LAS VEGAS — Columbia Falls bull rider Matt Triplett was bucked quickly in the first round at the Professional Bull Riders World Finals at the Thomas & Mack Center on Wednesday, barely averting disaster afterward.

The 24-year-old only lasted for 2.37 seconds atop Cracker Jack as the bull spun right and cleared Triplett almost immediately out of the chute. After he hit the ground, the bull narrowly missed stepping on Triplett as it came down with its rear legs.

Cracker Jack was given a 43.75 bull score.

J.B. Mauney, the 2013 world champion, scored the top ride of the night two attempts later, taking the event lead with a 91-point ride on Wicked Stick.

Close behind, Cooper Davis rode for 89 points on Dakota Style’s Hy Test and Fabiano Vieira rode Crazy Days for 86.75 points. Six other cowboys pointed a ride.

Mauney holds the lead in the world standings by 1,515 points ahead of Brazil’s Joao Ricardo Vieira and Kaique Pacheco.

Triplett entered the sport’s premier event as the fourth-ranked bull rider in the world standings, still within striking distance of a world championship and a $1 million prize. The buck off on Wednesday, combined with Mauney’s big ride, likely eliminates Triplett from the world championship race.

Last year, Triplett shined in Las Vegas, finishing fifth at the event, catapulting himself to a top three finish in the world. He was 6-for-12 in two World Finals appearances entering this week.

He held the No. 1 or No. 2 spot in the world standings for 16 events this season and won his first two career Built Ford Tough Series events before battling a series of injuries over the spring and summer.