On the McCoy Ranch near Tupelo, Okla., there is vast pastureland that allows cowboys the freedom to maneuver.
There really is no need for a U-turn, but if there was, it would be a simple tug on the reins and a swift horseback spin; it’s an easy process. That was not the case during the 10th episode of “The Amazing Race” on Sunday night. Jet and Cord McCoy were damned by the cousin team of Leo Temory and Jamal Zadran with a U-Turn, where the penalized team had to perform both segments of a Detour before they could finish the leg.
“The strongest team in the race is still the cowboys,” Zadran said. “It only makes sense to U-Turn them.”
Zadran suffered a knee injury during Sunday’s episode of the race around the world for $1 million, which led to The Afghanamals’ decision to penalize The Cowboys.
“We love you guys, but Jamal messed up his knee really badly,” Temory said.
The McCoys were eliminated, finishing the 24th season of “The Amazing Race” in fifth place.
“Quite frankly, I think everybody was just outright scared of you guys,” host Phil Keoghan told the brothers as they wrapped up their third appearance on the CBS-TV reality series.
The McCoys have been fan favorites of the show since their first race in 2010, when they finished second. But they know that’s the way the show goes.
“We were surprised to see our face up there,” Jet McCoy said of the board displaying the U-Turn victims. “On the other hand, we were really disappointed in Leo and Jamal. You can’t trust anybody. You throw a million dollars in the mix, and it really kind of brings the worst out in some people.”
Part of the beauty of the reality show is the drama that comes naturally throughout the 12-week series. Teams try many tactics to get the upper hand in the competition. Temory and Zadran said they have faith they could beat the other teams remaining on the show, but that they were concerned with having The Cowboys still in the mix.
“I like our chances much better not having Jet and Cord there,” Zadran said.
The brothers, though, have been there. Of the 10 legs of the race in which they competed, the McCoys finished in the top two six times, with two leg victories.
“There’s so much more that you get to experience in life by coming on the race,” Cord McCoy said. “Jet and I got to go three times, and that’s something most people in the world would never experience.”
It has been quite a ride, and in true cowboy form, Cord McCoy rode off on a beautiful Spanish horse as the episode came to a close.
“We ran as good of a race as we could run with our character and integrity intact,” Jet McCoy said. “We got to meet some good people, and we got to see some beautiful, beautiful places that I don’t think we would’ve ever gotten to see otherwise. I have no regrets.
Said his brother, “Any leg of the race that you get to go on is just a blessing.”