RIDGEDALE, Mo. – Kansas City Outlaws coach J.W. Hart glanced over at the grassy knoll where hundreds of PBR fans were taking in the PBR Team Series event at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena.
Hart isn’t sure if his team’s two victories over Austin (11-11, Thunder Days 2-1) and Arizona (12-9-1, Thunder Days 1-2) this weekend at Thunder Days will necessarily lead to earning any new Kansas City fans, but he does know the outdoor venue and a trip back to rodeo roots in a way may just be the recipe to help his team turn around its season.
Sometimes a change of scenery can do wonders for a team.
“Everybody up there on the hill has their mind made up,” Hart said in laughter. “We ain’t winning anybody, they’re either Kansas City fans, or Missouri, or Carolina or Arizona, we’re not changing any minds. Win, lose or draw, we don’t worry about yesterday, we just refocus and win or lose, refocus, moving forward. But this was new, like with the stage and the grass. We were outside with humidity and a breeze.”
The Outlaws bounced back from a four-game losing streak heading into this weekend to go 2-1 at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena. It is only the second time this season in which Kansas City has won two games in one event.
Kansas City finished in fourth place overall after Marcus Mast bucked off Cold Creek in 1.92 seconds in the Bonus Round. Texas went 3-0 to claim first in the event, while Carolina (Daylon Swearingen – 4.62 seconds on Hostage) and Oklahoma (Chase Outlaw - 4.12 seconds on Lone Survivor) were second and third based on the Bonus Round.
The Outlaws had the best individual game performance of any team on Sunday afternoon, though.
Kansas City went 3-for-5 in its 264.75-166.75 victory over Arizona. The Outlaws received 87-point rides from Marcus Mast on Chief and 2022 Rookie of the Year Bob Mitchell on Ninja Cowboy, while Dalton Kasel made a slam dunk 90.75-point ride on Apper’s Mind Freak.
The win will certainly be something for coach Hart and company to build upon ahead of Rattler Days in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 7-9.
Thunder Days was a strong turnaround, and it came after Hart had everyone on his team get on practice bulls prior to coming to Ridgedale.
“We sat down and guys who we thought didn’t need practice, practiced,” Hart said. “Everybody went and got on practice bulls and trained hard for the trainer and stepped up and made it work. We just kind of had to refocus. Even the good guys when they’re firing good need practice sometimes, everybody has to practice.”
Dalton Rudman rode Trump Train for 88.25 points in Friday’s 177.25-88.5 victory over Austin, and the 27-year-old said the entire team was frustrated about its previous losing streak.
Rudman said the Outlaws had to take a breath and stop pressing so much for qualified rides and get back to the basics.
“We have to have fun,” Rudman said. “A lot of us were kind of frustrated last weekend too, J.W. isn’t the only one, but he’s right there along with us and just having fun. Winning is a lot more fun than losing, so that’s pretty much his message, have fun.”
Mast finished 2-for-4 overall in Ridgedale, and he is seventh in the league’s MVP race, but only three qualified rides behind MVP leader Jose Vitor Leme (14-for-19).
The Outlaws will leave Ridgedale seventh in the standings this weekend, but they remain gritty, tough and have their nose to the grindstone.
In fact, Kansas City is only two games behind No. 4 Austin (11-11) in the ever-tight PBR Team Series standings.
“What’s funny about our guys is every one of them is kind of a throwback to the old school guys,” Hart said. “You can look at each of them and go: this Dalton (Kasel), that Dalton (Rudman), Marcus (Mast), Clancy (Hart), Kyler, Rafael, Bob, well, Bob, might be a little new-aged for us, but really they all have a bit of that old throwback to them with the cowboy stuff.
“The toughness, that’s why we drafted them. I’d hate to say it’s by design, but we lucked out and got the right guys.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media