Hostetler Motivated to Qualify for First PBR World Finals
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – It had been more than two months since Joe Hostetler packed up his gear bag and headed to a PBR event when he looked down to see a text message this past Saturday as he was out mowing some hay.
Hostetler had a message from the PBR competition department that Matt Triplett could not make it to Newark, New Jersey, in time for the PBR ZipRecruiter Invitational because of flight issues, and there was a bull with his name on it if he could make it in time.
The Homer City, Pennsylvania, native was supposed to compete at a local jackpot bull riding that evening as he finally felt ready to return to competition from a sprained right knee that he sustained during a dirt bike accident in the middle of July.
Hostetler was not going to let the opportunity to compete in Newark pass him by, though. He quickly packed up his things and made the 5-hour drive down Interstate 80 east to Newark in his 2019 red Honda Accord.
There was no time to look for a hotel room either as it was already just past noon. Hosteler wound up just finding a parking lot next to the Prudential Center for $25 and hustled inside the arena with about an hour-and-half to spare.
While the result was not what Hostetler desired – Havoc bucked him off in 2.95 seconds – his commitment to pursuing the 2021 PBR World Finals was undoubtedly on full display as he made that 300-plus-mile drive on a moment’s notice.
Hostetler is attempting to qualify for his first PBR World Finals this year. The 22-year-old grew up Amish and rode plenty of horses bareback, but he did not even pick up a bull rope until he was 18 years old after seeing a magazine with two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney on the cover.
“I told myself, ‘I want to be like that guy,’” Hostetler recalled.
He found some nearby ranches in Pennsylvania to “self-teach” himself how to ride 1,500-pound bovine beasts before eventually attending a few Gary Leffew bull riding schools.
Now the No. 73-ranked bull rider in the world will look to end his streak of eight consecutive buckoffs at the Fairfax Invitational when he takes on Bean (6-1, PWVT) in Round 1 Saturday night inside EagleBank Arena.
Fans can watch the Fairfax Invitational this weekend on RidePass on Pluto TV.
Also tentatively expected to compete in Fairfax are No. 50 Leonardo Lima, No. 52 Ramon de Lima, No. 53 Kyle Jones, No. 54 Grayson Cole, No. 57 Matt Triplett and last week’s Velocity Tour winner Alex Cardozo.
Hostetler is turning his focus to the Velocity Tour for the rest of the season. He has entered the subsequent two VT events (Hampton, Virginia, and Wheeling, West Virginia) following Fairfax as he looks to improve upon his No. 35 ranking in the PWVT standings.
There are five Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour events remaining before the 2021 Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals on Oct. 30-31 at the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center in Las Vegas.
Hostetler may have only roughly four years of experience under his belt, but he knows that there is a direct pathway for him to ride at the PBR World Finals (Nov. 3-7) later this year.
He did not have to look too far in the locker room in Newark for a reminder of how easy it can be for a rider to make the World Finals via the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals.
“That is one thing in the back of my mind; Jose (Vitor Leme) did that,” Hostetler concluded. “He came from nowhere and kicked ass at the Velocity Finals and got to the World Finals. That is the goal this year, for sure.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andre Silva/Bull Stock Media
© 2021 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.