Taylor Knows there is an Opportunity in Front of him he Cannot Let Slip Away
By: Justin Felisko
PUEBLO, Colo. – Mason Taylor could not believe what he saw last weekend when the results of the Bad Boy Mowdown in Little Rock, Arkansas, came through.
All Joao Ricardo Vieira needed was one qualified ride to finish third overall, and only one two riders – event winner Ramon de Lima and runner-up Andrew Alvidrez – posted more than one ride inside Simmons Bank Arena.
Taylor is well aware that there is a tremendous opportunity for any of the riders in the Top 35 to make a move up the world standings, especially with world leader Jose Vitor Leme (broken ribs) and two-time World Champion Jess Lockwood (torn hamstring) out of competition.
The No. 18 bull rider in the world, therefore, does not want to stay on the sidelines anymore because of a right wrist injury that caused him to sit out last weekend.
Taylor wants to try and push through his riding hand injury instead of missing one more week like he originally had planned.
“Man, we ain’t going to probably get another opportunity like this again,” Taylor said Wednesday afternoon after riding a practice bull. “So if you don’t seize on this right now. And, man, it sucks that they are both out, and I was supposed to be out another week, but hell, I can ride these next couple of weeks with my hand sored up because we only have a couple of weeks until the summer break.
“Hell, they make ibuprofen and numbing cream, so I can just do that and ice it. If it hurts me, oh well. I don’t really care because now is the time to make up ground.”
Taylor is ranked 18th in the world heading into this weekend’s Gwinnett Invitational. He trails Leme, who is set to miss his second consecutive event and is considering himself week-to-week, by 488.25 points.
The 20-year-old is only 8-for-23 this season in seven Unleash The Beast events. Taylor began 2020 on a tear by winning the season-opening 15/15 Bucking Battle in New York City (90 points on Marquis Metal Works Bill The Butcher) and a fourth-place finish.
Taylor then went into a tailspin, going 4-for-18 in his next six events before missing last weekend’s UTB event.
“I started New York off like a ball of fire, and my fire has been out since then,” Taylor said. “I have been doing piss poor lately, but to see you can take third in the event and ride one bull, that is ridiculous. Even second on two bulls, that never happens. Of course, because Jess and Jose are there. They are No. 1 and No. 2 every weekend because they ride absolutely everything they get on. Anybody in the Top 35 can be one and two every weekend and battle those guys for a world title just like (Joao Ricardo Vieira). JR is clicking better than he ever has right now.
“At any given time, anybody in the Top 35 can step their game up and challenge for a world title. Heck, now it is freaking not easy, but it is damn sure easier to make up ground now. It is an advantage from No. 3 to No. 35.”
Taylor has drawn Shakin (0-0, UTB) for Round 1 at Infinite Energy Center on Saturday night. Taylor Toves rode Shakin for 88 points at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event in Denver this past January.
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Taylor says he has frayed ligaments in his wrist, and there is a chance he does further damage. However, he believes by riding with a custom brace he bought from hand specialist Dr. Bo Frederick in Dallas should prevent that.
The second-year pro first injured his hand at some point last season, and he then aggravated the injury during his 90-point ride on Marquis Metal Works Bill The Butcher.
Taylor tested out his wrist with the new brace on Wednesday, and said it is the best he has felt since New York.
“Man, he freaking kicked out, went left, and I got this new rope and tried my new brace, and spurred him away from my hand and got off good,” Taylor said. “It was just me, my dad and my buddy. It was good to actually get something rode. It was a little sore when I got off, but man that brace helped tremendously.”
Could Taylor do more damage to his wrist this weekend? Yes, but that is a risk he is willing to take, and he thinks it will be limited thanks to his brace. He also knows there are only two more Unleash The Beast events before a one-week break.
“I have nothing broke,” Taylor said. “It is just my ligaments are frayed. If I can’t cowboy up and do my job these next couple of weeks, and try to come take advantage of the opportunity I am given, then I shouldn’t even get on at all.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
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