FORT WORTH, Texas – If you ask Oklahoma Wildcatters head coach J.B. Mauney about what he tells his team after a tough game, Mauney grins.

“Them bulls, they get lucky every once in a while.”

It may have been a tough game, but Mauney was smiling big because his Wildcatters finally notched a win in the Monster Energy Team Challenge, presented by Camping World. The Arizona Ridge Riders had taken the first two games, but Oklahoma stole the last one from under their noses.

Like all but one game of the six in their rivalry, it was decided by just a handful of points, with Oklahoma coming out on top, 87.5-85.25.

The Ridge Riders converted first thanks to Bruno Carvalho, and the Wildcatters had to sweat it out until closer Cort McFadden got the job done aboard In My Blood to close out the game and Round 1 of the Wrangler PBR Greater Palm Springs.

“That’s why we put him last,” Mauney told Kate Harrison after the win. “He’s the anchor on the team, and he always performs. It puts a lot of pressure on his shoulders, and he steps up to the plate every time.”

McFadden has quietly been having an incredible 2025 Unleash The Beast season, despite the two prior METC losses to Arizona. Ranked No. 10 in the UTB standings, he’s 25-for-43 (58%) with four Top-5 finishes.

“It’s huge,” McFadden told Harrison of his ride on In My Blood. “I’ve just got to keep the consistency up and be aggressive every chance I get.”

So far, so good: McFadden has ridden his last four bulls and is 6-for-8 in March.

His game-winning ride was also good for fourth place in Round 1 in Palm Desert, the event that kicks off the spring gauntlet of three back-to-back three-day events – when they leave California, the riders will head to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and then Sioux Falls, South Dakota, each for three days of action.

The nice thing about three-day events, especially for McFadden, is that there are more points up for grabs. At 462.42 points behind No. 1 Brady Fielder, he needs to grab as many as he can during this stretch.

After that, there are just three additional events remaining before the 2025 PBR World Finals kick off in Fort Worth, Texas.

It’s a daunting task ahead, but McFadden is keeping things as simple as they get.

“Just one at a time. I’m already thinking about tomorrow,” he said with a grin. “That’s all I can think about.”

McFadden could very well be challenging for a world title in less than 50 days, something his coach knows all about. The two-time World Champion was not just thrilled with what he saw from his closer but is also bullish on the rest of his young squad.

“That’s what makes a bull rider – when you get bucked off, the way you come back and perform the next time,” Mauney told Harrison. “That’s what makes champions.”

While Mauney will have a keen eye on the world title race for the next two months, his attention turns to the 2025 PBR Teams season. The opening event isn’t until Oklahoma hosts Wildcatter Days on July 11-13, but there’s plenty to do before then – namely, the 2025 PBR Teams new-rider draft in May.

Arizona may have won the METC series, 2-1, but Oklahoma gets to head into the new season with momentum on its side.

“I’m pumped,” Mauney said. “They’re all young guys, and they’ve got the fire, the drive in them. You can tell that. Every bull rider gets bucked off, so that’s going to happen. You try to correct your mistakes and go on, and I look forward to big things out of this team right here.”

Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media