KANSAS CITY, Mo. ― Brady Sims grew up 30 miles from Kansas City, Mo., and while he could have easily drove back and forth this past weekend, it was only the third time in his two-year pro career that he’s competed at a Built Ford Tough Series event, he went ahead and stayed downtown at the host hotel “just to be around everybody and everything.”
“I’m trying to just roll in and treat it like any other bull riding,” he added.
Sims grew up northeast of downtown Kansas City in the small community of Holt, so it was like a hometown event of sorts as Saturday night’s sold-out crowd of more than 13,000 at the Sprint Center got behind the youngster and cheered him on whenever his name was mentioned.
In fact, Sims admitted that his emotions did grab ahold of him right before he was ready to get on Flab Slab in the opening round.
“You still have to do your job,” said Sims, who rode Flab Slab for 85 points in Round 1 and then added another 83.5 points on Sunday afternoon when he rode Bull Arrow in Round 2. “It’s just another bull –that’s how you have to think of it.”
Despite his inexperience at the BFTS level, Sims knew coming in he needed to channel his added energy and emotion in order to use it to his advantage and not let it get the best of him. Oftentimes it’s easy for newcomers to find themselves frazzled or worn out before they ever climb into the bucking chute.
“You have to take your nerves and put it into your ride,” Sims said.
Sims explained that the home crowd advantage he felt made the experience all the more special. He finished eighth in the average.
“I think it helped me out with my riding this weekend,” he concluded.
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