Kaique Pacheco Defends Title By Winning PBR’s Last Cowboy Standing in Las Vegas For Second Consecutive Year

 

After the dust settled in the desert, it was a familiar figure who remained. 2015 PBR Rookie of the Year Kaique Pacheco (Itatiba, Brazil) emerged from three rounds of intense bull riding, and was the Last Cowboy Standing Saturday night on the famed Las Vegas Strip. Pacheco successfully defended his title after winning this PBR Major last year. 

 

 

 Pacheco went 2-for-3 over the weekend, including two rides on Saturday night. He sealed his repeat victory with a 90-point ride on Spotted Demon (Julio Moreno/Dallas Schott) in Round 3, his first 90-point ride of the season. It is the third time in his career that Pacheco has won a PBR Major. 

 

Pacheco picked up a total 825 world points over the weekend, along with a big $150,000 check. More importantly, Pacheco (No. 2) slashed current world No. 1 Eduardo Aparecido’s (Gouvelandia, Brazil) lead atop the world standings. He heads into the summer trailing his countryman by just 180 points.

 

The young Brazilian closes the first-half of the 2017 BFTS season a combined 27-for-53 (50.94 riding percentage), with a PBR Major title, a regular-season event victory, a 15/15 Bucking Battle win and $269,933.50.

 

CBS will broadcast the finale of Last Cowboy Standing starting at 4 p.m. ET.

 

Fellow Brazilian Marco Eguchi (Poa Sao Paulo, Brazil) finished in second place after his own 2-for-3 performance. Eguchi won Round 2 after riding Crazy Horse (Rocking I Rodeo Co) for 88.25 points before being eliminated in Round 3 by Bad Beagle (Jared Allen’s Pro Bull Team).

 

Eguchi’s second place finish was his highest since finishing in second at the BFTS season-opener in New York back in January.

 

Eguchi pocketed a total 130 world points and $10,600 for the finish, and moved from No. 17 in the world standings to No. 15.

 

Stormy Wing (Dalhart, Texas) ended the night in third place overall after being eliminated by Nailed (Bar 3D Bucking Bulls) in Round 2. Wing, who won Round 1 Friday night, leaves Las Vegas with 125 world points and $10,600, and heads into the summer break seventh in the world standings.

 

Aparecido held onto his lead in the World Championship race with a fourth place finish. The current world leader advanced out of Round 2 with an 87.75-point ride on Cooper’s Comet (Bar 3D Bucking Bulls), but he was eliminated in Round 3 when he was bucked off by Magic Train (Jared Allen’s Pro Bull Team).

 

Aparecido earned a total 120 points toward the world standings and $5,100, as well as maintaining a tenuous hold on the No. 1 ranking.

 

BFTS rookie Brennon Eldred (Sulphur, Oklahoma) rounded out the Top 5 in Las Vegas, picking up 75 points toward the world standings and $4,100. Eldred advanced to Round 2 after finishing in second place in Friday’s Round 1, but his night ended early on Saturday when he was tossed by Bad Moon Rising (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/Heald Pro Bulls).

 

Pearl Harbor (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger/Clay Struve/H&C Bucking Bulls) was named the YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Event when he bucked off Derek Kolbaba (Walla Walla, Washington) to the tune of a 45.75-point bull score in Round 3. Pearl Harbor ends the first-half of the season with a BFTS-leading seven bull of the event titles. ~PBR Media