Mauney Comes Out Swinging to Help his Chances at Qualifying for the 2020 World Finals in Arlington
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – Two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney may be sitting just outside of the Top 50 of the world standings with less than six weeks until the 2020 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast in Arlington, Texas, but he has used an October run to punch his ticket to the PBR’s season-culminating event in the past.
The circumstances are obviously different, but Mauney was clinging to one of the final World Finals qualification spots two years ago and was the No. 34 bull rider in the world with two regular-season premier series events remaining.
Mauney responded to that adversity by going 5-for-8 at those two events to qualify for his 13th PBR World Finals. He even went 3-for-3 in the in the regular-season finale in Nampa, Idaho, to push himself to No. 32 in the rankings and essentially lock up his spot in Vegas.
Therefore, don’t expect Mauney to panic with three Unleash the Beast events remaining following this weekend’s PBR Wrangler Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires, in Lincoln, Nebraska, before the 2020 PBR World Finals begins on Nov. 12 in Arlington, Texas.
Mauney is also eligible to ride at the 2020 Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Regardless, Mauney plans to throw every haymaker he has left in his arsenal. He threw another punch on Saturday night at Pinnacle Arena by riding Audacious for 87.25 points and a fourth-place finish in Round 1.
The 33-year-old picked up eight points toward the world standings, and Mauney heads into Championship Sunday ranked No. 51 in the world, just 36.5 points behind No. 35 Silvano Alves.
“It is high up on the list,” Mauney told RidePass host Colby Yates about the importance of qualifying for a 15th consecutive World Finals, “but whether you are sitting first or you are last in the standings, when they back you into the corner, you have to come out swinging. That is what separates the men from the boys.”
The future Ring of Honor inductee has drawn Red Dawn (34-8, UTB/METC) for Round 2 on Sunday afternoon. Red Dawn bucked Mauney off in 4.64 seconds two weeks ago in Des Moines, Iowa. In fact, the 8-year-old bull has bucked Mauney off in three consecutive meetings since the North Carolina native rode him for 90.25 points at the 2016 PBR World Finals.
Mauney used an 88.5-point ride on Show Me Homie to finish fifth in Des Moines, Iowa. That was a ride that came with an emphatic celebration. In Lincoln, he was back to his confident self and had a little bit less celebration and more of a businesslike attitude once he stepped off the back of Audacious.
It is clear Mauney is heating up after missing the first seven months of the season following reconstructive right shoulder surgery, and that is trouble for any of the riders flirting with the World Finals cutline.
Mauney rode White Walker for 89 points at the Waller County Fair & Rodeo in Hempstead, Florida, on Thursday.
“It always feels good,” Mauney said. “I had been out for nine months (dating back to the 2019 PBR World Finals). Came back and things weren’t clicking. I have been getting on a lot of bulls here lately and I am back to having fun.”
WORLD FINALS WATCH
There were nine qualified rides in Round 1. Three of those came from riders also around the World Finals cutline.
No. 38 Paulo Lima is now only 5.5 world points behind Alves following his 85.75-point ride on With a Bang. No. 39 Rafael Henrique dos Santos is a mere five world points back thanks to his 85-point ride on Rabbit Tricks.
No. 33 Amadeu Campos moved 6.66 points ahead of Alves with 83.25 points on Wild Games.
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
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