PBR champ coming to fairgrounds
One of the greatest bull riders in the world is making a surprise visit to the Mikel J. Moreno Memorial PBR Pro Touring event being held tonight and Thursday at the Yuba-Sutter Fair.
J.B. Mauney, who last year won the PBR Finals event in Las Vegas and is fifth in the world rankings this season, is scheduled to compete Thursday, Hall of Fame promoter Cotton Rosser and the Flying U Rodeo announced.
"I don't know what he's doing here," said Rosser, noting the touring division is a step below the regular PBR Tour competition.
"There are not a lot of PBR events in the summer and these guys like to stay in shape," Rosser speculated.
There are two other California events — Rosser's Del Mar rodeo and one in Santa Barbara, both next week — so Mauney may be making a West Coast swing as well.
Mauney's appearance should also be a surprise to the other competitors who come to the event, and they will certainly understand what they are going up against.
"We will have 24 cowboys riding 48 bulls in two days," said Rosser.
There are 12 riders each night, each riding two bulls. Among the riders will be last year's winner, Jacob Tayner of Sacramento, and Live Oak's Josh Garner.
The question is whether or not the bulls will know the difference between Mauney and the other cowboys.
Rosser and Julio Moreno will not be sending out their rankest bulls, but they will be a challenge just the same, as many of them are from the bloodlines of some of the Flying U's and Moreno's top bucking bulls.
"A lot of our calves out of Reindeer and Whitewater will be bucking," Rosser said.
The event is named after Rosser's grandson — and the son of Julio and Cindy Moreno of Marysville — who died of leukemia in May 2006.
"It's kind of nice to be able to do something for your grandson. ... He was a great kid," Rosser said.
He also expects to see a fair number of Moreno's Wheatland High classmates at the event.
"All the kids he went to school with at Wheatland will be there," Rosser said. "They are very loyal to him."
The event also will include world champion parachutist Kent Lane, trick roping and trick riding.
