KINTA, Okla. (August 6, 2010) - He’s bucked off his last five bulls since returning to the Built Ford Tough Series after a two-month summer break, but Austin Meier said, “You’ve got to try and find a positive in everything.”
The 23-year-old from Kinta, Okla., admitted, “It has been a couple of rough weeks. Honestly, what I feel it boils down to is drawing rough, and that is part of this sport. You’re not always going to draw bulls that fit you, bulls that complement your riding and allow you to get to that 8-second whistle.”
Meier was 0-for-3 in Tulsa, Okla., and followed that two weeks later with an 0-for-2 performance in San Antonio.
Although he pointed to a less-than-favorable draw, Meier also admitted that he “wasted a bull” in Tulsa that he had previously ridden three times. Flashpoint bucked him off in the third round, but earlier this year took him to 87.75 points in Tampa, Fla. Meier had ridden him twice in 2009.
“It just didn’t go my way,” Meier said, “but other than that, my first two bulls (in Tulsa) and (in San Antonio) were just flat-out bad draws for me. Other guys? Maybe they would have worked, but for me that’s what it is.”
Meier has failed to score at six of the past 11 events. Then again, he’s also won three of the past 12.
Asked if he regretted not competing at any Touring Pro events from mid-May through the middle of July, he pointedly said, “Oh no. Like I said, I feel like as far as my riding, my ability, whether there’s a rust factor, I feel great.
“I feel like I’m doing my job the best I can. I just need to get through this spurt of drawing bad and get back to those good bulls.”
After taking the lead in the world standings in Wichita, Kan., with his fourth event win of the season, Meier surrendered the lead to Renato Nunes a week later.
Meier trailed Nunes by only 660.75 points then, compared to the 1,707 points he now needs to make up.
“It’s frustrating, very frustrating, when you feel like you’re riding good and all you need is to draw right,” Meier said, “especially when you’re in second place. You’re in the position that you can make a big move if things happen right, and get back into first place and go on with it.
“But when you’re not drawing good, it’s a frustrating deal, because it’s like, ‘When am I going to draw those good bulls again?’ It’s something that is a mental game more than any other part of the sport, because you have got to continue to keep your head up, keep looking forward to the next day, forgetting about the day before and just continue to keep your intensity level up and not dread the next bull riding.
“Come Wednesday or Thursday when you see the draw, even if it is another bad draw, you think, ‘Hey, maybe this weekend he’ll have a good trip and we’ll see some big points.’”
