Jose Vitor Leme rides Montana Jacket 88.75 points

LAS VEGAS – The regular-season No. 1 Austin Gamblers became the first team to earn a berth to Championship Game at the 2023 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Championship Sunday afternoon, defeating the league No. 8 Missouri Thunder in walk-off form for the second consecutive day via a mammoth ride from closer Jose Vitor Leme (RIbas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) in the bottom of the fifth. Missouri, who had pulled out two Last Chance Game wins on Friday and Saturday, stirring talk of a second Cinderella Teams Champion, began the game with a bang. In the top of the first, Kade Madsen (Honeyville, Utah) repeated his past success aboard Safety Meeting (Hruby/Kainz/Clay Struve/Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger) reaching the requisite 8 to give his team a 83-point lead. Austin was unable to match the quick start by their rivals, as Dalton Kasel (Muleshoe, Texas) was upended in 3.61 seconds by Risky Business (Hookin' W Ranch/Diamond L). The Thunder’s red-hot momentum continued in the top of the second. Felipe Furlan (Sales Oliveira, Brazil) continued his perfect performance in Las Vegas, improving to a flawless 4-for-4 as he dominated Shivers (D&H Cattle Co./Flinn) for 89 points. The score increased Missouri’s lead to 172 points as Austin turned to Rafel dos Santos (Quitman, Georgia) in the bottom of the frame to deliver the league’s regular-season No. 1 team their first points. Answering the call for the Gamblers, Santos rode Pickle Moonshine (Shuler Bucking Bulls) for 85.5 points to propel Austin within 86.5 points of the lead. Missouri’s ride streak came to an end in the top of the third as Qynn Andersen (Koumala, Queensland, Australia) was unable to get past YETI World Champion Bull contender Man Hater (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) whipped to the ground in 3.32 seconds as the powerful animal athlete remained unridden, now 30-0 in PBR competition. While the buckoff opened the door for the Gamblers to potentially overtake the lead, the scoreboard went unchanged as Ramon de Lima (Rio Branco, Brazil) came down in a close 6.72 seconds atop Cool Whip (Julian/Staci Addison/D&H/Crooked W). As the penultimate round of outs began, Missouri looked to Captain Andrew Alvidrez (Seminole, Texas) to put them ahead by two ride scores. Nodding his head with confidence, Alvidrez initially appeared centered, but came down in 4.35 seconds atop Red Mosquito (Zach Muegge/McCoy Rodeo). Austin capitalized on the buckoff in the bottom of the fourth, but Lucas Divino’s (Nova Crixas, Brazil) 81.75-point ride on Black Gold (Cooper/Scruggs Bucking Bulls) was met with dramatics. The team was awarded a re-ride, but the Gamblers elected to keep the score, and the scoreboard read a 4.75-point Missouri lead, 172-167.25, entering the fifth. The final round of outs began with Missouri closer Briggs Madsen (Tremonton, Utah) paired with I’m Legit Too (Hart Cattle Co./Hale). The elder Madsen, however, failed to deliver for his squad, upended in a quick 3.33 seconds. The buckoff put Gamblers closer Leme in a familiar position, the chance to walk off the win for his team. The crucial out paired him with a familiar foe in Chateau Montelena’s Montana Jacket (Vella/Coleman/Ogden/Hart), a bull he had ridden three times in four prior meetings. After being put on the clock, Leme called for the gate with just 6 seconds remaining. Keeping perfect time with the bull, Leme reached the requisite 8 with ease as the Gamblers erupted into a raucous celebration. The 88.75-point score clinched the win for Austin by 84 points, also earning the team the first berth to the Championship Game in the progressive elimination tournament. Via the loss, the Missouri Thunder returned to the lockeroom to reset ahead of the Third Place Game. Each team’s opponent would be determined via the result of the second Semifinal game which featured the No. 3 Texas Rattlers and No. 5 Arizona Ridge Riders.
Footage and press release courtesy of the @pbr

Видео Jose Vitor Leme rides Montana Jacket 88.75 points канала The Arena Press