INDIANAPOLIS – A few years ago, Marco Eguchi was a staple on the Unleash The Beast.
He made his premier series debut way back in 2011, finishing as high as the world No. 4 rank in 2020.
He competed at the 2022 PBR World Finals and then in the inaugural PBR Camping World Team Series season, riding for the Arizona Ridge Riders and then the Carolina Cowboys.
Eguchi then spent the spring of 2023 competing on the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour, notching two Top-5 finishes in five events.
And then he was gone.
He competed in two more PBR Brazil events in June before disappearing from the PBR altogether. He didn’t return for PBR Teams or the Challenger Series in the fall.
PBR fans didn’t see him again until he turned up at the Velocity Tour’s PBR Lexington in January, where he finished fifth.
While it’s not unheard of for bull riders to take significant time off to heal their injuries, Eguchi’s break had a different purpose entirely.
It was a business decision. Literally.
“Last year, I decided to spend more time in Brazil since I have land there, and I decided to do a cattle business,” Eguchi said. “So I take care of things, trying to have everything rolling before I come back and do this.”
While Eguchi was working hard during his time off, he says he’s mentally refreshed after having a break from the grind of the Unleash The Beast and Teams seasons back to back.
“I think spending my time in Brazil and having a business going there makes me think not too much just about bull riding,” Eguchi added. “It makes me relax at the same time. It feels good.”
If a mental refresh was what he needed, it clearly worked.
In five Velocity Tour events in January and February, Eguchi finished fifth at two and sixth at three, going 9-for-15 (60%).
“It’s been very good because you have a different level of bulls,” Eguchi said. “So it was a good start to get at this level again and get some confidence.”
His performance there was good enough to earn him a spot on the Unleash The Beast. He placed 12th last weekend in Jacksonville, Florida, going 1-for-2.
Eguchi’s back at it this weekend at the Ariat PBR Indianapolis, kicking things off with 85.5 points on Send It to tie for eighth place in Round 1 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. There were 17 total rides in Round 1.
“It’s a real fast bull, and I’m glad to cover him,” Eguchi said. “I knew he was coming into my hand, and it worked.”
Eguchi will look to continue his momentum in Round 2 on Sunday when he takes on Rustic Pearl. Action begins at 2 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.
Currently ranked No. 51 in the Unleash The Beast World Championship standings, Eguchi still has some work to do to claim a permanent spot on the premier series and qualify for his 11th PBR World Finals on May 9-19 in Arlington and Fort Worth, Texas.
But now that he’s back, he’s not planning on going anywhere.
“It feels great since I have rested and come back. Doing the job feels good,” Eguchi said. “I still have to go back to Brazil every three months during the week for field days, but yeah, definitely, I will stay here.”
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media