
Wells Fargo Arena – Des Moines, Iowa
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
- J.B. Mauney, 88.5-0-0-88.50-20 Points.
- Eduardo Aparecido, 86.5-0-0-86.50-10 Points.
- João Ricardo Vieira, 85-0-0-85.00-8.5 Points.
(tie). Keith Hall, 85-0-0-85.00-8.5 Points.
- Kaique Pacheco, 83-0-0-83.00-7 Points.
- Junior Patrik Souza, 82-0-0-82.00-6 Points.
- Alex Cerqueira, 69-0-0-69.00-5 Points.
Jess Lockwood, 0-0-0-0.00
Colten Jesse, 0-0-0-0.00
Cooper Davis, 0-0-0-0.00
Mason Taylor, 0-0-0-0.00
Ezekiel Mitchell, 0-0-0-0.00
Ramon de Lima, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Teel, 0-0-0-0.00
Derek Kolbaba, 0-0-0-0.00
Mauricio Gulla Moreira, 0-0-0-0.00
Andrew Alvidrez, 0-0-0-0.00
Claudio Montanha Jr., 0-0-0-0.00
Keyshawn Whitehorse, 0-0-0-0.00
Brennon Eldred, 0-0-0-0.00
Dakota Louis, 0-0-0-0.00
Amadeu Campos Silva, 0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0.00
Taylor Toves, 0-0-0-0.00
Cody Casper, 0-0-0-0.00
Jake Lockwood, 0-0-0-0.00
Paulo Ferreira Lima, 0-0-0-0.00
Marcus Mast, 0-0-0-0.00
Grayson Cole, 0-0-0-0.00
Kyle Jones, 0-0-0-0.00
Wallace Vieira de Oliveira, 0-0-0-0.00
Tyler Werner, 0-0-0-0.00
Gage Gay, 0-0-0-0.00
Eli Vastbinder, 0-0-0-0.00
Courtesy PBR
