Rodeo legend J.B. Mauney set himself apart from others with his records which didn’t “fit the bill” of a stereotypical cowboy. Despite being plagued by injuries during his career, he was one of the two who rode a 3X PBR World Champion bull, Bushwacker, for 8 seconds in the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS). By 2016, he was the only 7M prize money receiver. However, a 2017 accident required him to install a screw and 13 anchors. Mauney called it “part of being a cowboy,” in an interview with Monster Energy.
He continued to add more wins to his collection until this year’s horrendous accident finally made him hang his boots. Now months later, his friend, a fellow bull rider and a household name in the sport Dale Brisby got him to share the insights of the spine-chilling moment in his podcast.
Rodeo buddies sit for a serious chat
Dale Brisby and J.B. Mauney’s friendship dates back or rather strengthened after their big-screen sharing for a 2020 Netflix series called How to be a Cowboy. Apart from their usual cowboy hangouts, this time Brisby shared an Instagram story of a snippet where he invited Mauney to his podcast titled, ‘JB Mauney Injury Story,‘ on YouTube. In the video, Mauney shared “Medics walked over so what’s going on I was like my neck is broke and they went to freaking out.”
It all happened during a PRCA Xtreme Bulls event in Lewiston, Idaho, on September 4. Mauney was bucked off by a bull named Arctic Assassin and landed on his head. Mauney, talking about his instincts, said, “when I hit as soon as I rolled over I knew it(neck) was broken like when I went to push to get up I knew it I felt it.” After two days he underwent surgery, “which required a rod/plates/screws and the removal of a disc.”
Mayney once said in 2017, “when you crawl in to a chute, nothing else matters. You tie your hand and you don’t give up until you hit the dirt.” However, just four days after his September surgery, he announced, “Unfortunately with the surgery it ended my bullriding career..” Notably, in 2019, Mauney became the guy with the most televised wins in the history(26 years) of the PBR tied with fellow former rider Justin McBride. Over the years, his dedication to the exhilarating unpredictable nature of rodeo continues to be inspiring.
The legacy of J.B. Mauney
When the community calls you a legend, you know you have done the job right. A feeling familiar to J.B Mauney who began full-time PBR riding in 2006, one year after joining the circuit. It was in 2018 that numbers spoke for his hard work. He reached 500 rides milestone on the Premier Series during Round 1 of the Monster Energy Buck-Off. His record of 32 PBR Premier Series wins remains among the top-rodeo icons to date.
In addition, champion bull Bushwacker and JB were a strong duo in the dirt ground having matched up thirteen times. Now, while many know Mauney and Brisby from their Netflix original series, these boys are quite digital savvy often collaborating to bring fun content. A classic example of bringing insight as rodeo cowboys attracting more people to the thrilling sport of bull riding.
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