ANAHEIM, Calif. – Since the conclusion of the 2024 PBR World Finals in May, John Crimber has had a ritual.

Every day – or if not daily, multiple times a week – Crimber sits down and watches himself lose the PBR World Championship.

The 19-year-old pulls up video of his last two rides in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, seeing himself ride Big Bank for 95 points before bucking off Hang ‘Em High in 2.83 seconds.

He then skips ahead to hear Cassio Dias announced as the 2024 PBR World Champion.

Crimber shakes his head and exhales sharply as he recalls the feeling.

“I think it was probably the worst but best thing that happened to me because now, it’s been driving me every day,” Crimber said. “I sit there at the house, and I watch me lose that world title every night. It’s a weird deal. I don’t know why I like watching it, but every time I watch it, it makes me want to get on another bull. It lights a fire in me every day.”

After being drafted No. 1 overall by the Florida Freedom a few short weeks later, Crimber debuted in the PBR Camping World Team Series this season looking like a World Champion. He’s a stunning 17-for-27 (62%) and leads the regular-season MVP race by 71.75 points over the Kansas City Outlaws’ Sandro Batista and 147.75 points over two-time World Champion – and two-time reigning MVP – Jose Vitor Leme, who’s 15-for-23 (65%).

“Of course, everyone wants to win the whole team deal, and that’s what I want to do, but I also had the goal to be the guy that rode the most bulls and win that deal,” Crimber said.

And make no bones about it – it’s no accident that Crimber has gotten on more bulls than his competitors.

He’s got his eyes on the standings, and he’s doing everything he can to lock down the MVP title.

“Every day, I look at (the standings),” he said. “That’s why I get on in the shootout round. That’s on purpose. Of course, I want to get on bulls, but it’s meaning something. It’s strategy. It hasn’t been working out in my favor the last two or three weeks, but I do try my best. And that’s the thing, though – this season, I might’ve lost the world title, but I have no regrets about picking that bull. And just like this MVP race, I’m trying to go out there every weekend and do my best to be the best one that weekend and leave nothing behind and not regret nothing that weekend.”

That strategy was in full force on Saturday night at PBR Teams: Anaheim in Anaheim, California. The Freedom took on the Texas Rattlers in the second game of the night, and Crimber rode Loren’s Dream for 87 points as the Freedom walked away with a 260.25-0 win.

“It felt really good,” Crimber said. “I had been on that bull in the practice pen two weeks ago, so I knew what he was about. It felt really good.

“The Rattlers, they beat us three times (already this season), so yeah,” he added with a laugh. “We had to change it around. It’s not third time’s a charm, it’s fourth time.”

At that point, Leme had already bucked off as the Gamblers lost to the Nashville Stampede. Batista would ride Ghost Face for 87 points in the Outlaws’ win over the Arizona Ridge Riders, but even if he converted in the shootout round – which he did (89.5 points on Flapjack) – he would still be a full bull behind Crimber.

With his lead not on the line, Crimber sat out of the shootout round, and teammate Yan Victor Santos Cunha rode Manaba for 86.75 points.

Thanks to their win tonight, the Freedom improved to 11-9 and No. 3 in the standings. They had been tied with the Rattlers and Gamblers at 10-9, but both Texas squads lost, putting Florida momentarily ahead in the heated battle in the standings.

The top two teams at the end of the regular season get a first-round bye at the 2024 PBR Camping World Teams Championship on Oct. 18-20 in Las Vegas, while the bottom four teams will have to compete in a ride-in round for the last two of eight spots.

Crimber says he and his teammates are definitely paying attention.

“Tonight, we were tied with the Rattlers, so we knew if we won, we would be passing them,” he said. “And we saw the Gamblers buck off, and they lost too, so we knew we had an opportunity. That’s something we do look at, and it all worked out the way it was supposed to. It felt pretty good.”

After going 2-0 in Anaheim, the Freedom have a bye on Sunday before heading to Greensboro, North Carolina, for Cowboy Days on Sept. 20-22.

There are just three events left in the regular season before all eyes turn to Las Vegas and the postseason.

While Crimber is keeping his eye on all the standings and all the rivalries, don’t expect him to get too lost in the numbers.

In bull riding, the less you think, the better.

“I’m more of a guy that tries to not be too focused,” Crimber said. “If I’m too focused, I don’t ride as good. I try to have fun, and pump up all my guys, and just be that leader of the team. I think that’s what makes me ride so good sometimes. If I’m thinking about it too much, that’s when things don’t go good.”

Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media