Hello again cowboy nation.
Things have been exciting, but now we're really getting down to the fun part of the season with a six-week, nonstop "Road to Vegas."
I've talked before, in previous blogs, about how important it is when you're any kind of professional athlete that you need to have your major goal. In the case of Kody Lostroh, Guilherme Marchi and J.B. Mauney their major goal is to win a World Championship, and they are definitely battling it out.
But it's important to make sure you're also focused on the moment.
What I mean by that is if you're an NFL football team that wants to win the Super Bowl you have to be thinking about the first kickoff of the first game and then you have to be thinking about the first play from scrimmage. Then you have to be thinking about the second play and so on and so forth.
It's important to take advantage of every moment of every chance you get for all it's worth every step of the way because it can literally come down to a few points that decides who wins and who loses.
One year I won a world title by 95 points. I could have just as easily lost it by 95 points and then looked back throughout the year and came up with 1,000 moments where I might have lost that championship. But, as it turns out, I can look back on a 1,000 moments where I won that World Championship.
It really is fun for me to watch how different athletes handle an entire season.
Right now these guys have to be focused on their first bull in Reno because, at this point, that's all that matters. Then you move on to the next bull, but on some of the rank bulls you can even break the moment down to jump by jump because you have to get past the first jump to get to the second one.
The dynamic of the season is going to change now that everybody can see the light at the end of the tunnel. They know they only have six weeks and that sense of urgency is starting to set in, so for me it's interesting to watch how they all handle it.
I think this is going to be one of the most exciting finishes that we've ever had because we have three great bull riders who are trading places, switching back and forth in the standings and they're all within striking distance of one another.
Kody, Guilherme and J.B. all seem to be riding at the top of their game so this is going to be a dog fight.
This is how you decide a true World Champion because they will be tested in every way. They've been getting on rank bulls all season and now they have to continue that for six more events and on through a PBR World Finals, which is the ultimate test for a professional bull rider.
At the Finals you're on the biggest stage, under the brightest lights and getting on the rankest bulls in the world and going up against the best riders over the course of eight rounds.
It not only takes a toll on you physically, but the mental game and the pressure these three guys are going to face from here on out is something you can only understand if you've been in that position. And, let me tell you firsthand, it can get intense and it can feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders while you're trying to do one of the most exhilarating, scary and dangerous sports in the world.
So lets all sit back and enjoy this race.
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