Is George Paul or J.B. Mauney the greatest bull rider of all time?
The two come from very different eras, rode different bulls, so it’s tough to make a comparison.
Mauney has ended up on several “Greatest” lists and his straight shooting, not give a damned attitude, makes him the last of a dying breed.
On a fan’s list, Mauney was voted ahead of icons like Lane Frost, Tuff Hedeman and yes, Del Rio’s own George Paul, who was voted in at Number 20.
The 5-foot, 10-inch star has strapped himself on 691 bulls in his career and successfully rode 52 percent of them.
While that feat is impressive in itself, he’s taken home top honors in 48 events and won two world titles in the PBR, giving him more than $7 million in earnings. More money than any bull rider has ever earned.
Mauney has managed to ride the unrideable (Bushwhacker, who was only ridden three times), won the World Champion Bull Rider title two times, in 2013 and 2015. He has also won the World Finals event two times, in 2009 and 2013 and owns a Rookie of the Year buckle from 2006.
He’s managed to ride every world champion bull except Smooth Operator.
Smooth Operator is the top ranked bull in the world and should be on a trailer headed for the Val Verde County Fairgrounds. Saturday and Sunday, Mauney and Smooth Operator may face off and there could be another historic first in the books, if Mauney conquers the behemoth.
He’s also one of three riders to ride 500 bulls in his career.
“He deserves everything he has done in his career. He is one of the best bull riders we have ever had in the PBR,” said former world champion Guilherme Marchi, who’s ridden 613 bulls.
Although he’s a Texas transplant, Mauney has proven himself Texas tough. He’s injured his groin, knees, ankles, wrist, forearm and ribs, in addition to other injuries he never shared.
This weekend, he’ll ride bulls in the town Paul called home as he battles it out in the
PBR BUILT FORD TOUGH INVITATIONAL Unleash the Beast American Roots Edition.
Paul isn’t in the Top 10 greatest riders ever, but he was one of the trailblazers in the sport. The sport is built on the shoulders of greats like Paul and others. However, Paul never came close to the $7 million Mauney has earned. It was a different sport, different time, different economy.
However, there is one mark Paul has that Mauney and others have never come close to.
Paul rode 79 bulls in a row for 8 seconds, something no one has come close to. This Del Rio boy was riding in a different time, different era. The bulls weren’t behemoths like Bodacious and Smooth Operator but Paul rode them 79 straight times. What makes this comparison even more unfair is what if? What if George Paul would have had a full run and not been killed as his career was launching. He’d very like have several championships under his belt ad this conversation would be much more fair to him.
The sport of bull riding was built on the backs of cowboys like George Paul and Tuff Hedeman, and aces like Mauney are moving it forward. It’s impossible to compare the eras, or their stars.
However, they’re all stars in their own rights. Sometimes, comparing them can seem like a travesty and we just need to enjoy the moment.
This weekend, Del Rio has the chance to enjoy another moment with a future icon, J.D. Mauney.
