José Vitor Leme Batista (born August 15, 1996) is a Brazilian professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in bull riding.
[2] José Vitor Leme Batista was born in Ribas do Rio Pardo, Mato Grosso do Sul, on August 15, 1996.
On November 9 through 10, 2017, Leme competed at the PBR's inaugural Global Cup in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, as a member of Team Brazil.
[3] In this season, Leme competed on the PBR's UTB series the entire year, with outs from January through November.
On August 22, at the UTB event in Salt Lake City, Utah, Leme rode Chiseled for 94 points.
[6] On November 5–6, Leme competed at the Velocity Tour Finals in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but unfortunately bucked off both his long round bulls.
A new record for highest scored ride in PBR history was set in the summer of 2021, when Jose Vitor Leme rode Woopaa (owned by Barker Bulls and Laramie Wilson of Hookin' W Ranch) for 97.75 points in Tulsa, Oklahoma during that event's 15/15 Bucking Battle.
[12] In the Championship Round, Leme rode Woopaa for 98.75, breaking the record for the highest scored ride in PBR history.
[16] In May, during the PBR World Finals at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, Leme successfully rode four of his bulls.
He made his return to the UTB series during the sixth event of the season in New York City on the first weekend of the 2023 calendar year.
[25] The following weekend at the UTB event in Chicago, Illinois, Leme rode Reinstate Hank for 83.5 points in Round 1.
[26] During the tenth event of the UTB season in Sacramento, California, on the first weekend in February, Leme rode Havoc for 85.5 points in Round 1.
[28] The following weekend at the UTB event in Eugene, Oregon, Leme rode Chiseled, the 2020 and 2021 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Bull of the Year, for 88.25 points in Round 1.
[29] At the fifteenth stop of the UTB series in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Leme covered Spirited World for 87.5 points in Round 1.
[30] Altogether, Leme and Woopaa matched up a total of five times, and this fifth and final rematch was the only one in which the bull bucked off the rider.
[32] Leme was injured during the Championship Round in New Orleans and would miss the last several UTB events of the regular season.
During the second to last event of the UTB regular season in Tacoma, Washington, Pacheco fractured his right tibia and fibula; receiving surgery the day after the wreck.
[34] This left the door wide open for Jose Vitor Leme in his pursuit of a record-tying third PBR world championship.
[36] In Round 2, during his ride on JAGS Metals Grand Theft, his hand came out of the bull rope in 7.81 seconds.
In the Championship Round, he was matched up with Yellowknife and his goal of winning a record-tying third PBR world title was quickly ended when the bull bucked him off in 1.8 seconds.
[48] In early October, Leme would win the Team Series Regular-Season MVP award for the second year in a row.
However, the Rattlers would end up defeating the Gamblers to win the second annual PBR Team Series championship title.
[50] During the first event of the 2024 Unleash the Beast season in Tucson, Arizona, Leme was rematched against Hostage in Round 1 and rode him successfully for 88.75 points.
[51] At the twelfth event of the UTB season in Los Angeles, California, Leme won Round 1 by riding Mud Train for 88.5 points.
Leme's one qualified ride was enough to bring him back to the Championship Round, but he decided to doctor out due to injury.
In early April, he announced on his social media accounts that he would miss the remainder of the 2024 UTB series, including the World Finals.
In mid-October, at the Team Series Championship, the Austin Gamblers succeeded in making it to the final round for the second year in a row, only this time against the Carolina Cowboys.
[55] During the second event of the 2025 UTB season in Ontario, California, Leme rode I'm Him for 87.5 points and tied for 5/6 place in Round 1 with Anderson de Oliveira.
[56] At the seventh event of the UTB season in New York City, Leme won Round 1 with an 89.75-point ride on Roc Wit It.
[58] At the tenth event of the UTB season in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Leme rode Mr. Koolie for 87.50 points to tie for second place in Round 1 with Dawson Branton and Guilherme Valleiras.