PUEBLO, Colo. – In a season where fellow 18-year-old (and best friend) John Crimber has dominated the headlines, Clay Guiton was very much a factor in making this class of first-years the best PBR has seen.

And by now, they both know about riding shotgun just one year into their professional career, with Crimber living in the runner-up shadows himself after not only coming up just short of beating out No. 1 Cassio Dias for the 2024 PBR World Championship but by also setting the new record for most second-place finishes in a premier series season with seven.

Despite competing in just nine events throughout the 2024 premier series slate, eventually seeing his season cut short after suffering a nasty wreck in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Guiton still managed to finish the 2024 season ranked No. 27 overall in the Unleash The Beast World Championship standings.

And just because he wasn’t able to ride during this year’s season-ending showcase, doesn’t mean he wasn’t there supporting his closest friends.

“I wish I was riding, but it’s been pretty cool helping John (Crimber) and Kaiden (Loud) and then seeing how good they did, they won first and second last week (at Eliminations), so it’s pretty cool that my buddies did good and yeah, I’ve having a blast out here,” Guiton shared inside Cowtown Coliseum.

“They showed out, so I can’t just come back mediocre. I gotta be firing on all cylinders to compete with them. So, yeah, it fires me up.”

It’s almost impossible to find a photo of Crimber from the two-week World Finals slate without Guiton nearby. Pulling a rope, hyping him up or even taking in the Ride For Redemption rounds with his good friend, as Crimber had his spot inside AT&T secured for the past month or two, thus didn’t need to compete during the midweek showdown at Cowtown Coliseum.

“This is my first World Finals, even watching it, so it’s been cool to kind of see how it all works,” Guiton said.

“It’s a different atmosphere with it being at Cowtown and it’s really cool. I’m not riding but I’m still part of it I feel like, behind the chutes and helping buddies. I’ve learned some stuff and I’m ready for next year.”

Knowing his fellow first-year friends in Dias and Crimber provided fans around the world with one of the most dramatic, down-to-the-wire showcases in PBR history, he very much took some mental notes from behind the scenes.

When you throw in his good friend in No. 6 Kaiden Loud exited the Eliminations segment a stunning 3-for-4 en route to racking up the most qualified rides (5) of the entire World Finals experience, he’s got plenty of motivation to tap for the summer series, if not when he returns to the premier series chutes next fall.

With fellow PBR Teams prospect Marco Rizzo regularly hanging around throughout the season-culminating showdown as well, the trio more than likely collectively represents the first three picks in Wednesday’s draft, should things play out as they’re expected to.

And with the Florida Freedom organization already admitting they’ll stay within the family bloodline by selecting the 18-year-old Crimber to join his father Paulo Crimber’s squad, the drama officially shifts to J.B. Mauney, Brandon Bates and the Oklahoma Wildcatters.

RELATED: Paulo Crimber excited to build Florida Freedom around son John in 2024 and beyond

Owning three of the Top 12 picks during the 2024 PBR Teams New Rider Draft, including a pair of first-round draft selections (No. 2 overall pick earned via the 2024 PBR Teams Draft Lottery and No. 6 overall selection, acquired by trading Dener Barbosa to the Arizona Ridge Riders) alongside the No. 12 overall selection …

… It’s hard to imagine Mauney and company passing on Guiton with their No. 2 pick.

While Mauney wouldn’t show his cards last week when he was honored inside AT&T Stadium for his legendary PBR career, he shared a sentiment of appreciation for the youngsters in general, noting they are a bit more moldable and potentially more receptive than other veterans available during this year’s PBR Teams Expansion Draft.

RELATED: J.B. Mauney balancing fun, flexibility ahead of year one with Oklahoma Wildcatters

When you consider Mauney and company recently sent 2018 World Champion Kaique Pacheco (29 years old) to the Austin Gamblers in exchange for a pair of young studs in Cort McFadden (20 years old) and Austin Richardson (24 years old), it’s rather apparent the expansion squad has the intention to stay young, wild and free during year three.

Adding to the likelihood of Guiton going No. 2 overall, the talent shared he’s viewed Mauney as a role model for his entire career, as he happens to hail from the very same state that the Dragon Slayer calls home.

“I’ve talked to a few coaches. It sounds like there are still a few trade opportunities and rumors going around. Some people are gossiping about it pretty good but I really don’t know. It’ll be fun to be in Nashville and see what happens. I would like to ride with John, I feel like that would be cool,” he admitted.

“But I also feel like I would fit in with that Wildcatters squad, so that would be a good team, a good fit for me, but we’ll see what happens. I’ve known J.B. my whole life, looked up to him, so that would be great for me. That team would provide a lot of good opportunities for me but we’ll see how it goes.”

Having grown up in Cherryville, North Carolina, just an hour outside of Mauney’s hometown of Statesville, North Carolina, it’s no coincidence he’s been in contact with the living legend. And if he were to be selected by the sparkling new squad, it would seem destiny is closing the circle, reuniting the two North Carolina cowboys as the faces of the Wildcatters franchise.

And for as much as Guiton has showed us atop his bovines, his maturity in taking the time to properly heal up and position himself for a successful summer stint is equally, if not more, impressive.

Initially getting stepped on back in mid-March, he’s practiced some quality patience in waiting for the timetables to play out. Just 18 himself, he’d definitely be wise to make sure he’s good for the long run instead of rushing back into action. And, due to the schedule of this year’s PBR Teams ramp-up, the timing couldn’t have worked out much better for him.

“I talked to Tandy and he said the lacerations are healed up pretty much. They just have some fluid in them, so that’s going to be another few weeks. I don’t need another CT scan, so I should be ready to roll for the summer,” he said.

“I think it’s June 9th I plan on coming back. We’ve already been looking at dates, so that June 9th is when I plan on coming back and getting on a couple of practice bulls. Then I’ll hit some PBRs around North Carolina and then I’ll go to High School Nationals and do all of that one last time, then we’re right into the Teams season.”

Quite the packed schedule all things considered. But at that age, with graduation in the rear-view already, isn’t that part of it? The beauty of being young: With plenty of options and everything up in the air, getting ready to live life to its fullest!

He hasn’t been sitting around the past two months, though, by any means.

Known to work the fields and family-owned stock week in and week out, he’s kept his itch from climbing aboard by continuing to stay involved in the industry he calls home.

“I’ve got a lot of bulls at my house, so I’ve been buying and trading some bulls,” Guiton detailed.

“We’ve been hauling bulls every weekend I was out, which was like seven or eight weeks. I hauled bulls to bull ridings, rodeos and bull teams every weekend. Just staying busy and trying to keep my mind around bull riding but not specifically on bull riding.”

With his target return date set, we’ll be happy to see him back doing his thing whenever those stars align. But if there’s a party which would love to see him return to his standout rookie form most, it’ll be whoever selects the talent on Wednesday.

And when we say he showed promise during his first three months of action, that’s almost an understatement!

Stumbling a bit during his UTB debut in the Windy City as the calendar year turned, 0-for-2 overall as he experienced the world’s top-tiered bulls for the first time, he wouldn’t find himself in the rideless column again throughout his rookie campaign.

Eventually storming onto the scene with a pair of 90-pointers back in January, when the premier series put on a show for the ages in Tulsa, Oklahoma (with a historic short round producing seven 90s), the industry watched on as a star was born.

Dozens of UTB riders failed to produce a single 90 throughout 40-50+ outs during their respective 2024 campaigns, which goes to show what kind of touch and technique this youngster has in his skillset.

Ending the season 11-for-26 (42.31%) overall, he successfully covered at least one bull in eight of his nine events, showing he’s not only consistently able to get the job done, but did so during his first crack competing at the world’s highest level!

Will the red-headed wonder find himself riding with Mauney and friends come his rookie campaign within the 5-on-5 series? Or is there another team out there willing to send quite the haul in exchange for the opportunity to welcome him to their own squad?

Be sure to tune into the 2024 PBR Teams New Rider Draft on Wednesday, May 29 at 7 p.m. EDT airing live via RidePass on Pluto TV and Cowboy Channel!

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media