DEADWOOD, S.D. – For the fifth time in the 2021 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Unleash The Beast (UTB) season, 2018 PBR World Champion Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) stood atop the Can-Am Cage victorious. Pacheco made the most of this afternoon in Deadwood, S.D., with his chance to pick up points in the 2021 PBR championship race on injured world No. 1 rider Jose Vitor Leme (Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil).
To punctuate his 3-for-3 weekend at the historic Deadwood Events Complex in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Pacheco delivered a walk-off 90-point ride to win the PBR Monster Energy Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires.
o begin Sunday afternoon of the two-day event, the 27-year-old Brazilian phenom was paired against Air Tight Alibi (Lee Bucking Stock/ FT Bulls) in Round 2. Launching from the chutes, Pacheco was in complete control. The 86.75-point ride score punched his ticket to the championship round.
Pacheco then selected Medicine Man (TNT Bucking Bulls/ Hart Cattle Co) as his opponent in the championship round.
Despite a few setbacks in the chutes and being pushed to the last ride of the day, Pacheco was his usual stone-faced self and ready for his matchup. The South Dakota crowd braced for the possibility of a walk-off win on the last ride of the day.
As the clock raced closer to the 8, the fans’ cheers rose to a roar. As the buzzer sounded and judges reviewed his ride, Pacheco calmly strode about the dirt collecting the celebratory cowboy hats launched into the arena by his friends, including three-time PBR World Champion Silvano Alves (Pilar do Sul, Brazil).
The crowd was on its feet as his 91-point score was announced.
Pacheco’s championship-round score was his fifth 90-point ride of the 2021 UTB season.
The former World Champion collected 139.5 world points and a check for $26,019.33.
While reigning World Champion Leme holds tight to the No. 1 spot in the world standings, Pacheco’s weekend in Deadwood helped the steadfast rider chip away at the distance between himself and Leme, who was injured on his event-clinching ride in Newark, N.J. last weekend. Pacheco is now 726.5 points behind Leme, sitting in the No. 2 spot in the world standings.
