Eguchi Returns with Round Victory in Little Rock; Ready for Duluth
By: Justin Felisko
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – 2018 World Finals event winner Marco Eguchi understands what kind of bull rider he is when he is healthy vs. not 100 percent.
Eguchi also knows there are certain injuries a rider can try to ride with, and others that they cannot. That is why he was not concerned one bit about having to sit out the last four weeks following a concussion he sustained at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event in Memphis, Tennessee, on Feb. 15.
The 30-year-old returned to the arena this weekend at the Bad Boy Mowdown, and he capitalized on Saturday night, winning Round 2 with 89.25 points on Let’s Gamble.
“I knew the bull is pretty good,” Eguchi said. “He has a lot of kick. He turns to the left or right, and when he faked to the left and come into my hand, I knew he’s going to be a good score.”
Rounding out the Top 5 in Round 2 was Ezekiel Mitchell (88.75 points on Shownuff), eventual event winner Ramon de Lima (87.5 points on Rocket Man), Andrew Alvidrez (87.5 points on Non-Profit) and Dener Barbosa (86.75 points on Ol’ Boy).
“I got on him at the Finals and he made quick work of me, and today he just happened to fall out of there backwards and go right – right into my wheelhouse,” Mitchell said. “I’d already told Blake (Sharp) before I got on him, I said, ‘You’re going down.’ Me and Blake are good friends, so I was like, ‘You’re going down today.’
“I believed it wholeheartedly when I nodded my head.”
Air Support got in the way of Mitchell’s first career victory when he bucked him off in 3.1 seconds in the championship round. Air Support was named the YETI “Built for the Wild” Bull of the Event with a 45.75-point bull score.
“You have to give it to Zeke for going after him,” Bryce Cooper said. “To be the greatest, you need that mentality to pick the best bull out there, so that makes me feel good. To give the effort he did, and like he said when he got off, he would pick him again. That is what makes a champion.”
Eguchi was unable to secure his first event win of the season, too, as Speed Demon bucked him off in 5.27 seconds in the championship round.
However, rides were hard to come by in Little Rock in general this weekend – there were 16 total – and Eguchi was still able to finish fourth overall with 41 world points.
Eguchi moved from 19th to 14th in the world standings this weekend, and he will attempt to crack the Top 10 next weekend at the Gwinnett Invitational in Duluth, Georgia.
The veteran is 7-for-15 (46.67%) this season with two Top-5 finishes in five events.
“I take four weeks off on the season for a concussion, and I try to recover very well to come and do my job like I did tonight,” Eguchi said. “I know if I come pretty healthy, and do what I know to do, it will be OK. Almost all year (you have to) ride with some (injury) problems. But with that kind of problem, you cannot play.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
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