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Taylor Looking to Prove he Deserves a Spot on Team USA

By: Justin Felisko

PUEBLO, Colo. – Much can change before bull riders from five countries descend upon AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on March 5 for the 2022 PBR Global Cup USA, but Mason Taylor is hopeful his hot streak at the 2021 PBR World Finals can help propel him to a spot on Team USA.

Taylor was the top American bull rider at the World Finals this year, going 5-for-6 for a career-best third-place finish in a breakout performance from the 22-year-old.

“I hope I can earn a spot for the Global Cup,” Taylor said in Las Vegas. “To finally be on Team USA would mean the world. I haven’t had a spot on there yet, and I haven’t deserved a spot yet. Maybe this week is a start for me. If they want to pick me, they can. If not, I will work harder to make it next time.”

Despite competing with a broken jaw dating back to the regular-season finale on Oct. 23, Taylor began the Finals with five consecutive rides to go blow for blow with eventual World Finals event winner and two-time World Champion Jose Vitor Leme.

Taylor may not have won any rounds inside T-Mobile Arena, but he was precise and consistent at making the 8-second mark. He began the Finals with 89.5 points on Body Count in Round 1 before riding Bubba G for 87.75 points in Round 2. Taylor next rode Walking Tall for 90.5 points in Round 3, which was only the fifth 90-point ride of his young career. He next took care of I’m a Secret for 88.5 points in Round 4 before beginning Championship Sunday with 86.5 points aboard Homegrown.

 
The Maypearl, Texas, native, though, was unable to keep his momentum rolling in the championship round, where Dennis The Menace put an end to his pursuit of a World Finals event victory in 4.17 seconds. Dennis The Menace was marked 46.25 points and improved to 12-0 at all levels of competition.

It was not exactly the finish Taylor wanted, but he still left Las Vegas with his head held high, knowing he was right in the mix with World Champions Leme and Kaique Pacheco for the Finals title.

Taylor believes he finally took the next step in his career and has tapped into some untouched potential.

“Like I said on the stage every day, watching Jose ride makes everybody in the locker room ride a whole lot better,” Taylor said. “When you have someone who is that good – like, he is a once-in-a-lifetime bull rider. Not only to have just the high score in professional bull riding but to have the two highest scores in professional bull riding is just insane. I am just glad I was able to keep up with him this week because it shows me how good I am, and I deserve to be here, and I am finally believing in myself.”

Taylor entered the Finals leaner than ever before in his pro career at 145 pounds because of his broken jaw, which led to him losing 13 pounds in the six days leading up to the World Finals.

In Las Vegas, Taylor’s diet was limited to ramen noodle bowls, milkshakes, and biscuits and gravy.

Taylor believes the weight loss contributed to his success in Las Vegas, but the broken jaw also benefitted him in a different way. Taylor knew he had to keep his chest up and not get pulled down over the front end of his bovine opponents, or else he could do further damage to his surgically repaired jaw.

“I had to make sure I did the key fundamentals every time I nodded,” Taylor said. “I didn’t have a choice to not get hit in the mouth. There is no choice. I had to keep my chest bowed up, and I couldn’t let them pull me down. It worked out.”

2016 World Champion Cooper Davis has either ridden or served as an assistant coach at all four Global Cups, and he has been a staunch believer in his good friend’s potential.

Davis believes the broken jaw helped Taylor not overthink things.

“When you break your jaw, you have to sit up, and it forced him to sit up,” Davis explained. “I know when I broke my jaw that time, that was probably some of the best riding I have ever done. I think it was more of a mental thing for Mason. I think it is just his head, and he was worrying about something else other than bull riding, which helped him.”

 
While coaching staffs, riders and event format have yet to be announced for the 2022 PBR Global Cup USA, Team USA will likely be a force once again.

Last year, the Americans became the first host country to win a Global or World Cup on home soil in PBR history, and Team USA is tied with Brazil for the most Global Cup victories at two apiece. Host countries were a previous combined 0-7 at the PBR Global Cup/World Cup.

The 2022 PBR Global Cup USA kicks off The American legendary western weekend on March 5-6 at AT&T Stadium. Following the Global Cup on March 5, the top rodeo athletes in the world will compete at The American, which is the richest single-day event in Western sports with an event purse of $3 million, on March 6. GRAMMY Award-winning musicians Tim McGraw and Faith Hill will perform a live concert during The American.

Tickets for both events go on sale Friday, December 3 at 10 a.m. CST and can be purchased at ATTStadium.com or SeatGeek.com. Tickets for both events start at just $20, taxes and fees not included. While individual event tickets are available for purchase at varying price levels, fans can save up to 20% by purchasing weekend combo packages to experience both Saturday and Sunday.

All tickets for Sunday, March 6, include the live concert performance from Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

For fans wanting to make this one-of-a-kind weekend even more memorable, VIP tickets are available for both the PBR Global Cup USA and The American. Guests can enjoy premium seating closest to the action, question-and-answer presentations, behind-the-scenes tours and much more. For more information or to purchase VIP tickets and premium experiences, event-goers can visit SeatGeek.com.

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media

© 2021 PBR Inc. All rights reserved.

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