Moving Focal Point: Cee’s Rule of Thirds

I’m trying to figure out why the rule of thirds doesn’t seem to work in this photo.  I think it is because most of the elements are lined up to the left.  If the bottom elements extended over to the right margin, I think this would work better.  Below is the original., which I prefer.  Which do you prefer?
In this photo, cropped from the larger photo below, I followed Cee ‘s rule which says, “. . . divide your view finder into a gird with nine boxes  . . . .  you should place the subject of your picture on one of the points where the lines intersect.”   I much prefer the version above, where the larger “belly button” it placed over the upper left intersection line  to the busier original version below.

http://ceenphotography.com/2015/12/02/cees-compose-yourself-photo-challenge-week-9-rule-of-thirds-introduction/