Mavericks Take 2-1 Homestand at UBS Arena, Edge Rattlers

The New York Mavericks packed three nights of bull riding into UBS Arena last weekend and walked out of the homestand with a 2-1 record, capped by a 0.45-point squeaker over a top-five team.

It started Friday, Oct. 16, the opener of PBR Teams: Go Bowling Maverick Days. New York covered its first four bulls and beat the Arizona Ridge Riders 351.60-173.35. Bob Mitchell of Steelville, Missouri, set the tone in the first out, riding Sunrise for 88.05 points. Mauricio Gulla Moreira of Gaviao Peixoto, Brazil, followed with the Mavericks’ best score of the night, 89.05. Marco Rizzo of Quitman, Georgia, added 88.25 on Big Iron, and Afonso Quintino of São Luís de Montes Belos, Brazil, made it four straight with 86.25 on Nelson.

Rookie Hudson Bolton of Milan, Tennessee, was one ride from a perfect 5-for-5 game. Valiante threw him at 5.41 seconds, and New York took a re-ride. Bolton lasted 7.83 seconds on Down Payment, less than two-tenths of a second short of a qualified ride. Arizona covered only two bulls. Vitor Losnake of Piratininga, Brazil, rode Walk Off for 89.25 points, the highest score of the game.

Saturday, Oct. 17, went the other way. The Florida Freedom beat New York 268.70 to 91.05, and Moreira’s 91.05 on Dead Red was the Mavericks’ only ride.

Sunday, Oct. 18, brought the finish. New York edged the No. 5 Texas Rattlers 263.75-263.30, a 0.45-point margin, to close the homestand 2-1 and improve to 13-19. Before the weekend, the Mavericks were 12-18 and eighth in the PBR Teams standings, one game behind Kansas City (13-17). The 2026 PBR Teams Championship is set for Las Vegas on Nov. 6-8, with the regular season nearly over.

Head coach Kody Lostroh, a Colorado native, told amNewYork at UBS Arena that the toughest part of bull riding isn’t the animal. “The hardest part about bull riding is mainly the mental game, honestly,” he said. After Friday’s win, he said on the Paramount+ broadcast: “It means everything to do this here at home, and I couldn’t be happier with this team. They’re a bunch of studs.”

Lostroh said the Mavericks prepare for home events like any other, with physical training, practice bulls and sharpening their minds. He said the New York crowd may not be as well versed in bull riding as some other parts of the country, “but the fact is they’re really passionate about their teams, their sports, and they have a heck of a good time.”

He said the team started the season slowly but has played better in the second half. “We’ve got some momentum on our side right now,” he said. Coaching young riders has its own challenges, he added: “The hardest part about getting this team ready is dealing with a bunch of 20-year-olds.” His one-line summary of the roster: “grit and perseverance.”

Ahead of the Mavericks in the standings, per the report, are Missouri (22-8), Austin and Nashville (both 18-12), Carolina (17-13), Texas (15-15), Arizona (14-16) and Kansas City (13-17). Florida (11-19) and last-place Oklahoma (10-20) trail New York.