PBR’s Elite Unleash The Beast Returns to Dickies Arena

World-Class Bull Riding Returns to Fort Worth PBR’s Elite Unleash The Beast Returns to Dickies Arena

IIn 2020, Dickies Arena in the heart of Fort Worth welcomed the elite PBR (Professional Bull Riders) for the first time in league history. Fast forward a year, and Fort Worth once again readying to host the premier Earning a critical 120 world points, Leme further his stronghold on the No. 1 ranking, expanding his lead over No. 2 Joao Ricardo Vieira to a then season-best 429.59 points. As the season progressed, Leme puncseries in professional bull riding with the tuated his 2020 campaign by capturing his elite Unleash The Beast slated to buck into career-first PBR World Championship

Dickies Arena Aug. 28-29 with the PBR at the first-ever PBR World Finals held

Tractor Supply Co. Invitational, presented in Arlington, Texas, at AT&T Stadium. by Ariat. Going a torrid 22-for-34 (64%) in 2021, Leme won a league-best seven events and 16 rounds, while recording nine 90-point rides, en route to the gold buckle. Presently No. 1 in the world, Leme is mounting a potentially record-setting season en route to what would be his historic second consecutive PBR World Championship. Having logged 10 round wins and 12 90-point rides to date in 2021, Leme is on pace to break the season-record in both statistical categories. In 2013, two-time Last season in the Lone Star State, for- PBR World Champion J.B. Mauney regmer semi-professional soccer player turned istered a league-best 19 round wins, while bull riding phenom Jose Vitor Leme (Ri- in 1999 Cody Hart logged a PBR best 16 bas do Rio Pardo, Brazil) went a near per- 90-point rides. fect 2-for-3 to clinch his league-leading sixth premier series victory of 2020. On Championship Sunday, Leme rebounded from a close 7.32-second buckoff aboard Dixie Explosion in Round 1, with a Round 2-winning, 89.75-point ride on

Milk Man to advance to the championship round atop the event leaderboard. As the last man to leave the chutes for the first-ever PBR event inside Dickies

Arena, Leme clinched the victory when he covered Boogie Bomb for 88.25 points, Further, should Leme repeat as the the top score of the championship round. league’s World Champion, he would join

The Fort Worth win was Leme’s second Silvano Alves as the only riders to win the consecutive event victory following a gold- coveted gold buckle in back-to-back seaen-finish the weekend prior in Salt Lake sons. Alves who won his first two titles in

City, Utah. 2011 and 2012.

August 28-29

Part of Leme’s monumental season thus far, which has been highlighted by three event victories, included his first Unleash The Beast win of the season in late February when the league returned to the iconic Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth.

His golden-finish included a rematch with Woopaa, the very bull he clinched the 2020 PBR World Championship aboard. Again teaming for a monstrous score, Leme covered the striking bull for 94.75 points in the championship round to earn the event victory inside the legendary western sports venue.

Positioned in the second half of the 2021 season, the upcoming PBR event in Fort Worth is crucial in the championship race to the PBR World Finals in early November, awarding a gold buckle and million-dollar bonus to the world’s best bull rider.

With 15 Unleash The Beast events already complete, the race for the 2021 PBR World Championship is one of the most fiercely contested in league history. With No. 1 Leme and No. 2 Kaique Pacheco separated by a mere 68.5 world points, looking further down the standings, Texas’ own No. 3 Cooper Davis remains hot on their spurs, within 254.5 points of the No. 1 position.

This season’s current top three riders – 2018 PBR World Champion Pacheco, 2020 World Champion Leme and 2016 World Champion Davis – are all attempting to become just the seventh rider in league history to have won the coveted gold buckle in multiple seasons.

In addition to Pacheco and Leme, who call Decatur home, and Jasper-native Davis, the draw for the Fort Worth event is

also anticipated to be led by Texas’ own Cody Teel (College Station), Chase Dougherty (Stephenville), Boudreaux Campbell (Crockett), Taylor Toves (Stephenville), Jesse Petri (Palestine), Ezekiel Mitchell (Rockdale) and Mason Taylor (Maypearl).

The bull riding action begins with Round 1 at 6:45 p.m. CDT on Saturday, August 28, concluding with Round 2 and the championship round at 12:45 p.m. CDT on Sunday, August 29.

Tickets for the two-day event are on sale now and can be purchased at the Dickies Arena Box Office, online at Ticketmaster.com and PBR.com, or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727.