Quick Facts About J.B. Mauney
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | James Burton Mauney |
| Nickname | The Dragon Slayer |
| Born | January 9, 1987, in Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Hometown | Mooresville, North Carolina |
| Height / Weight | 5 ft 10 in / around 140 lb |
| Turned Pro | 2005 |
| Retired | 2023 |
| Sport | Bull riding (PBR and PRCA) |
| Major Titles | 2013 and 2015 PBR World Champion |
| Career Earnings | $7,419,474.90 in official PBR winnings |
| Estimated Net Worth (2026) | Around $7–8 million (estimated) |
| Spouse | Samantha Mauney |
| Children | One son, Jagger; family sources also reference a daughter |
| Current Role (2026) | Rancher and bull breeder at BuckTown XV; former head coach of the Oklahoma Wildcatters (2024–February 2026) |
J.B. Mauney is one of the most recognized names in professional bull riding. Over an 18-year career, he became a two-time world champion and one of the sport’s toughest, most fearless competitors. This J.B. Mauney biography covers his early life, his rise through the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) tour, the injuries that shaped his story, and what he is doing today, updated for 2026.
Early Life and Family Background
James Burton Mauney was born on January 9, 1987, in Charlotte, North Carolina. He grew up in Mooresville, North Carolina, where he attended Lake Norman High School. Rodeo ran through his family early. Public records show he began riding at a very young age and rode his first “big” bull at age 13. By the time he was a teenager, bull riding was already his main focus rather than a passing hobby.
As a teen, Mauney bought his own bucking bull at 15, a purchase that grew into a small family bucking-bull business. That early exposure to raising and training bulls gave him a rare double view of the sport: he understood how bulls moved and thought, not just how to stay on top of one. It is a detail that separates his story from most other riders and helps explain why he later became so skilled at reading difficult animals in the arena.
He competed in junior rodeo circuits before turning professional in 2005, splitting time between the PBR and the Championship Bull Riding (CBR) tour before committing to the PBR full time in early 2006.
Rise Through the PBR
Mauney’s first full PBR season did not disappoint. He won the 2006 PBR Rookie of the Year award, signaling that his aggressive, all-in riding style could compete with the sport’s best. Over the next several years, he built a reputation for choosing the hardest bulls available rather than easier draws that might protect his ranking. His own explanation for that approach became one of his signature lines: if you want to be the best, you have to ride the best.
In 2009, he made PBR history by recording a qualified ride on all eight bulls he faced at the PBR World Finals, becoming the first rider to do so. That same year, he won the World Finals event title, an early sign that a world championship was within reach.
The Bushwacker Ride That Made Him a Legend
No single moment defines J.B. Mauney’s career more than his ride on Bushwacker. The bull was considered nearly unbeatable, having thrown riders in 42 straight Built Ford Tough Series outs and 56 buck-offs overall before Mauney’s attempt. On August 17, 2013, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Mauney stayed on for the full eight seconds and scored 95.25 points, one of the highest scores of his career. It was the third time in Bushwacker’s career that any rider managed a full eight-second ride, and the win became one of the most replayed moments in PBR history.
That ride helped carry Mauney to his first PBR World Championship later in 2013. He went on to win a second world title in 2015, cementing his place among the greatest bull riders of his generation. Across his career, he recorded 538 qualified premier-series rides, the second-highest total in PBR history, along with 75 rides scored at 90 points or higher.
In 2016, he became the first bull rider to pass $7 million in career PBR earnings, a milestone that later grew to a final total of $7,419,474.90, making him the highest-earning bull rider in the sport’s history at the time of his retirement.
Injuries and the End of a Career
Bull riding is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, and Mauney’s body absorbed nearly two decades of punishment. Over his career, he broke both legs, broke both jaws, broke his back, fractured both feet and shoulder blades, dislocated a shoulder, lacerated his liver, and bruised his kidneys and spleen. Somehow, he kept coming back.
The injury that finally ended his career happened on September 6, 2023, at the Lewiston Round-Up Xtreme Bulls event in Idaho. Riding a bull named Arctic Assassin in a PRCA event, Mauney was bucked off and landed on his head, breaking his neck. Surgeons inserted a rod, plates, and screws into his neck and removed a damaged disc. Doctors told him that a second fall on his head could leave him paralyzed or worse.
By his own account, the deciding factor in retiring was not the medical warning alone. It was his family, especially his young son, who was five years old at the time. He later said explaining to his son that his riding career was over was the hardest part of retiring. Mauney formally announced his retirement in September 2023, closing out a career built almost entirely on refusing to back down.
Life After Bull Riding: Coaching and BuckTown XV
Retirement did not mean stepping away from bulls altogether. When the PBR introduced its Teams era in 2024, Mauney took on a new role as head coach of the Oklahoma Wildcatters, guiding the team through its first two seasons in 2024 and 2025. Fans and fellow riders saw the move as a natural next step for someone who had spent his whole life studying bulls and riders alike.
In February 2026, Mauney and the Wildcatters organization announced they were mutually parting ways. In a public statement, team CEO Brandon Bates thanked Mauney for his leadership and said the split would let him focus more fully on his family and on BuckTown XV, his own bull-riding and training compound. The Wildcatters have since hired a new head coach for the 2026 PBR Teams season.
Today, Mauney spends much of his time at BuckTown XV with his wife, Samantha, and their son, Jagger, working with bucking bulls and mentoring younger riders. He has also cared personally for Arctic Assassin, the bull whose buck ended his career, taking the animal in rather than holding a grudge — a detail that says a lot about how Mauney views the sport that both built and broke his body.
J.B. Mauney’s Net Worth in 2026
J.B. Mauney’s confirmed PBR career earnings total $7,419,474.90. Beyond that figure, most 2026 estimates place his overall net worth somewhere between $6 million and $10 million, with $7–8 million cited most often. This range accounts for career prize money, brand sponsorships, coaching income, and his ranching and bull-breeding ventures. As with any celebrity net worth figure, this number is an estimate as of 2026 and not an officially confirmed total, since Mauney has not published exact financial details.
Why J.B. Mauney’s Story Still Matters
Mauney’s career offers something most sports biographies do not: a nearly two-decade run at the top of one of the world’s most dangerous sports, capped by an honest, public account of why he finally walked away. He is remembered as one of the greatest bull riders ever, a two-time world champion, and the man who tamed a bull almost no one else could ride. His current chapter, focused on family, ranching, and mentoring the next generation, shows a side of his story that goes beyond statistics.
For more profiles of notable figures in sports and entertainment, see our related biography on Jon Gruden.
FAQ
Who is J.B. Mauney? J.B. Mauney, full name James Burton Mauney, is a retired American professional bull rider and two-time PBR World Champion (2013 and 2015), widely regarded as one of the greatest bull riders in history.
Why did J.B. Mauney retire? He retired in September 2023 after breaking his neck in a fall from a bull named Arctic Assassin at a PRCA event in Lewiston, Idaho. Doctors warned that another head-first fall could cause paralysis or death, and Mauney said his wife and young son were the deciding factor in his decision to stop competing.
What is J.B. Mauney doing now, in 2026? He coached the Oklahoma Wildcatters PBR Teams franchise from 2024 through February 2026, when he and the team mutually agreed to part ways. He now focuses on his family and BuckTown XV, his own bull-riding and training operation, along with mentoring younger riders.
What is J.B. Mauney’s net worth? Estimates for 2026 place his net worth between roughly $6 million and $10 million, most commonly cited around $7–8 million. His confirmed PBR career earnings total $7,419,474.90. These figures are estimates, not officially confirmed totals.
What is J.B. Mauney famous for? He is best known for becoming, in August 2013, only the third rider ever to stay on the legendary bull Bushwacker for a full eight seconds, a ride that helped carry him to his first PBR World Championship that same year.
How This Was Researched
I researched this biography using the PBR’s official records, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Hall of Fame profile, Wikipedia’s sourced career summary, and verified news coverage from outlets including Deseret News, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, CBS News, and Sports Illustrated’s rodeo desk, along with 2026 team announcements from the PBR and Yardbarker. Many existing articles about Mauney repeat vague or wildly inconsistent net worth figures and skip his 2026 coaching exit entirely; this article cross-checks the earnings data against official PBR figures and includes his most recent career update. Where sources disagreed, such as on his exact net worth, I noted the range instead of picking one number as fact.
Accuracy Note
This biography is based on publicly available information, including official PBR and Hall of Fame records, sourced news coverage, and public statements from Mauney and the organizations he has worked with. If you spot anything outdated or incorrect, please let us know so we can update it.
Written and researched by Laura Castillo, contributor at Icons Golf Cart.