Some know him as the King of Canada, some know him as a five-time World Champion. His name is Zeke Thurston and he is now a ten-time National Finals Rodeo saddle bronc rider and he is coming for a fifth Gold Buckle and third in a row.
Another successful season is in the books for Thurston as he sits No. 6 in the PRCA World Standings with $211,385 in earnings heading to Las Vegas.
Texas Swing, $34,250
Coming off the back of his fourth World Title, Thurston’s efforts during the Texas Swing gave him to perfect start to his season. At the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, a 92 in the Semifinals and 90.5 in the Finals would help add $16,000 to his name.
Thurston followed that up with a trip to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, where he made it through to the Finals. In San Antone, he made three rides of 85 or more points.
Thurston’s hot start to the season wrapped up in H-Town at RodeoHouston where he met up with his old friend of the Calgary Stampede string, Xena Warrior. The two’s score of 89 points of the Semifinals was his best of the rodeo.
Thurston’s first 14 rides of the season came at Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston.
Redding Rodeo, $5,837
A win in the spring came at the Redding Rodeo. Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Momma’s Boy was the draw for Thurston and he put together an 87.5-point ride to get the win by 4.5 points.
It was the second time he won Redding and his fifth career win in California.
Back When They Bucked, $4,186
At the end of May at the iconic arena in Deadwood, South Dakota, Thurston would battle his way to another win. His 83-point ride in Round 1 snuck him into the Final Round where he bested that in a huge way with an 87.5 on Sutton Rodeo’s standout, South Point, to win it all. Sage Newman, Layton Green and Wyatt Casper rounded out the Top 4.
Killdeer Moutain Roundup PRCA Rodeo, $7,558
Thurston would draw one of J Bar J’s best, Straight Moonshine, to get his first Cowboy Christmas win of 2024. The 88-point ride was a point and a half better than fellow Canadian Logan Hay.
The same week, a second Cowboy Christmas check was cashed by Thurston at Home of Champions Rodeo in Montana. His 89-point ride on Brookman Rodeo’s Flirtacious would be was two points better than the rest of the competition.
The Calgary Stampede, $20,850
Thurston advanced first in Pool A thanks to rides of 83, 85.5 and 88.5 points and then exploded from there. In the Semifinals, he was 91 points on The Stampede’s Erotic Tango and then he was 92 on Exotic Warrior to tie Kade Bruno in the Finals. In a Showdown with Bruno, he was 90.5 to the Idaho cowboy’s 92 to take second at the event.
Thurston is a four-time champion of The Calgary Stampede.
Fiesta Days Rodeo, $12,098
In tough competition, Thurston would add another victory to his list in Utah. The 88.5-point ride he made on Frontier Rodeo’s Two Good would beat out the likes of Kade Bruno, Brody Cress and Lefty Holman who split a three-way tie for second.
Hardgrass Bronc Match, $11,523
A swing back up to Canada was also successful when Thurston climbed on Calgary Stampede’s Blasting Sand for the Final Round. There, he was 91 points to make him the best of the Go-Round as well as the best on two head.
Xreme Broncs Finals, $14,379
Thurston was as consistent as the come in Rapid City when a pair of 85.5-point rides put him third in each Go-Round and fourth in the Average overall. The payday from the Xtreme Broncs Finals was of his biggest of the season for a rodeo he did not win.
Pendleton Round-Up, $11,001
Thurston split the Long Round win with Jake Finlay and Statler Wright after an 85.5 on Brookman Rodeo’s Chick Bait. In the Finals, his 89 on Calgary Stampede’s Birch Bubbles put him in a tie for second in his second-to-last rodeo of the season.
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