Of the Top 10 bull riders in the world, and more specifically, the Top 4 contenders for this year’s world title, only Guilherme Marchi has experienced the pressure and elation of winning the coveted gold buckle.

It’s largely why the 2008 World Champion was unfazed by the travel snafu last weekend that resulted in an unplanned eight-hour drive from Denver to Billings, Mont.

Even after missing the rider introductions and arriving well into the first section, he still maintained his composure. Friday night he rode Squawk Box for 88 points en route to his third consecutive Top 5 finish at a Built Ford Tough Series event.

“He’s like a vampire that’s tasted blood before,” said two-time World Champion and current Versus commentator Justin McBride.

J. B. Mauney, who finished second behind Marchi in 2008, agreed.

He joked, “You always have to watch that guy. He’ll sneak up and take it from you.”

Marchi is now within 2,270.75 points of Silvano Alves in a title race that continues to tighten.

Alves, who is in his first full season on the BFTS, surprised everyone a year ago by finishing inside the Top 10 despite competing in only 17 events. This year, many expect him not only to win BFTS events, but the world title.

At this point in the season, he’s won one event and finished second or third five times. Valdiron de Oliveira (4), Marchi (2) and Robson Palermo (4) all have multiple event wins.

“One thing about learning how to win is staying on your bulls,” said Austin Meier, who a year ago finished second in the standings behind Renato Nunes. “If you don’t stay on your bulls, you don’t have a chance to win.”

Meier was involved in a race that wasn’t decided until the second-to-last round at the World Finals.

He said winners understand the importance of covering their bulls in draw rounds in order to set themselves up for the bull draft.

Meier said last year’s experience taught him that “you have to put yourself in a position to win.”

Marchi did just that in 2008, but only after finishing second for three consecutive years.

The year he finally won the world title, he did it in dominating fashion. He rode 74.75 percent of his bulls, won five BFTS events and was in the Top 10 of the average in 19 of 33 events.

Oliveira has been a model of consistency since he debuted on the BFTS. His career average is 61.83 percent.

A major difference between this year and his three previous seasons is that he’s won four times, compared to only three times in all three previous seasons combined.

Even Palermo has one more event win in 2011 than he’s had in four previous complete seasons combined.

“Once you get settled in, you have to be smart enough to use your abilities every weekend, and not just once in a while,” said Mauney, who in the past four years has twice finished second and twice finished third in the world.

The mental toll of a 10-month title chase can be worse than the physical toll. Personal expectations and external pressures have been known to derail even the best riders.

“When you can keep a steady head it prepares you to do anything,” Meier said. “You learn how to handle that pressure and so you learn how to handle yourself.”

No recent World Champion focused on the mental challenges of winning more than Kody Lostroh, who sought out the advice of what he called a “mental coach.”

Despite the physical limitations of an elbow injury, and the fact that rival Mauney became the first and only rider to cover all 8 bulls at the PBR World Finals, Lostroh managed to hang on and win the 2009 world title.

The 2011 Champion will need more than talent.

“Experience plays into both the physical side of riding and the mental side of riding,” Meier explained. “There are guys who have the physical side – they’re talented – but their mental game is so weak they can’t hold that top spot.”

— by Keith Ryan Cartwright