BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Douglas Rich, who ended 2021 ranked 11th in the world with $138,000 in earnings, will surpass that total as soon as the NFR kicks off, thanks to the $10,000 bonus awarded to all contestants. After landing at No. 31 in 2023 and No. 29 in 2022, Rich returns to the NFR alongside new partner Jake Smith, who is making his Vegas debut.
National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, $4,433
Roping alongside Jake Smith, Rich collected over $2,000 on two of their four runs, highlighted by a 5.6 for fifth in Round 1 and a 5.8 for second in the Semifinal. They placed ninth in the Finals.
RodeoHouston, $25,325
In Houston, Smith and Rich secured second place in Super Series 4 before delivering runs of 6.6 and 5.2 seconds in the Championship Round and Shootout. Their second place finish in the Four-Man Shootout earned them a $20,000 payout and put them on the path toward an NFR qualification.
Clark County Fair and Rodeo, $5,516
Smith and Rich opened their swing through the west with a second-place Average finish in Logandale, Nevada, posting times of 4.7 and 5.6 seconds. The next weekend, they repeated their runner-up performance in Red Bluff and cashed in at Clovis as well.
Pony Express Rodeo, $2,508
Starting June on a high note, Smith and Rich claimed their first win of the season with a blazing 4.2-second run, their best time to date. The weekend also saw them collect three checks exceeding $2,000, capped off by a victory at the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show as well.
Cody Stampede, $6,145
The pair’s fastest run of Cowboy Christmas, a 4.3, got them second place money at one of the Fourth of July’s highest paying rodeo. Their success didn’t stop there, they added more than $2,500 in earnings from Killdeer, St. Paul, and Basin City as well.
Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo, $14,500
The duo claimed their summer’s most significant victory in Salt Lake City, securing the only Gold Medal in rodeo with times of 4.2 and 4.4 seconds on their two runs. It marked their sole PRCA Playoff Series triumph of the season, and they were one of just two teams to record a qualified time in the Gold Medal Round.
Lewiston Roundup, $3,017
Smith/Roch made their fastest run of the season when they were 3.8 for second in Lewiston on Sept. 7. They also won more than $2,000 in Puyallup, Amarillo and the Governor’s Cup in the final month of the regular season.
Meet the NFR Athletes is presented by Montana Silversmiths #EveryBuckleHasAStory #BrandOfChampions #FromGreatToGold
