João Ricardo Vieira (born July 28, 1984, in Itatinga, São Paulo, Brazil), is a Brazilian professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bull riding. Since 2013, he has been a top contestant on the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit, qualifying for the PBR World Finals every year since then.[1] Since 2022, he has ridden for the Texas Rattlers during the PBR Team Series season. The Texas Rattlers won the 2023 PBR Team Series championship.

Career

Vieira was the 2013 PBR Rookie of the Year.[2] He is featured in the Netflix six-part docuseries Fearless on Brazilian professional bull riders.[3][4] He won the bull riding title at the 2019 and 2020 editions of The American Rodeo at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.[5] In 2020, he won the Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden at Madison Square Garden and rose to the #1 PBR ranking in the world for a second time, the first being in 2015. This occasion also marked the first time the new trophy for this event, a miniature replica of Arturo Di Modica's Charging Bull sculpture, was presented to the winning rider at the event.[6] Vieira was second in the PBR world standings heading into the 2020 PBR World Finals. A few days before the start of the event, Vieira posted a video to his Facebook and Instagram account saying that he had tested positive for COVID-19, and as a result would not be able to compete at the World Finals. He still ended up finishing 2nd in the PBR world standings that year.

The day after the conclusion of the 2022 PBR World Finals, the inaugural PBR Team Series season draft was held at Texas Live! in Arlington, Texas. Vieira was selected to ride for the Texas Rattlers.[7] In late September 2022, the Texas Rattlers won the event at Thunder Days in Ridgedale, Missouri; the hometown event of rival team, the Missouri Thunder.[8] Two weeks later, the Rattlers won their own hometown event at Rattler Days in Fort Worth, Texas.[9] The very next weekend, the Rattlers won their third event in a row at Ridge Rider Days in Glendale, Arizona; the hometown event of rival team, the Arizona Ridge Riders.[10] The Rattlers ended up finishing in third place at the conclusion of the inaugural PBR Team Series season. In September 2023, the Rattlers won Thunder Days for the second year in a row.[11] Also, at Thunder Days, Vieira recorded his 400th career qualified ride, becoming only the eighth rider in PBR history to do so.[12] Later in early October of that year, the Rattlers won their own hometown event at Rattler Days for the second year in a row as well.[13] In late October of that year, the Rattlers were in third place heading into the PBR Team Series finals event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Nevada. After two days, they succeeded in making it to final round against the Team Series leaders, the Austin Gamblers. The Rattlers ended up defeating the Gamblers to win the second annual PBR Team Series championship. Vieira himself was crowned the event MVP, as he was the best performing individual rider of the Team Series finals.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "PBR Rider | João Ricardo Vieira". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  2. ↑ Network, Wrangler (January 8, 2020). "Path to Victory: Four Years Later, Joao Ricardo Vieira Is No. 1 in the World Once Again | News". Wrangler Network. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  3. ↑ ""Fearless", la série-documentaire de Netflix qui démolit les clichés sur le rodéo". Rocknfool. September 2, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  4. ↑ Felisko, Justin (September 15, 2016). "Netflix Series "Fearless" Was a Learning Experience for Vieira |". Wrangler Network. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  5. ↑ "The American bull riding title". Wrangler Network. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Vieira wins PBR New York City; Lockwood 3rd after big Sunday". MTSPX. January 5, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Inaugural PBR Team Series season draft results". Professional Bull Riders. May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Texas Rattlers win 2022 Thunder Days". Professional Bull Riders. September 25, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Texas Rattlers win hometown event". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Texas Rattlers win 2022 Ridge Rider Days". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Texas Rattlers win Thunder Days for second year in a row". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  12. ↑ Vieira becomes eighth rider in PBR history to record 400 qualified rides
  13. ↑ "Texas Rattlers win Rattler Days for second year in a row". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Texas Rattlers win 2023 PBR Team Series championship". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved October 23, 2023.

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