Mauney Returns with Gritty Qualified Ride; Barbosa Extends World Lead

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Here are three things we learned from Round 1 of the Caterpillar Classic on Saturday night at the Sprint Center.

Mauney returns with gritty qualified ride

Two-time World Champion J.B. Mauney returned in gritty fashion following a four-week layoff with a right groin injury.

Mauney got caught being a tad bit too aggressive against Little Texas on Saturday night and almost got flung over the ABBI Classic bull’s head before he hung off the side for the remaining three seconds of his 73-point ride.

The 31-year-old was wincing as he went to pick up his bull rope and had a noticeable limp in his step. Mauney was offered a re-ride seeing as Little Texas fell down at the end, but Mauney decided to turn down the option and keep his score.

Mauney had not turned down a re-ride option since April 2016.

“(Cody) Lambert said the re-ride was hard to get out on and bad in the chute,” Mauney said. “The last time he was out he fouled himself pretty bad, so he told me I better keep the score. I listened to him.”

Mauney would have faced Striker if he had accepted the option. Striker was originally Derek Kolbaba’s bull for Round 1, but Striker became the first re-ride after Kolbaba was unable to make it to Kansas City for Round 1 because of a mechanical issue on his scheduled airplane out of Pasco, Washington, on Saturday morning.

Kolbaba said he expects to make it to Kansas City in time for Championship Sunday.

In regards to Striker, Lambert’s prediction was spot on.

Joao Ricardo Vieira was eventually given a re-ride in Round 1 after a failed trip with Big City, and he was then awarded another re-ride after being unable to get out of the chutes with Striker.

The third time was the charm for Vieira. He converted on Fire Rock in the duo’s eighth meeting all time for 86.5 points and a fifth-place finish in Round 1.

Mauney finished 12^th in Round 1 and said he will be fine for his Round 2 matchup against Something Magical (3-2, PBR UTB) on Championship Sunday.

“I mean it is sore,” Mauney said. “I had been getting on a drop barrel, but it is nothing like getting on a real bull, and then him snatching on you especially when you are hanging off the side trying to make the whistle.

“I am just a little tender, but I am good to go.”

Dener Barbosa extends world lead on No. 2 Montanha

World leader Dener Barbosa knew he had a potential round-winner on his hands on Saturday night, and the 8-second magician nearly took home 100 world points when he covered Night Sweats for 89.25 points on the final ride of the night.

The ride wasn’t good enough to top Marco Eguchi’s 89.75 points on Reign Lashes Testified, but Barbosa’s PBR-leading 17^th qualified ride earned him a second-place finish and 60 world points.

“I saw Jess (Lockwood) ride this bull before and I saw the bull kind of pulls up a little bit to the front,” Barbosa said with the help of Guilherme Marchi translating. “I tried to stay square and finish strong. I made a good ride after trying with everything I can on that bull.”

Barbosa extended his lead atop the world standings to 146.67 points on Claudio Montanha Jr., who finished Round 1 in seventh-place (five world points) courtesy of his 85-point ride on Golden.

The 23-year-old said he isn’t worrying about what other contenders such as Montanha Jr. are doing.

“I pay attention to him, but there is nothing I can do if he rides his bulls,” Barbosa said. “I just need to ride my bull and not worry about the consequences.”

Barbosa will face Wired Child (21-7, PBR UTB) in Round 2 Sunday at Sprint Center.

This weekend is a good opportunity for Barbosa to create some breathing room between him and the other World Champion contenders with RyanDirteater (fractured ribs) and Cooper Davis (riding hand) out because of injuries.

“I am feeling great and feeling strong,” Barbosa said. “I am staying strong in the race. I want to do everything I can. I have confidence at every event and every bull I get on.”

Eguchi wins first round since Last Cowboy Standing

Marco Eguchi began the weekend ranked 64^th in the world standings and was beginning to flirt a little bit with a potential cutline scenario if he didn’t turn around his season.

Well thanks to a nice bull with pink ear tags, Eguchi is a step closer to avoiding the cutline in three weeks following his season-high 89.75 points aboard Reign Lashes Testified.

Eguchi won Round 1 and picked up 100 points toward the world standings and moves all the way up to 35^th in the world heading into the Kansas City finale on Sunday.

It is his first round win since last year’s Last Cowboy Standing.

“I saw two videos of him at the Finals and one at the Finals with Luciano (de Castro),” Eguchi said. “He is on the left delivery and still comes around to the right. That is what he did with me. He was right around the right and I did my best to ride him.”

Reign Lashes Testified has pink ear tags as part of a sponsorship deal with Cooper Davis’ wife, Kaitlyn, who has an eye-lash company.

“That is her bull?” Eguchi said in amazement. “If they (sponsor) him, this means he must be pretty good like tonight.”

Eguchi has drawn Milky Jones (18-4, PBR UTB) for Round 2. Milky Jones is 3-0 against Eguchi.

The 28-year-old wasn’t the only rider outside the Top 35 to come through with a qualified ride in Round 1.

No. 44 Emilio Resende began the night with 83.5 points on Calico Kickinand No. 124 Mason Lowe made the whistle on Vertical Hazard for 81.5 points.

Neither Resende nor Lowe earned points toward the world standings, though, and they will need rides in Round 2 to try and gain ground in the race to avoid being relegated to the Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour after they run out of their eight guaranteed events.

Resende is set to meet Ram It (5-10, PBR UTB) in Round 2, while Lowe will square off against Wild Sky’s (5-2, PBR UTB).