{"id":260781,"date":"2026-06-09T17:23:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T17:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/260781\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T17:23:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T17:23:16","slug":"new-york-mavericks-build-momentum-for-next-team-bull-riding-season-with-captains-rookie-of-the-year-win-riders-earning-top-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/260781\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Mavericks build momentum for next team bull riding season with captain\u2019s Rookie of the Year win, riders earning top rankings"},"content":{"rendered":"

New York\u2019s professional bullriding team is riding the high of a successful season.\n<\/p>\n

The Mavericks, also known as the Concrete Cowboys, have firmly cemented their place in the\u00a0 Professional Bull Riding (PBR) league. Head Coach Kody Lostroh told amNewYork that he is incredibly proud of the team\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been really fun to watch these guys grow and progress and get better and more dominant through the past year. We finished last season in the team season really strong, and they carried that straight into the UTB (Unleash the Beast) season and kept right on the same track,\u201d said Lostroh.<\/p>\n

Marco Rizzo, the team\u2019s captain, snagged the title of 2026 PBR Rookie of the Year, a title that was once held by Lostroh in 2005, as well as fellow teammates Hudson Bolton (2025) and Bob Mitchell (2022).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels pretty good. I\u2019ve always watched greats growing up and you only get one shot at it. I\u2019ve always wanted to accomplish this and I\u2019ve always wanted to get up on that stage after the World Finals and I did it! It was just a real great feeling,\u201d said Rizzo. \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve got really good momentum on my side right now because I\u2019ve been improving a lot. From last year to now, I\u2019ve been progressing, been working hard at it. I\u2019m just ready to see what I can learn now with a little more experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Marco<\/a>Marco Rizzo is the 2026 PBR Rookie of the Year during the Championship Round at the World Finals Unleash The Beast PBR.Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media<\/p>\n

Rizzo\u2019s teammates also had a pretty stellar season. Bolton finished the season as the No. 3 rider in the world, also earning the best start to a World Finals career in league history and tied the record for 14 consecutive qualified rides.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mavericks rider Leandro Zampollo held consistently in the top 10 riders in the world, ultimately finishing the season at No. 9. Mitchell finished the season as No. 15 in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe season went really well. I feel like a lot of the guys are healthy and a lot of us are riding pretty good right now. Last team season, we ended off pretty well, and I think we\u2019ve all gotten better and we all have improved,\u201d said Rizzo. \u201cSo going into the team, this team series, we\u2019ll have a little bit more experience under our belt, and we\u2019re all riding a lot better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lostroh says that the team will be training hard to keep up the momentum that the team has right now.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re gonna keep doing what we\u2019ve been doing, and that\u2019s putting in the work and moving towards the goal,\u201d said Lostroh. \u201cWe do have a couple of new things planned this year with our training camp set up, and I think that\u2019s not only helping with the bull riding, but it\u2019s gonna be life-changing as an experience as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sean<\/a>Sean Gleason, Staff, Crew, PBR World Finals Event Champion, Hudson Bolton during the Championship Round at the World Finals Unleash The Beast PBR.Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media<\/p>\n

Both Lostroh and Rizzo are looking forward to taking their successes this season and using their experiences to make next season better than ever for the team.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really looking forward to the bull riding. I just love riding bulls for the New York Mavericks, but I feel like we\u2019re actually a winning team this year and I\u2019m ready to see where our riding takes us,\u201d said Rizzo. \u201cWe got a lot of great bull riders on our team and we\u2019ve all been maturing. This is the Mavericks\u2019 third year and we got a lot of camaraderie and brotherhood that\u2019s been building up over the years. I\u2019m just ready to join back with the team and have fun riding bulls.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like a lot of the younger guys on the team are really coming into their prime, and the way they\u2019ve prepared to get to this point, I fully expect them to continue to improve and be dominant for a long time. They\u2019ve done it the right way, it\u2019s not luck, they\u2019re not a flash in the pan,\u201d said Lostroh. \u201cSo that\u2019s what I\u2019m looking forward to, just watching these young guys live their dreams and accomplish great things. I\u2019m thankful that we\u2019re all together because it\u2019s a brotherhood that is hard to explain. The bond these guys have is unique, so it\u2019s fun to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Mavericks will return to New York Oct. 16-19 for Maverick Days at Belmont Park. Stay up to date for the latest from the New York Mavericks at newyorkmavericks.com<\/a> or follow @ny_mavericks<\/a> on Instagram.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Hudson<\/a>Hudson Bolton, Eyes On Me during the second round of the Billings Unleash The Beast PBR.Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media
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