The Professional Bull Riders association considers its sport the most dangerous on the planet. Arguably, few competitive pursuits require the bravura it takes to tame 1,500 pounds of bovine aggression. Once a champion bull is out of the chute, there’s only two ways off, and landing on the soles of their boots is the preferred method for riders such as current No. 1-ranked rider J.B. Mauney, last year’s PBR World Champion and World Finals winner Silvano Alves, and rising star Kaique Pacheco. It’s at PBR’s Built Ford Tough World Finals, the 22-year old season-ending event at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, that the best of the best are at their most competitive.
That may be true for the bulls as well, but trying to get feedback from premium competitors such as Sweet Pro’s Long John, Bruiser, retired 2014 World Champion Bushwacker or this year’s Heroes and Legends Celebration honoree Chicken on a Chain would be futile. It’s all about performance, and the dramatic road leading to the World Finals. A point system gained event-by-event, ride-by-ride, determines rankings, with the top 35 riders and five alternates competing for the total purse—$2.2 million this year—and the winner’s payday of $250,000.
Joao Ricardo Vieira Photo by: L.E. Baskow
The top bull gets $50,000 by the conclusion of the World Finals as well but, more importantly, the total seasonal points are added up and the World Champion bull rider earns a $1 million bonus and a gold buckle. With Mauney leading both Pacheco and No. 2-ranked Joao Ricardo Vieira by nearly 1,000 points as of September’s Allentown Invitational in Pennsylvania, there needs to be some high scoring in Las Vegas to displace him. Allentown champ J.W. Harris and Matt Triplett, who won the 15/15 Bucking Battle event at the Invitational with a 90.5-point score, round out the top five.
Farther behind is three-time World Champion Alves at No. 13 (he missed part of the season due to hip surgery). The Brazilian star earned more than both Harris and Triplett this year, but demonstrates how volatile point standings can be. Mauney, who earned the gold buckle and won the World Finals in 2013, seems unstoppable this season. Meanwhile, previous top Finals riders such as 2010-11 winner Robson Palermo and 2010 winner (and World Champion) Renato Nunes ranked high enough to make it to Thomas & Mack, even if their chances of surpassing Mauney are nil.
But there’s always next year. Mauney first dominated the Finals in 2009, the year following his rookie season. Seven or eight years seems to be average for a PBR competitor, who will likely face injuries despite being in top shape. This may be the year that Alves’ star passes to Pacheco, who will ride it until he may one day be honored as a hero and legend of the sport, much as 13-year competitor Luke Snyder will be this year as the “Ring of Honor” recipient. For now, Pacheco has earned his place among the best of the best.
Thomas & Mack Center 6 p.m. Oct. 21-24, 1 p.m. Oct. 25, $30-$255 VIP plus tax and fee, five-day package available. 702.739.3267
