Oliver Refreshed and Ready After a Week Off to Recover
By: Justin Felisko
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Kyler Oliver would have loved to have been a member of the Team USA Eagles for last weekend’s PBR Global Cup USA, presented by Monster Energy.
However, the reality is that a weekend off may have been the best recipe to help the No. 3-ranked bull rider get back on track as he tries to put together his first event with multiple qualified rides since the end of January (Sacramento, California).
“I went to The American, and my first score didn’t get me into the next one, so I went home and took care of my daughter and stuff at home,” Oliver said. “Took some time off and just had a little bit of family time. That was good. I needed that. I think she did, too.”
A rejuvenated Oliver finished Round 1 of the PBR U.S. Border Patrol Invitational Saturday night in third place following an 88.75-point ride on Budakon at Gila River Arena.
“It was good,” Oliver said. “I nodded, and he come around, and I was in the middle, where I wanted to be. In the middle of the ride, he kind of slowed up and I kind of got to ride in the spin a little bit. And I kind of almost got dropped down in that well, but I grabbed a real deep pull with my right leg and went to the front again, and he blew up and come back into me. It was good.”
Sunday is an opportunity for Oliver to help himself in the world title race as the top two riders in the world – Daylon Swearingen (4.7 seconds on Off Campus) and Joao Ricardo Vieira (2.71 seconds on Hell Storm) bucked off in Round 1. Reigning two-time World Champion Jose Vitor Leme, the No. 4-ranked bull rider in the world, also bucked off (4.62 seconds on Yadi).
Only two other riders inside the Top 10 of the world standings recorded one of the 11 qualified rides in Round 1. No. 7 Eli Vastbinder rode Speed Demon for 82 points, and No. 8 Luciano de Castro took care of Tarabull for 86 points.
Oliver is only 127.16 points behind Swearingen.
The Roy, Utah, bull rider has been battling nagging injuries to both his groins, but especially his right groin. He could rest for more than a week once he did not qualify for The American Contender Round in Fort Worth, Texas.
Oliver does not expect them to be an issue, though, including for his Round 2 matchup against Juju (5-4, UTB) on Sunday (5 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network).
“I mean, I feel a little sore in my right one right now, just because I really had to get a hold on him when I got in there,” Oliver said. “But I’ve got some of them BioSkin compression shorts on the way, and sports medicine also showed me how to wrap it up good. So yeah, you’re always going to be a little sore in the bull riding world, but I definitely feel good and ready to go. I don’t think I’m going to be missing no more rounds for this.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
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