First Half Recap: Mauney Raises the Bar and Pacheco Dazzles

PUEBLO, Colo. – Now that summer has arrived and we’re that much close to the start of the second half of the Built Ford Tough Series in Nashville, PBR.com wants to take you back and look at the first half of the season.

Sioux Falls 15/15: In the fifth 15/15 Bucking Battle of the season it seemed all but sure that Mason Lowe’s 89.25-point ride on Little Red Jacket would be enough to secure the win.

Enter J.B. Mauney.

The world No. 1 had injured his arm in the bucking chutes the previous day and turned in an uninspired ride in Round 2, but despite all that, Mauney gritted through and turned in the best ride of the season – a masterful 94.25-point ride on Pearl Harbor to win his third consecutive 15/15 Bucking Battle.

“I knew that bull was going to buck,” Mauney said. “I knew I had a chance if I rode him to be over 90. I didn’t know it was going to quite be 94. I didn’t hear the whistle. The crowd was so loud. I hit the ground and I was looking up at the clock and it said 8. That is when I knew I did my job.”

Sioux Falls: Kaique Pacheco, last season’s Rookie of the Year, reminded everyone what made him so good by winning the PREMIER Bank/PREMIER Bankcard Invitational after a 4-for-4 performance. The 21-year-old Brazilian had come in second place in St. Louis and Kansas City before finally earning his first win of the season.

“Yeah I start slow now this year, but I thank God and all of my friends helped me,” Pacheco said with the help of Robson Palermo translating. “I started training, getting on bulls and I feel good now. I just needed to work on some things. I didn’t ride much this year. I went to Brazil and didn’t ride there. I came back and needed to correct some stuff. I finally did.”

Little Rock: Before Phoenix earlier this season, Ryan Dirteater had not won a BFTS event since 2011, but after winning the Bad Boy Mowdown he picked up two wins in just two months. Dirteater went 3-for-3 in Little Rock, and capped his weekend by winning the championship round with an 86.5-point ride on I’m A Gangster Too.

Little Rock was the 10^th meeting between Dirteater and I’m a Gangster Too, and it was only Dirteater’s third qualified ride on Jeff Robinson’s bull.

“It is pretty weird. It took me five years to do this,” Dirteater said. “It is a great feeling. It worked out. I feel like everything is going the way I want it to. I just need to keep it rolling.”

PBR Senior Writer / Editor Justin Felisko contributed to this series.

CHECK OUT THE REST OF OUR FIRST HALF RECAPS

–Part 1

–Part 2

–Part 3

–Part 4

–Part 5