SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Team USA Eagles coach Justin McBride knew this situation was always a possibility when he began to assemble his Global Cup squad last fall.
It does not make it any easier, though, when he looks at his roster and sees six of his eight riders dealing with some sort of injury with the 2019 WinStar World Casino & Resort Global Cup USA, presented by Monster Energy, less than two weeks away.
Three of McBride’s riders – captain Cooper Davis (concussion), Cody Teel (concussion) and Matt Triplett (wrist) – missed this past weekend’s Sacramento Invitational, while two additional riders in Chase Outlaw (neck) and J.B. Mauney (leg) were unable to ride in the championship round and are due to get X-rays this week to find out the extent of their injuries.
Meanwhile, Derek Kolbaba is trying to ride through a right rib injury and has bucked off five consecutive bulls on the Unleash The Beast.
“We are getting a little beat up, but we will see how everybody is,” McBride said on Sunday night. “We have another week still to get through and then we will go from there.”
Davis, Teel and Kolbaba are expected to be good to go for Global Cup, but there are some gray areas with Mauney, Outlaw and Triplett.
Mauney may have a broken leg and will need to get X-rays this week, while Outlaw also needs to get X-rays to rule out any broken bones in his neck.
Outlaw, though, said on Sunday night he believes his X-rays are more precautionary than anything else.
Triplett considers himself week-to-week because of an injury to his riding wrist that dates back to the end of last season.
McBride could easily have all eight of his riders in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 9-10, or he could be scrambling to start looking for multiple replacements.
Only time will tell, but he will not be wasting any time in preparing for the worst case scenario.
The three-time Global Cup coach was already scouting riders this weekend at the Sacramento Invitational while working as an analyst for CBS Sports Network.
“Absolutely,” McBride said. “Right now, those guys that are on there, if they go down, it is tough, tough, tough to replace them. We have some options with (Brennon) Eldred, who is a veteran being on the team, and he is hit or miss right now. But he is a guy that loves being a part of this. We have an option there with him. After that, yeah, I am going to really have to do some searching.
“Once you start splitting these countries up, start trying to find guys (to replace) and it gets pretty slim.”
Eldred was actually a last-minute injury replacement in 2017 when McBride had to replace two riders –Jess Lockwood and Outlaw – just days before the 2017 Global Cup in Edmonton following the 2017 PBR World Finals.
The 24-year-old went 1-for-3 in Edmonton as McBride coached the underdog USA squad, who wound up competing without an alternate rider, to victory on Canadian soil.
Eldred tied for the most qualified rides by an American at the Sydney Global Cup, where Team USA finished in fourth place, after he went 2-for-2.
If McBride ultimately needs to replace a rider, Eldred will be ready if McBride chooses to go with him.
“I don’t want nobody to get hurt,” Eldred said. “I don’t wish nothing upon anybody. Whether I make it or not, I am still here for my country. I am still going to be cheering them on. I just want to do whatever is best for them. If it comes to that, and they want me to step up and take a spot, I feel like I am more than ready.
“I was there for the last two. To get the win in Edmonton and to not get on the team this year kind of hit me pretty good.”
Eldred is the highest-ranked American in the world standings (15th) not on the Eagles currently.
Other potential veteran options that qualified for the 2018 PBR World Finals could be Sean Willingham or Koal Livingston.
Willingham went 2-for-4 in Sacramento, while Livingston was 0-for-3.
“It would be pretty awesome to be able to represent Team USA,” Willingham said. “Being an older guy in the locker room it would really mean a lot. A long time ago I was on the team when we had those deals. We came out on top.”
Willingham was a member of the 2008 Team USA team that won the World Cup in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Livingston said he too would be ready if McBride needs him.
“Man, it would be awesome for sure,” Livingston said. “I would love to put my name in the mix. I just need to keep on doing my job and I am sure it can happen.”
Lockwood and Cody Nance are the only two riders on the Eagles not dealing with an injury ahead of this coming weekend’s Express Ranches Invitational in Oklahoma City.
McBride is still hopeful his team will be ready to roll in 12 days.
If not, McBride says he will consider all options if any of his riders’ injuries become too serious and they cannot ride at AT&T Stadium.
His goal is to win, and he will look all over to find the next best available American bull rider.
“All options are on the table,” McBride concluded. “I will do whatever it takes to give those guys the best chance possible to win.”