João Ricardo Vieira retired after 493 qualified rides
NXTbets Pro | Published On: November 14, 2026
Vieira’s retirement
João Ricardo Vieira ended his professional bull riding career at the PBR Teams Championship in Las Vegas, closing out a 14-season run with the Texas Rattlers finishing fourth at T-Mobile Arena. The retirement brought a long ride to a close for a rider who spent more than a decade in professional bull riding. Vieira left with a record that reflects both durability and top-end performance. He finished with 493 qualified rides, a total that shows how often he stayed in the game and made the whistle count. He also recorded 42 rides scored at 90 points or higher, the kind of mark that separates steady work from standout nights. Those rides added up across seasons and events, and they gave his career a clear shape. The final stop came with the Rattlers back on the championship stage, but the team settled for fourth in Las Vegas as Vieira closed the book on his last professional out.
Vieira’s career totals
The rest of Vieira’s résumé fills in the scale of what he accomplished over 14 seasons. He made 12 World Finals appearances, which put him in the mix on bull riding’s biggest stage year after year. He also won 18 premier-series events, a number that shows how often he turned strong rides into victories. Those wins and Finals trips came alongside the 493 qualified rides and the 42 rides scored at 90 points or higher, giving his career both breadth and peak moments. The numbers fit together. He was a rider who showed up often, stayed competitive and delivered enough big scores to keep his name in the conversation across his career. Vieira also won a PBR Teams title, adding a team accomplishment to an individual résumé built on consistency, longevity and pressure rides. By the time he stepped away, he had stacked up the kind of totals that leave a permanent mark on a sport’s record book.
Vieira and the Rattlers
Vieira’s path to that finish started with a leaner arrival in the United States. He came over with about $15,000, then built a career that reached the top of professional bull riding. Early on, he won Rookie of the Year, a first step that pointed to what was coming next. He later helped the Texas Rattlers win a championship and was named Teams Championship MVP, linking his individual rise to the team’s championship success. That connection mattered across his run with the team. Vieira’s career did not end as a solo story, because the Rattlers were part of both the climb and the finish. He left the sport with a title, an MVP honor and a long list of results that traced his journey from his arrival in the United States to a decorated finish. The final tally, 493 qualified rides, 42 scores of 90 points or higher, 12 World Finals appearances and 18 premier-series wins, gave the retirement the numbers that matched the career.
