SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (September 18, 2010) - Austin Meier is concerned about one goal – his quest for the 2010 World Championship.
However, when made to look at the Top 5 riders in the world standings, the current leader was clear about one other thing: “It’s going to be a battle through the end.”
After finishing third in the second Final Five Showdown, Meier looked over at Valdiron de Oliveira and J.B. Mauney and added, “Everybody’s deadly.” Oliveira won the bonus round with an 88.5-point effort on Big Iron.
Mauney not only finished second in the bonus round for the Top 10 riders in the world standings, but the North Carolina native is also first in the average after two of four rounds in Springfield, Mo. He has scored 174.5 points on two bulls.
“J.B. and I are good friends and great competitors,” Meier said. “J.B.’s always a great rider no matter what part of the season it is.
“You buck off three bulls, they say you’re in slump, but we come back strong. They talked like (Mauney) wasn’t ever going to do anything this year. Look at him now.”
In the opening round, Meier bucked off Moon, who is unridden to this point, before coming back Saturday with an 82.25-point effort on Best Ever, who had a below-average trip from what Meier was expecting. Listen to the full post-event interview with Meier here.
With the help of his two qualified scores, his bonus points for splitting ninth and 10th in Round 2, as well as his points for taking third in the Final Five Showdown, Meier has extended his lead over Renato Nunes by 343.75 points. Nunes is 0-for-3 this weekend.
Mauney, meanwhile, has moved 253.5 points closer to the top spot this weekend with the final two rounds at the JQH Arena still to come Sunday afternoon.
Mauney has not won a Built Ford Tough Series event since winning in Sacramento, Calif., in January. He’s all but assured himself a spot in Sunday’s championship round, while Meier is currently 16th in the average, and will need to make the whistle in Round 3 to earn a spot in the championship round.
“Things are on a roll, and I have my health,” said Meier, who added that he and few others contending for the world title will no doubt give it everything they have from now until Oct. 25.
“My most favorite part about riding bulls and watching guys that have that style is you just don’t give a care what happens – do what you (have) to do to get the whistle.”
NEWS AND NOTES
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