PUEBLO, Colo. – It has been a tough start to 2022 for any active PBR bull rider with a World Champion belt buckle on his resume.
Reigning two-time World Champion Jose Vitor Leme missed the first three events of the year recovering from last year’s core muscle injuries. Three other World Champions – Kaique Pacheco, Cooper Davis and Jess Lockwood – all got sent to the sidelines with left shoulder injuries. Meanwhile, three-time World Champion Silvano Alves is ranked No. 47 in the world standings.
One of those injured World Champions, Pacheco, is set to join Leme back on the Unleash The Beast this weekend at the PBR TicketSmarter Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires, in St. Louis.
Pacheco has been out for four weeks since he separated his left shoulder (AC joint) on Jan. 22 when he was bucked off by Mr. Right Now.
“My recovery has been very good,” Pacheco told PBR.com via text on Tuesday. “I just saw Dr. Tandy (Freeman). I am ready to go this week.”
Pacheco will look to end a streak of six consecutive buckoffs on Friday night when he squares off against Lost Highway (2-1, UTB) in Round 1 (8:30 p.m. ET on RidePass on Pluto TV). The 2018 World Champion is 1-for-7 in three events this year. Pacheco also missed the PBR Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden in New York because of COVID-19.
The 27-year-old has not bucked off six in a row on the premier series since failing to record a qualified ride in eight consecutive outs in March 2019.
Pacheco has fallen to No. 109 in the world standings, and he is 75.66 points behind the Top 25. A victory this weekend could very well push him back into the Top 25, though.
TOP 30 RIDERS OUT OF COMPETITION
No. 6 Dener Barbosa (right groin strain)
No. 18 Cole Melancon (torn right groin)
No. 22 Cannon Cravens (left hip)
No. 24 Cooper Davis (left shoulder surgery)
No. 26 Brady Fielder (in Australia)
No. 28 Marcos Gloria (concussion)
Dener Barbosa is out this week after he aggravated a right groin strain in Oklahoma City that he first sustained in Milwaukee, per Dr. Freeman.
He is 216.5 points behind No. 1 Joao Ricardo Vieira
SPEAKING OF VIEIRA…
Vieira told PBR.com earlier this week he did not feel the need to get an MRI done on his left groin after straining it last week in Oklahoma City during his 2.89-second buckoff against Viper.
“I feel good,” Vieira said. “My groin is not a problem. At the event (in Oklahoma City), it was a little stretched, but Monday, it was alright. No pain, nothing. I am working hard at the gym, and I am ready for St. Louis.”
Vieira takes a 103.5-point lead on No. 2 Kyler Oliver into his Round 1 matchup against Simon (0-0, UTB) in St. Louis. Oliver has drawn Mr. Winston (12-8, UTB)
EVENT FORMAT TO FEATURE 15-RIDER CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
This weekend’s event will feature a 15-man championship round instead of the usual 12-rider format, with the final round airing on CBS national television Sunday at noon ET.
St. Louis will have a lineup of 40 contestants on Friday night. As part of the 2022 UTB event structure at select events, any rider who is not seeded based on Unleash The Beast tour event standards (Top 125 available plus any Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour invites or injury exempt riders) will need to earn a qualified ride in Round 1 to advance to compete in Round 2.
Here is a list of this weekend’s riders who need a qualified ride on Friday night to advance to Round 2.
No. 40 Ezekiel Mitchell
No. 41 Keyshawn Whitehorse
No. 42 Derek Kolbaba
No. 46 Lane Nobles
No. 47 Silvano Alves
No. 49 Koltin Hevalow
No. 51 Jesse Petri
No. 52 Cole Skender
Alves opted not to use a World Champion exemption to guarantee himself a spot in the draw for both days of the competition. The three-time World Champion accepted his alternate position so that he would not have to use one of his WC exemptions.
The 34-year-old is 43.16 points behind the Top 25 heading into his matchup against Catfish (5-3, UTB).
Hevalow is making his premier series debut in just his second event. Last weekend, the 18-year-old won his PBR debut by going a flawless 3-for-3 at the PBR Bad Boy Mowers Youngstown Invitational in Ohio. The win netted Hevalow 41 world points, pushing him to No. 49 in the world rankings and giving himself an alternate position in this weekend’s draw.
The youngster grew up four-and-a-half hours away from St. Louis in Smithville, Missouri, and he will square off against Spastica (0-2, UTB) in Round 1.
Hevalow is the 2017 National Junior High School Finals World Champion, has won multiple youth titles and is a three-time Missouri High School Rodeo Association bull riding state champion. He also won the 2020 Missouri High School Rodeo Association all-around championship.
His father, Kevin, rode bulls and broncs, and his mother, Jen, was a barrel racer and roper.
TEAM MEXICO’S MORALES THIS WEEK’S VELOCITY TOUR INVITE
There will be some Global Cup flavor in St. Louis with Team Mexico’s Francisco Morales set to make his Unleash The Beast season debut following his Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event victory on Feb. 5 in Lexington, Kentucky.
The 39-year-old takes on Whatchamacallit (10-1, UTB) in Round 1.
Morales was not selected for the 2020 PBR Global Cup USA two years ago, marking the first time he was not riding for Team Mexico at the PBR World or Global Cup. He will return to the lineup for his country on March 5 at AT&T Stadium.
ROUND 1 REMATCHES
Bob Mitchell vs. Wooden Nickels (2.97 seconds last year in Grand Forks, North Dakota)
Claudio Montanha Jr. vs. Show Me Homie (2.44 seconds at the 2017 event in Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
Cody Teel vs. Big Black Cat (78.5 points at the 2017 Music City Knockout)
Daylon Swearingen vs. Hurts So Good (2-for-2; last ride was 88 points in Chicago)
Luciano de Castro vs. Bottoms Up (0-2; 6.22 seconds most recently at the 2018 World Finals)
Marco Eguchi vs. Slingin Lead (5.7 seconds at the 2020 PBR Bullnanza in Guthrie, Oklahoma)
Rafael Henrique dos Santos vs. Mike’s Motive (89.5 points last year in Del Rio, Texas)
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