PUEBLO, Colo. (August 18, 2010) - J.B. Mauney knows all about the pressure of being a professional bull rider.
For the past three years, the North Carolina native has been a contender for the PBR World Championship, and at the onset of the 2010 season, he was a heavy favorite to win his first title.
Three times this season Mauney has been atop the standings, and three times he’s been unable to hold the lead for more than three events at a time.
A season that was expected to become a second battle between Mauney and reigning World Champion Kody Lostroh has instead had six different leaders and nine lead changes through 23 of 30 events.
Following a fifth-place finish last weekend in Nashville, Tenn., Mauney moved back into the Top 5 for the first time since early May, when he suffered a partially collapsed lung in Wichita, Kan.
“I’ve been there enough that I should be there all the time,” said Mauney. “But I’m not as high as want to be right now. I’ve made some mistakes this year and I just have to play catch up.”
He currently trails world leader Renato Nunes by 2,362 points.
Although his right knee still needs to be surgically repaired, he said it hasn’t been bothering his riding. He overcame the lung injury – which forced him to take the summer off for the first time in his professional career – and in spite of wearing a brace on his right elbow, Mauney said, “I feel good.”
“Your riding arm takes abuse whether you’re riding good or not,” he said. “You still have to tie it in there, and go.”
As for the pressure of reasserting himself as a contender for this year’s title, Mauney admitted that his first two bulls last weekend were just what he needed “to get back going.”
Having finished second the past two seasons, he’s aware of the importance of seizing every opportunity.
“Being there before and being used to the pressure and everything, it’s a lot better from the first time I went in,” he explained.
“I was thinking about a lot of stuff, and you can’t think about anything. You just have to ride bulls and have fun.”
