Mauney Backs Up his Talk with Perfect Nampa Performance

By: Justin Felisko
October 22, 2018

NAMPA, Idaho – Two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney looked down at his phone this weekend when he saw he had a text from two-time PRCA champion and PBR co-founder Jim Sharp.

Sharp was getting ready to purchase his tickets for the 2018 PBR World Finals on Nov. 7-11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“He wanted to know if I wanted him to buy me one so I would have a good seat,” Mauney said shaking his head during the DEWALT Guaranteed Tough Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires, at the Ford Idaho Center. “I told him to kiss my ass.”

Mauney and Sharp have a good relationship, and Mauney expects the legendary bull rider to get on him when he is not riding to his fullest potential.

The 31-year-old has been in a dogfight this season to simply qualify for the PBR World Finals, and he embraced the added kick in the rear from Sharp.

“If I am not riding good, he will be the first one to call me and let me know,” Mauney said. “He usually calls me every couple of weeks and leaves me a voicemail. He chews on my ass a bit, but every once in a while I need that.

“He texted me back and said, ‘Bear your ass down and win it.’”

Mauney was unable to notch the 32^nd event win of his career Sunday, but he finally put together a full weekend performance for the first time this season.

The 13-year veteran went 3-for-3 and finished the final regular-season premier series event tied for seventh place with 80 world points.

Mauney – the No. 32 rider in the world standings – capped his performance with 86 points on Smooth Sailing in the championship round.

The ride was Mauney’s first in a championship round this season and first since riding two-time World Champion SweetPro’s Bruiser in Billings, Montana, on April 9, 2017.

“I knew (Smooth Sailing) has a lot of up and down and kind of wants to whip you down on his head,” Mauney said. “I knew as long as I kept moving my feet, and I stayed out over him, it would work out. He got me a little out of shape at the whistle, but I knew to keep my hand shut. It got me and Cody Webster in a bind there, but thank God for those good bull fighters.”

It had been over nine months since Mauney rode three bulls at one premier series event.

“I should have been doing this a long time ago,” Mauney said. “It is pretty simple. I went back to how I always went about it my whole entire career. When you take your wrap, you mean for it to be in there and you don’t open it until your head hits the ground.”

The points are crucial as Mauney tries to not miss qualifying for the World Finals for the first time in his career.

Mauney began Nampa with 82.25 points on Wolf Cry and 81.75 points on Show Me Outlaw.

“I didn’t have bulls to be a lot of points on, but I had two bulls that made me try,” Mauney said. “If I quit either one of them – (Saturday) night or the long round (Sunday), they could have bucked me off pretty easy. I was pumped. I don’t care what the score was. I did my job.”

 
Just how crucial was that last ride though?

If Mauney had bucked off in the championship round, it would have been a loss of 75 points in the world standings. He would have dropped to No. 33 with No. 36 Cody Jesus only 29.16 points behind him.

Mauney is instead No. 32 with a 124.16-point advantage on Jesus.

There are five events remaining (Colorado Springs RVT, Jackson TPD, PBR Mexico, RVT Finals and Goliad TPD) before the Top 35 rankings are set for the World Finals.

Mauney, No. 33 Gage Gay, No. 34 Lonnie West and No. 35 Chase Outlaw are separated by only 101.66 points.

West, though, will not be competing at any remaining regular season events because of a shoulder injury. He will ride at the World Finals if he qualifies.

Mauney is not competing in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Jackson, Tennessee; or Mexico this coming weekend.

It would take a perfect storm of sorts, but Mauney could still be bumped out of the Top 35 between now and the World Finals.

Mauney is going to make sure that does not happen, and said he will compete at the Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour Finals on Nov. 2-3 at the South Point Hotel Casino & Spa.

The Mooresville, North Carolina, cowboy was sitting in the locker room icing his surgically-repaired right shoulder after the event Sunday when he was informed he was still sitting at No. 32 in the world standings.

Normally a 3-for-3 performance would have rocketed Mauney, who also broke his back this past April, up the standings. Instead, he was unable to leave Nampa with hundreds of world points seeing as the riders converted on 50 percent of their bulls.

Five riders rode all of their bulls, including Outlaw.

“Well boys, I guess I will be seeing you all at the Velocity Finals,” Mauney said.

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

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