ARLINGTON, Texas – It’s not quite PBR Teams season quite yet.
But the camaraderie inside the rider locker room couldn’t have been more alive and well after rookie Cort McFadden collected his $50,000 bounty Saturday night by besting Dana White’s Twisted Steel en route to getting himself on the event leaderboard early into Round 1’s shootout.
“I’ve been on him before a while back, so I kind of knew what he felt like and I’ve been seeing him here and there. I had a good gameplan going in,” McFadden said.
“Keeping my chin down. I feel like that bull likes to pop your chin up quite a bit. The guys that don’t ride him, I feel like he popped their chin up.”
Carrying the big check in one hand and his bull rope in the other, the budding Oklahoma Wildcatters star received a huge high-five from bull riding legend turned Carolina Cowboys’ assistant coach Robson Palermo upon entering the riders’ home off the dirt.
Adding to the fun just moments after besting his own opening round bovine for 89 points, Carolina star Sage Kimzey playfully asked McFadden if “That was the easiest $50,000 you’ve earned in your life?” as the locker room shared a laugh.
And as the industry begins to shift gears to the electric 5-on-5 series, set to begin in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, July 12-14 as one of the league’s two new expansion teams in the Wildcatters prepare to put on their inaugural home-market show, there couldn’t have been a better time for McFadden to soak up some additional encouragement from two of the most accomplished riders in bull riding history.
A seven-time PRCA World Champion in Sage Kimzey, sure.
But the first man, Palermo, continues to be one of the most decorated World Finals performers in PBR history, having captured three World Finals event titles (2008, 2011, 2012).
So if there’s any luck to be spread around, he was amongst the correct company.
Of course, the pair of checkered-flag cowboys will be rooting against McFadden and his J.B. Mauney-coached squad come July. But for now, they were happy for the youngster, who not only netted himself $50,000, but scored an additional $50,000 for charity.
With UFC boss man Dana White offering the original $50,000 bounty, he decided he’d double down and add a $50,000 donation to Cowboy Cerrone’s kids camp charity, as the UFC legend was originally scheduled to go head-to-head with the bovine for a chance at the prize but was forced to opt out as he tore his bicep last month.
Thankfully for the fans, and the kids, the 20-year-old prodigy still took care of business.
“It’s great. I’m glad I could get the $50,000 but I’m also really excited I get to get some money to charity too,” he said.
“There were some nerves. Between the first World Finals and $50,000 on the line, it was a little nerve-wrecking, but it feels good.”
Watching on from just outside the chutes, the former fighting professional was cheering McFadden on the entire way. And while he’s admitted he was obviously disappointed he didn’t get a chance to best the talented bovine after spending the last few months training for his attempt, he couldn’t help but be happy for the 20-year-old who stepped in and made it look easy.
“He just congrats and he said it was awesome,” McFadden shared of their on-dirt interaction as they were both presented their $50,000 checks.
“It was pretty cool, for sure. “Maybe I’ll go buy some cows or something.”
Unable to convert in second round, he currently sits in 11th place on the event leaderboard with two more attempts remaining.
However, as one of five rookies to convert during Saturday’s round, he found himself as the only man of the three attending the post-event press conference who didn’t actually win a round (joining Brady Fielder and Thiago Salgado who produced 89.75 and 90-point, round-winning efforts, respectively).
So, if that doesn’t say something about what the heroic out means, we don’t know what would!
A fierce 7-2 prior to the matchup, the animal athlete must’ve known charity was involved, as McFadden was just the third rider throughout the 2024 UTB campaign to find the whistle aboard a bull who’s earned quite the reputation of being of the fiercest in the game.
That’s kind of the reason Dana White purchased the producer to begin with, as he’s got a knack for gritty, hard-working athletes with a bit of a chip on their shoulder and some intensity in their eyes.
And this bull checks each of those boxes with ease.
Bringing a solid $135,256 lifetime earnings from his quality rookie season into AT&T Stadium, he earned more than one-third of his previous total in a quick eight seconds.
Advancing to the No. 14 rank after earning 36 UTB points for the epic ride, he’ll return to action inside the home of the National Football League’s (NFL) Dallas Cowboys on the final Championship Sunday of the season looking to chase down a few extra bucks, beginning with his Round 3 showdown against No. 4 Flyin Wired.
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media