BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN
Sterling Crawley qualified for his seventh NFR in saddle bronc in 2020 and he sits in the No. 7 spot in the world. He looks to finish the year inside the Top 10 for the third time in his career and second year in a row.
His season is more impressive when you consider compete he did not for most of August and September after breaking his leg in Baker, Montana.
He had surgery on Aug. 19 and was expected be out for 12 weeks, allowing him to return by the time Wrangler NFR begins.
Crawley was able to rely on some early success to ensure he punched his ticket to Arlington.
He won two checks of $1,000 or more at both Fort Worth and San Antonio and then really got rolling after the COVID-19 break.
STERLING CRAWLEY - 86 POINTS ON REDON ACRES IN SAN ANTONIO
On June 13, he won the Woodward (Oklahoma) Elks Rodeo with an 87-point ride on Nutrena’s Rage. About a week later, he finished second at the Newtown (North Dakota) Rodeo and second in the Long Round at the Jordan Match Xtreme Bronc Ride.
STERLING CRAWLEY - 87 POINTS IN WOODWARD
Crawley’s biggest check of the season was $7,727, which he got for finishing first in Spanish Fork, Utah. That win was part of a two-week stretch between July 16 and Aug. 1 in which Crawley won more than $15,000 and three rodeos total (he also won the Barnes PRCA Rodeo in Iowa and Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo).
The best finish of Crawley’s career was when he earned more than $215,000 and finished sixth in 2017.
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