OKLAHOMA CITY - The Willingham family rarely gets to see Sean compete in person at any Built Ford Tough Series event, let alone the largest venue in their home state of Georgia.

A 10-year veteran of the BFTS, Willingham will be competing in his 224th consecutive event next week in the first of four stadium-tour events at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

"I only get to ride in front of them but once a year," Willingham said. "I'm just glad we're back at the Georgia Dome - a bigger facility and there's going to be a lot of people there, a lot of people rooting for me.

"If I don't stay on, I'm probably going to get booed out of the arena, and I don't want that to happen."

'I'm just glad we're back at the Georgia Dome - a bigger facility and there's going to be a lot of people there, a lot of people rooting for me.'

He's won 13 events in his career, and at least one in each of the past nine seasons.

Still, the 30-year-old from Summerville only narrowly avoided being cut from the BFTS last weekend.

He's currently ranked 24th in the world - only the Top 25 are guaranteed a spot in the BFTS draw - and was only 80 points ahead of Paulo Lima, who was ranked 26th and became the first of several riders cut.

For Willingham, the key next week will be to keep from getting over-excited in anticipation.

"I just started reading a book called Mind Gym," he said. "It explains in there it's like a 'U,' you know, your level. You have to be maxed at a certain time and you have to control it at all times. You don't want to go over the red line - just like in a car.

"I just started reading it and that's what I've been focused on lately - not to get too amped up, because sometimes I get too excited and the motor's going too fast, and then once you nod everything's been going so fast you have no energy left."

The 2012 season has been less than stellar for Sean Willingham. He hopes that will change beginning next weekend in Atlanta.

He'll work on staying calm, and at the same time, make sure his body is warm and ready to go so that when he nods he still has all his strength.

That's when he can redline.

Willingham said he and J.B. Mauney both received the book as a gift at Willingham's off-season wedding.

It was one of the same books Kody Lostroh referred to in 2009 when he won the world title. Mauney read the book before the start of the season, and is currently ranked No. 1 in the world after winning last week's event in Baltimore.

"He read the book before me, and look at his success this year," Willingham said. "He's No.1 in the world, and I just finished the book this week, so I hope I'm coming up next."

Willingham, who was in Atlanta last Thursday on public relations duty, along with reigning Stock Contractor of the Year Jeff Robinson and PBR CEO Jim Haworth, will go right from Oklahoma City to Atlanta for a week's worth of media in anticipation of Saturday's event.

'There's no room for mistakes at those one-day events, but you never can tell. Out of the 35 guys we're liable to ride 20 bulls.'

The first two stadium events in Atlanta and Houston will feature a two-bull format in which every rider who makes the whistle in the long round will qualify for the Built Ford Tough Championship Round.

"It's a different atmosphere from the normal events every weekend, and they're always a little different with the prize money and the different formats we're going to see," Willingham said.

"It's less bulls for the same amount of money."

Arlington, Texas, will feature the Iron Cowboy format for the third year in a row, while the Detroit event will serve as the Last Cowboy Standing venue. Success at all four stadium events hinges on covering the first bull.

According to Willingham, the feast-or-famine format and the oversized venues will likely favor veteran riders.

"There's no room for mistakes at those one-day events, but you never can tell," he said. "Out of the 35 guys we're liable to ride 20 bulls."

The stadium-sized atmospheres will motivate all 25 riders to perform up to expectations, but Willingham hopes to take advantage of what he learned from reading Mind Gym.

"I think they're going to be some great events," he concluded, "and shoot, we're just going to have to see how it all unfolds at the end."

WATCH THE WINSTAR WORLD CASINO INVITATIONAL IN OKLAHOMA CITY tonight at 6 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.