NEW YORK CITY – Mason Taylor’s 85-point ride on Sugar Smack on Saturday night at the Monster Energy Buck Off at The Garden, presented by Ariat, in New York City, may not be the highest-scoring ride of his career, but it’s worth more than its weight in gold.

Taylor has only had four outs in PBR competition in the last five months due to a groin tear he suffered in the practice pen after the PBR Teams event in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Thinking it would be a six-week deal, Taylor returned to compete for the Nashville Stampede at Freedom Fest in Oklahoma City in September, getting on three bulls and not feeling right on any of them. After another MRI and a sonogram discovered 45 cc of liquid sitting on the tear, doctors got rid of it and gave Taylor a PRP injection.

“They said, ‘Don’t do nothing for three and a half months,’” Taylor said. “And I got to feeling really good about three weeks later and was like, ‘I can get on one.’ And I ended up tearing it again at Cody Lambert’s house.

“So ever since that steer at Cody Lambert’s house, I ain’t done nothing. I’ve been sitting at home, waiting on it to feel good enough for me to start riding a horse, and I’ve slowly built my way back to come here. I’m truly blessed, because without God, there’s no way I’d be standing here right now.”

The qualified ride in New York was Taylor’s first qualified ride since March 11, 2023, at the PBR Brew City Classic in Milwaukee.

“I can’t describe it,” a grinning Taylor said in Madison Square Garden. “Just truly, truly blessed to be able to be healed and be doing what I love again. I hadn’t been on a bull in five and a half or six months. I got on one bull before I come here. So it just feels great to get one underneath my belt and know that I’m healthy and everything’s holding up. The only thing I can say is there was a lot of praying that went into it. I know God’s got me, and that’s the only reason why I’m back this soon.”

His struggle with injury in 2023 was so frustrating – he’s only had nine outs in competition since last March – that he very nearly hung up his bull rope for good at just 24 years old.

“All jokes aside, I almost quit,” Taylor said. “I almost didn’t get on another bull after the steer at Lambert’s house. I told (Stampede head coach) Justin McBride, ‘Justin, I’m done. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I can’t do this if I’m going to look like that.’”

But once the words were out of his mouth, Taylor reconsidered.

“Something hit me square in the gut,” he said. “I said, ‘You know, you’re not done, because now’s the time we’re going to see what God gave you for a heart.’ So I really have been busting my butt and getting ready to get back up on this tour, and not just be here, but ride to the best of my ability.”

His 1-for-2 showing through two days in New York has him sitting 12^th on the event leaderboard heading into Championship Sunday (8 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network).

His ride on Sugar Smack placed him eighth in Round 2 after he received a re-ride for an 80.5-point effort on Peyton’s Daddy.

“When I rode the first little bull and I got off, I think I was 80.5 or whatever, and they said, ‘Hey, the re-ride’s Sugar Smack. Do you want it regardless?’” Taylor said. “I said, ‘Yep, I don’t even want to know my score. I’ll take it.’ I’ve known that bull for a while now, and that’s just such a good bull.”

While he’s just as determined as ever to one day take home a gold buckle, Taylor has a whole new attitude these days. He comes to work full of joy at the opportunity to be there, knowing how close he was to never doing it again.

“Oh man. I’m appreciating a whole lot more,” Taylor said with a smile. “I’m appreciating little things now. I’m appreciating getting to come out here and hang out with my buddies again and ride bulls for a living. And yeah, the pay’s great, but I’m just here for the love of the sport.”

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media