Romario Leite Rides Into First Career Velocity Tour Win In Knoxville
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Hang on tight, bull riding fans. Romario Leite came out of the chute firing Saturday night, winning his first Professional Bull Riders Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event at Ram Trucks PBR Knoxville and launching himself into the championship conversation heading into the season finals in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Leite Takes Knoxville With 87.90-Point Ride
Leite, from Brotas, Brazil, covered UB Smooth for 87.90 points in the opening round at Food City Center, posting the top score of the night and holding on for the event win.
The 31-year-old cowboy selected Picking Pokemon first in the championship-round draft, but was bucked off in the short go. No matter. His opening-round score had already done enough damage on the leaderboard.
The Knoxville win earned Leite 108 Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour points, moving him to third in the standings with 537.5 points.
Championship Race Tightens Heading To Corpus Christi
Grayson Cole of New Ringgold, Penn., remains the tour leader with 655 points.
Canadian rider Nick Tetz of Calgary holds second place with 597.5 points, keeping a firm grip on a prime position heading into the finals.
Leite now sits third, within striking distance as the tour moves to Corpus Christi, where the championship buckle will be awarded May 2.
That sets up a high-pressure finish with Cole, Tetz, Leite and several other riders still chasing the title — and a trip to the PBR Unleash The Beast World Finals, scheduled for May 7-17 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Lewis Finishes Second In Knoxville
Kaleb Lewis of Kaufman, Texas, finished second in Knoxville after riding Dang, Dang for 86.35 points.
Lewis earned 68 points in the standings, moving to No. 30 as he tries to punch his ticket to the finals.
Elijah Jennings of Marietta, S.C., and Vinicius Rodrigues Pereira of Itapagipe, Brazil, tied for third with 85.25-point rides.
Jennings covered Erner Permer before being bucked off There’s Your Sign in the short go. He heads to Corpus Christi ranked seventh with 475 points.
Pereira covered Martini Houdini in the opening round before Crazy Sox ended his night in the championship round. He sits 17th in the standings with 351 points.
Event Leaders In Knoxville
Romario Leite — 87.90 points, 108 event points
Kaleb Lewis — 86.35, 68 points
Elijah Jennings — 85.25, 45 points
Vinicius Rodrigues Pereira — 85.25, 45 points
Top Five Velocity Tour Standings
Grayson Cole — 655 points
Nick Tetz — 597.5
Romario Leite — 537.5
Macaulie Leather — 529
Wyatt Rogers — 517.5
Canadian Angle For NetNewsLedger Sports
For Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario sports fans, the name to watch is Nick Tetz.
The Calgary cowboy enters the finals second overall, giving Canadian bull riding fans a real stake in the championship race. Tetz trails Cole by 57.5 points, meaning the Corpus Christi finals could still reshuffle the top of the standings.
Bull riding has deep roots across rural and northern communities, and PBR’s Velocity Tour continues to serve as a proving ground for riders trying to climb toward the elite Unleash The Beast level.
Next Stop: Corpus Christi
The Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour championship will be decided May 1 and 2 in Corpus Christi.
With Leite charging from Knoxville, Cole trying to protect the lead and Tetz carrying Canadian hopes into Texas, the finals are shaping up like a rank bull in the chute — loaded, restless and ready to explode.
