Mauney set to return to action in Calgary

FORT WORTH, Texas - Ty Murray has long said that every ride counts.

J.B. Mauney is hoping that three qualified rides in May prove to be the difference between winning his first world title and coming up short for the seventh time - in what has otherwise been a remarkable career in the PBR.

After breaking his left hand at a Built Ford Tough Series event in Kansas City, he made the whistle three times riding with his usual off hand.

"It could be," he said, when asked if his determination could be rewarded with a gold buckle and a $1 million bonus. "Who knows?"

Mauney was injured after making the whistle for 90 points in the opening round in Kansas City, when Ragin JT stepped on his open left palm. He was the No. 1 ranked rider in the world when he was stepped on, an injury that required surgery.

"I proved to everybody and showed everybody I could do it right-handed, and I proved to myself I could do it."

He missed only two events, before returning to competition riding right-handed.

Mauney covered three bulls in three events, including two - RMEF Gunpowder & Lead and Bad Blake - in a 15/15 Bucking Battle.

Some were surprised he rode at all, while others were shocked that his qualified scores came on two championship-round-quality bulls.

Then again, historically, Mauney has come through in big moments on rank bulls.

"When you get on Gunpowder & Lead or Bad Blake, you don't have time to think," said Mauney, who admitted that on some the long-round bulls he was thinking too much. "It's just all reaction, and it's going so fast there (isn't any) time. You just keep going."

He sat out the last BFTS event in Pueblo, Colo., thinking he might have partially torn a muscle in his left arm. After resting all of June, he's heading north of the border to Canada for the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede.

Mauney, who said he feels good, will once again compete with his left hand.

He spent his time off stretching his arm, regaining flexibility and mobility and strengthening his grip with his previously-injured left hand.

"It's getting strong again," he said, "movement's good."

Mauney won the Stampede in 2009.

This is the seventh year Stampede officials have invited the top PBR riders. Mauney is in Pool A, which starts this weekend, along with Aaron Roy, Austin Meier, Chad Besplug, Shane Proctor, Tyler Pankewitz, Tyler Thomson, Tyler Willis and Wesley Silcox.

When Mauney last rode, he left the Idaho event knowing he would not be able to compete a week later in Pueblo, but despite what he put himself through, he said it was worth the effort.

"I can live with myself when you try," Mauney said. "You're going to get hurt. That's part of it and points are points. I figure I proved to everybody and showed everybody I could do it right-handed, and I proved to myself I could do it."

He's currently ranked fifth in the world standings, and is within 2,303.75 points of world leader Valdiron de Oliveira.

Had he not earned those three scores, he would have barely been in the Top 10 and his chances of coming from behind would have been far less likely.

An optimistic yet cautious Mauney offered, "We'll find out at the end of Vegas, I guess."

Follow Keith Ryan Cartwright on Twitter @PBR_KRC.