As a PBR team coach, J.B. Mauney is still “still messing with bulls every day,” including the bull who put an end to his career. At the Lewiston Roundup a year ago, famed bull rider J.B. Mauney crawled atop Arctic
Assassin’s back and waited for the gate to open. The spectators gasped when the Texas cowboy suddenly somersaulted high off the bull’s back and fell on his head. It turned out to be his final professional ride of a legendary career.
With the assistance of bullfighters, the renowned bull rider staggered out of the arena, determined to walk alone. As he awaited medical attention and an ambulance journey to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, Mauney exclaimed, “I just broke my f—ing neck.”
In response to a recent inquiry for an update from the Lewiston Tribune, Mauney stated he is “good to go” and “still messing with bulls every day.” At the age of 37, Mauney is the head coach of the Professional Bull Riders Team Series’ Oklahoma Wildcatters, a position he genuinely loves.
Mauney informed the Tribune, “This year, I won’t be back at the Roundup.” “I get the same rush when I stay on a bull as I did when I was riding,” the PBR coach said. Mauney claims in other interviews that he “can still walk straight when it’s over” and that coaching is the most enjoyable experience he has ever had.
Mauney, his spouse, and their small kid reside in Stephensville, Texas. In addition to mentoring younger riders, he works with bulls, fixes fences, and manages an endless to-do list on the renegade chutes and pens that have come to be known as Bucktown.
The bull that terminated his career currently resides with his family on Mauney’s XV Ranch, approximately 90 minutes southwest of Fort Worth. The bull rider replies,
“Yeah, he retired me, and now he gets to retire with me.” Both of us are doing well. Mauney claimed that after being thrown into the air by Arctic Assassin during the Roundup, he very well might have been dead or incapacitated. Even before he committed to what would be his last professional ride, he was battling injuries.
In earlier interviews, Mauney talked about how he realized he had a fractured neck. He said to another reporter, “It felt like somebody stuck a hot knife right in the back of my neck.” He went home to recover after being discharged from St. Joe’s in September and declared his retirement to the public.
The world’s rodeo enthusiasts expressed their sincere appreciation for the unmatched abilities he had displayed in rodeos like the Lewiston Roundup for over twenty years.
Mauney’s work ethic and toughness have long been well-known. He has over $7.4 million in prize money, multiple world titles, and was inducted into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame in May.
He was smoking a Marlboro and sporting a black shirt emblazoned with sponsorships when he arrived in Lewiston to compete the previous year. He checked in and greeted the other bull riders with a casual stroll beneath the bleachers.
The crowd knew him right away. A stunned Lewiston rodeo fan said, “That’s J.B. Mauney.” “He is the world’s most well-known bull rider.” Following his brief but profound ride, Mauney hastily “burned down” a cigarette at a picnic table while waiting for an ambulance. He was wearing a neck brace. He was quiet, yet he was unsteady.
“This was how it was always going to happen,” Mauney subsequently informed a reporter. “I was aware of that. They were going to have to tell me I could no longer ride, so something had to happen.
Mauney wants to reassure Roundup supporters that despite everything that has changed in the last year, he is “doing good, and just playing the cards I got dealt.” He is grateful for the support he has received from everyone, including the St. Joe’s medical staff and the Roundup directors.
