LAS VEGAS – Nathan Burtenshaw and Keyshawn Whitehorse were young teenagers when they saw PBR World Finals qualifier rings for the first time.
“I’ve always watched everyone wear their World Finals ring around – Jason O’Hearn, Troy Dunn – and I said, ‘Man, I hope I can get me one of them one day,’” Burtenshaw recalled this weekend. “I’ve seen a lot of guys just wearing their jackets, like Troy Dunn and all them boys that were older than me. I wouldn’t mind wearing one of them one day. I guess that’s what really drives you, at the end of the day.”
Whitehorse remembers being a teenager training with three-time PBR World Finals event winner Robson Palermo.
The 15-year-old would show up at Palermo’s house in Tyler, Texas, to get lessons from Palermo, who was fresh off winning a record-setting third World Finals in 2012, and he would see that ring glimmering on Palmero’s hand.
“He was wearing it after the World Finals, and I knew I wanted one of those one day,” Whitehorse said. “It is great. It is just sharing a memory with Palermo, like going back into the past. Those times where he trained me and with Guilherme. My parents’ help. All of that stuff.”
The two young bull riders with World Finals aspirations and gold buckle dreams, as well as three other first-time PBR World Finals qualifiers – Colten Jesse, Alex Marcilio and Alisson de Souza, will officially now have a ring of their own following the 2018 PBR World Finals this week, which begin on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
All World Finals qualifiers can choose to get a ruby inserted into the face of the ring. Each year a rider qualifies, he can add another ruby.
“Everything will come back into sync when I see that ring and put it on,” Whitehorse said. “It is something worth seeing and having.”
The 40 riders competing at the 2018 PBR World Finals were officially welcomed and congratulated Monday afternoon at the Park MGM hotel during rider check-in.
Marcilio did not receive a ring last year as he was a wild card invite to the World Finals. Wild card winners do not receive a ring.
Francisco Garcia Torres is the only rider to never compete at the World Finals, even as an alternate, out of this year’s five wild card riders (Luis Blanco, Michael Lane, Juan Carlos Contreras, Paulo Lima and Torres).
Whitehorse, Jesse, Souza and Torres are the only four riders competing this week that have never ridden at the World Finals at least one time.
“I am definitely excited,” Jesse said. “That is a childhood dream right there. I have seen guys wearing them rings. Everybody wants to get to the PBR World Finals. It is all cool and all, but this is just the beginning.”
Burtenshaw was bucked off by Sosa’s Alley Cat last year in 3.33 seconds in his only World Finals appearance.
This year, obviously, is a lot different from last year.
Burtenshaw is guaranteed a draw spot for the first five rounds and is an official qualifier.
“I actually feel like I’ve made it this year, you know?” Burtenshaw said. “Last year I guess I didn’t really feel like I made it.
“It’s definitely a bucket list (item). As a kid growing up, you always have your eye on the World Finals. Definitely a goal that can be ticked off, but there is still other goals to be ticked off. So I’m keeping focused and getting bulls rode at the moment.”
Burtenshaw finished off the 2018 Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour Finals with an 84.5-point ride on Keno.
He is also in contention for the Rookie of the Year title and sits fourth, 225.83 points behind Whitehorse.
No Australian bull rider has won Rookie of the Year in the PBR’s 25-year history.
“It’d be definitely pretty cool to win,” Burtenshaw said. “We won’t worry about it. We’ll just worry about riding bulls.”
Burtenshaw says he remembers last year observing how every rider approached the World Finals.
The stakes are higher, especially with $300,000 set to go to the World Finals event winner, and Burtenshaw could sense the added level of intensity and focus inside the locker room.
“Just what it takes to actually grind it out for a year and make it,” Burtenshaw said. “What it actually takes to make the World Finals. It’s not easy to do. I got a lot out of last year, the end of last year, and hopefully I can get some bulls rode at the World Finals.
“It’s going to be a good week and I’m just going to try and enjoy it as much as I can, and just soak it up and just ride bulls and have fun, pretty much.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko