By the Numbers: Whitehorse Shakes Off Slow Start, Rises in UTB Rankings
By: James Youness
PUEBLO, Colo. – Regardless of superstitions, gameday routines, prayer circles and beyond, every bull rider is sure to endure some good days and some bad days. The reality of competing against the talented field of bovine athletes, the best in the world, calculates odds that you’ll only ride one out of every two, and sometimes not even that often.
If you can stay around or above that mark for six months, you’ve got a quality shot at winning a gold buckle. Much easier said than done, though.
While the fluctuating results the professional bull riding industry provides on a weekly basis, seeing individual riders walk away from any given event with anywhere from $0 to $50,000, one could be easily deterred after a rough start or elongated stretch without qualified rides.
For Keyshawn Whitehorse, who’s taken pride in his ability to stay dedicated to his approach, it’s going to take a hell of a lot more than a few rough outings to affect his outlook.
“It’s been a rocky road so far in the early stage of the season. I’ve had a lot of success, had a lot of downfalls,” Whitehorse offered a few weeks back in Duluth, Georgia. “I’m just trying to catch my stride right and stay even keeled.”
Practice may not always make perfect, but regularly executing the same motions, patterns and thought processes leading up to each contest has to give the 25-year-old a leg up when it comes to preparation work.
“I try to keep the routine the same just about every time. If I’m feeling a little too pressured up or stressed, I try to make it easy and mess around with the boys, have fun, but for the most part it’s the same,” Whitehorse recalled as he detailed his step-and-repeat approach.
“Warm up’s the same, tape up’s the same, taking off the gear’s the same. Everything has kind of been strategic, it’s been that way for many years. You can ask a lot of the guys who have known me for a while, they‘ve known before I ever got to the PBR, my routine’s been exactly the same.”
Storming onto the world’ largest stage en route to being name the 2018 PBR Rookie of the Year, he credited his ability to be able to reset, refocus and rely on his routine to get prepared, whether heading into Day 1 of an early-season event or Round 7 of the World Finals, it’s all the same if your body and mind are trained to think it’s the same.
Yet, at the same time, staying loose, keeping it simple and enjoying the experience is half the battle.
“The mentality is just focusing on one bull at a time for the most part,” Whitehorse said.
“Everybody says that, but for sure that’s where I’m at. You tend to get caught up trying to do too much at once, so simplicity is key in this sport.”
Getting back to the basics this past weekend in Sacramento, California, Whitehorse warmed up Friday night just like he would any other night.
Familiarity, consistency and repetition comes in handy any weekend, but especially one in which Whitehorse would attempt a combined five bulls, drawing re-ride opportunities in both long rounds.
Initially paired against Wired Kitty in Round 1, he was forced to refocus early into the weekend, as he readied for a second opportunity, this time aboard Look Alive.
Springing to life, after not placing in the Top 10 since the PBR St. Louis Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires Dec. 3, Whitehorse began his weekend with an 83-point mark, just his second qualified ride since besting Tijuana Two Step Dec. 29 in Albany, with the other coming last weekend in Indianapolis, an 85-point effort atop American Gangster.
Building on the momentum, Whitehorse next stared down a second-round matchup against Muscles, but again was offered a re-ride chance due to the less than perfect bucking effort provided by his opponent.
Refusing to give in, he summoned the energy for a fourth out in two days, climbing aboard Bubba G for another go. Recording consecutive qualified rides for just the second time during the 2023 Unleash The Beast campaign, Whitehorse continued to crank it up a notch, earning an 86.5-point score in his second re-ride attempt of the weekend.
Poised for success, yet soon to be paired against the best bovine talents available in the building, the McCracken Spring, Utah, native decided to go head-to-head against Pookie Holler on Championship Sunday after selecting him in the short round bull draft.
A selection which quickly turned into the rider’s third-straight successful outing of the weekend, Whitehorse delivered the second-best score of the championship round, marked 89 points for his valiant effort.
Eventually taking home the second-place finish, and corresponding 89 Unleash The Beast points, Whitehorse currently occupies the No. 12 ranking, just 369.5 points back of No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme, who captured his third event title in five appearances last weekend in Indianapolis.
5-straight, 1st 90: Sometimes, the most thrilling part of a roller coaster is the ascension, as the cart quietly creeps along toward the first breath-taking drop. Well, there wasn’t anything quiet about the youngster’s start to the season, as Whitehorse began the 2023 Unleash The Beast campaign with a season-best five-out ride streak, converting against all three of his bovine opponents at the PBR Monster Energy Invitational (Witch Trial: 87.75 points, Big Pokey: 85.25 points, Kid Knapper: 91 points), capped off by producing the first 90-point ride of the fresh season.
Continuing to represent the rider’s best score of the season, the epic effort was only the third impressive outing to start the season, as Whitehorse extended his streak to five the following weekend, picking up an 84.5-point ride atop Kick’ Up Dust before besting Gambini for 85 points.
2-for-15: After the encouraging start to the season, Whitehorse eventually went 2-for-6 in his next six outs, which overall, isn’t that far below the tour’s average riding percentage, but when the streak unfolded into a 2-for-15 stretch, it became a problem for Whitehorse, who found himself flirting with the cut line as his unfortunate spree continued. Knowing he’s more talented than hitting the 8-second mark in only 13.3% of rides during the plagued run, Whitehorse finally ended the run Jan. 29, when he bested American Gangster for 85 points, exactly one month after his last qualified ride, which came on Dec. 29.
100%: Since breaking the rideless streak and getting back on the right page, Whitehorse has been a perfect 4-for-4, going 3-for-3 in Sacramento after shaking off the rust in Indianapolis. Better yet, Whitehorse continues to give 100% effort despite his recent mainstay inside the amusement park, now positioned just outside the tour’s Top 10 heading into Tulsa.
2nd Place: Earning 89 Unleash The Beast points for his runner-up effort last weekend, the bronze finish marks Whitehorse’s best event finish of the year, with his third-place finish in Tucson at the season-debut event representing his former campaign-best finish. It had been 71 days since the 2018 PBR Rookie of the Year turned in a podium finish.
New No. 1: Technically the only “new” aspect of two-time World Champion Jose Vitor Leme assuming the No. 1 rank is the fact that it marks the first time during the 2023 Unleash The Beast season that he’s occupied the prized position. Seeing Andrew Alvidrez enjoy the top honors for the past five weeks, it was Leme’s third win in his five total events, paired with his runner-up effort in the season’s third 15/15 Bucking Battle, which thrusted the veteran past Alvidrez for the first time this year. Courtesy of his flawless 4-for-4 showcase in Sacramento, Leme parlayed his perfect 3-for-3 effort at the PBR Wrangler Long Live Cowboys Classic with an 86.5-point ride atop Charmer in the 15/15 Bucking Battle to collect a total of 187 Unleash The Beast points and $52,590 in earnings.
21 Days Off: Last competing Jan. 13 at the PBR Tractor Supply Co. Invitational in Chicago, 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis returned to action in Sacramento after taking three weeks to heal up from injuries sustained in the Windy City. Remaining ranked within the Top 5 throughout his absence, Davis got right back to work out west, going 3-for-3 to finish third place in the weekend’s event and logging a 77-point ride aboard Express Lane in the corresponding 15/15 to join Leme as the only riders to produce 4-for-4 showings in Indianapolis.
Whitehorse will look to build on his encouraging outing this weekend as the best bull riders in the world invade Tulsa, Oklahoma, for two days of rank bucking action inside The BOK Center, with the PBR Express Ranches Classic, presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino set to begin with Round 1 action Friday, Feb. 10 at 7:45 p.m. CT (available to stream on RidePass on Pluto TV). Round 2 and the championship showcase will begin Saturday, Feb. 11 at 6:45 p.m. CT, later airing Sunday, Feb. 12 on CBS at 11 a.m. CT on CBS (championship round) and 1 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network (Round 2 and championship round).
Stay tuned to PBR.com and PBR social media channels throughout the weekend In Sacramento for the latest rider stories, behind-the-scenes action and beyond!
PBR.com continues to celebrate Black History Month by honoring riders who have and continue to impact their communities by excelling on the world’s largest bull riding stage.
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
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