JB Mauney Wins Round 4
The 2015 PBR World Finals was one to remember. Let’s start with our 2015 PBR World Champion, J.B. Mauney. By the end of round 4, Mauney had amassed enough points after a historic second-half season run that no one could catch him. Even before his 92.75 ride on Bruiser (D&H Cattle Co. / Buck Cattle Co.), neither Kaique Pacheco or Joao Ricardo Vieira had scored high enough to come close to catching him. Mauney is one of only four other riders (Silvano Alves, Adriano Moraes, Justin McBride and Chris Shivers) to win multiple PBR World Championships. He ended up second in the aggregate as well, taking home $1,197,500 at this year’s finals alone. He is the richest western athlete in the world, having made over $6 million dollars with the Professional Bull Riders.
J.B. wasn’t the only one to go home with bigger pockets, though. Cooper Davis, 21, seemingly came out of nowhere in the last couple of events leading up to the finals and had an absolutely stellar performance in Vegas to pull off the average win, which nets $250,000 for a total of $292,500 for the event. By staying consistent and placing in 3/6 rounds, he was able to come away with a huge win – and a lot of eyes watching him to see what he does in 2016.
Kaique Pacheco
Brazilian Kaique Pacheco was given the honors of the Rookie of the Year title, who ended up second in the overall standings in terms of points for the 2015 season. In fact, he won the title during the second night, edging out event winner Cooper Davis for the title.
We also said goodbye to some of the most well-known names in bull riding. Austin Meier and L.J. Jenkins both announced their retirement from the sport, as did 2010 World Champion and 10-year PBR veteran, Renato Nunes. He is one of the most outstanding Brazilian bull riders in the world, has put up some amazing scores (including a 95.75-point ride against Chicken on a Chain in 2008) and is always smiling and helping his fellow riders behind the chutes. It was truly remarkable to see how many ropes he pulled – both American and Brazilian – after his announcement Saturday night halfway through the fourth round. He plans to move back to Brazil November 5, after making his debut in the PBR in July of 2005.
Mason Lowe Gets Into a Wreck
H.D. Page had a huge 2015 World Finals, winning the ABBI Classic with Bruiser (who placed second in the Bull of the Year Standings) and winning the 2015 Bull of the Year award with Brothers SweetPro’s Long John. Both are sons of the bull Showtime. D&H Cattle Co. has long been known for breeding some of the rankest on the circuit, proven by this year’s sweep of the finals. The 2015 Stock Contractor of the Year Award was given to none other than Chad Berger of Chad Berger Bucking Bulls (now 5x Stock Contractor of the Year). You can read more about this award here.
The Cowboy Lifestyle Network, Ak-Chin Indian Community, and Earnhardt Auto Centers Road team covered the 2015 PBR BFTS World Finals in its entirety.