Bull rider who conquered legendary Bushwacker: I was lucky
(CBS News) Professional bull rider J.B. Mauney made history last weekend, taming a famous bull named Bushwacker that was undefeated for more than four years.
Bushwacker's unprecedented streak of 56 buck offs, included tossing Mauney eight times. But Saturday night in Tulsa, Okla., it was Mauney, who took down the greatest of all time, winning $46,000 for his winning eight-second ride.
But how did he do it after so many failures?
Mauney said on "CBS This Morning" it was all about luck. "Everybody said I was just a little better than him that day. I don't think so," he said. "I got a little luckier that day."
But he did admit he was feeling that special something that morning -- "I looked at my wife, I said Bushwacker is going to draw tonight. She said, 'I'm feeling it, too'."
Riding Bushwacker is unlike riding any other bull, Mauney said. "He's so big and strong. He knows. He's smart. He'll feel you one way, he'll turn back the other. I've been on him nine times. He's never done the same thing twice. A bull like that stands out. You can always tell."
To stay on this time, Mauney said he had to try to stay forward on the bucking bull. "I knew I kind of had to stay forward towards his head because he's got so much up and down to him," he explained. "He kicks so hard. He likes to jerk people down."
And on this ride, Mauney said he'd feared for his face. "There was one point he kind of got me revved back," he said. "I was leaned way back. I figured the next jump he was about to knock my teeth out, but he was going to have to hit me in the face before I was going to turn loose."
But Mauney said riding Bushwacker this time didn't hurt "near as bad as previous times."
Mauney said he'd attempt riding the famous bull again. "I've always been determined ever since I was little," Mauney said. "If I was going to do something I wanted to be the best at it. The way I look at it, if you're going to be the best bull rider, you got to get on the best bulls to do it. I like to prove to myself there's not a bull that can throw me off."