SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (September 19, 2010) - For the top riders in the world, it’s all about points.
That’s why J.B. Mauney wanted to accept a re-ride option in the Built Ford Tough Championship Round Sunday night, until Dr. Tandy Freeman decided otherwise.
Mauney had already clinched his second Built Ford Tough Series event win of 2010 before he even nodded his head in the final round. That’s when Black Pearl reared up and slung him over his front shoulder on the way out of the chute, slamming the right side of Mauney’s face off the corner hinge of the gate as it swung open.
He immediately went to the ground. But as he made his way to the corner of the arena, he indicated that he wanted another opportunity.
Freeman, the head of PBR Sports Medicine team, signaled “no,” and said, “There’s no reason.”
“I was sitting back, and I thought when they cracked the gate open, I could go ahead and move, but I guess not,” Mauney explained,
Mauney later added, “(Cody) Lambert asked if I was all right, and I said, ‘Yeah. What’s the re-ride?’ He told me, and I said, ‘All right.’ Then Tandy looked at me and told me, ‘You don’t need to get on’ and I said, ‘But that’s a good bull.’”
That’s when Freeman reminded the 23-year-old that he had already won the PFIwestern.com Invitational.
“I said, ‘Really?’” Mauney recalled. “That’s the only reason I didn’t get on (Big Iron, the re-ride bull).”
Mauney won with 264 points on three of four bulls over Ryan McConnel, who finished second with 261 points. Rounding out the Top 5 finishers in Springfield were Mike Lee (260), Chris Shivers (258.5) and Colby Yates (257).
After gathering himself up in the locker room and making his way to the media room, Mauney, who initially felt a numbing sensation on the right side of his mouth, was concerned about the points race.
“I would have liked to get me another 90 under there,” Mauney said, “but, you know, that’s the way it goes. I still ended up winning the event and it worked out for the better, I guess.”
Mauney won two of four rounds and collected a total of 1,186.75 points this weekend, including 267.75 in the bonus round, to move within 310.5 points of Austin Meier, who missed out on the short round by just two spots.
It was Mauney’s fifth Top 5 finish in the past five BFTS events.
