Brody Cress, who has grown accustomed to Top 5 finishes in his career, is further down the list than usual, but he’s still heading to his seventh straight National Finals Rodeo.
Cress finds himself outside of the Top 10 entering the NFR for only the second time in his career, but he knows success in the Thomas & Mack well as he is a three-time NFR Average Champion.
BIGGEST PAYDAYS
RodeoHouston, $11,250
Cress started strong in Houston with a Round 1win in the first Super Series. He tied to win Round 2 before placing in Round 3 landed him in the Semifinals. Tying once again, this time in the Semifinals, earned his place in the Final Round were he capped off RodeoHouston with an 83-point ride.
Chase Hawks Roughstock Rodeo (Montana), $8,445
Cress got a dream start to the 2023 regular season when he rode reigning Horse of the Year The Black Tie of Sankey Pro Rodeo and Phenom Genetics for 89 points at the win at the Dec. 17 event.
Dodge City Roundup, $7,646
It was two consistent rides in Kansas that locked in the win at Dodge City for Cress. An 87.5 point ride won Round 1 while it was an 88 that tied for the win in the Finals. By two full points, Cress claimed the Average title.
HIGHEST MARKED RIDES
Home on the Range Champions Ride (North Dakota), 91.5 points
In Sentinel Butte, North Dakota, Cress barely pulled a Round 1 check, but exploded when the Finals came around. He made a big comeback when he put together a whopping 91.5-point ride on Burch Rodeo’s Lunatic from Hell. Cress finished third in the Average and took home over $8,000 from the event.
Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo (Missouri), 91 points
Aboard his good friend Womanizer of The Cervi Brothers, Cress rode momentum from Home on the Range to make his second highest marked ride of the season the very next weekend on Aug. 12. At 91 points, he took home the win at the PRCA Playoff Series Rodeo in Missouri by 2.5 points.
NOTABLE WINS
World’s Oldest Rodeo (Arizona), 88 Points
Cress matched up with Kirsten Vold Rodeo Company’s Ima Be in Arizona to be 88 points. It was another hefty payday coming in at $7,332 to swing the momentum his way over Cowboy Christmas.
Jim Baird Chute Out (Iowa), 90 Points in Finals
Cress had a lucrative trip to Fort Madison, Iowa in September when he was 88.5 points and 90 points in at the Jim Baird Chute Out to win nearly $4,000. At the Tri-State Rodeo at the same location that weekend, he was 88 points on Found Me of Cervi Championship Rodeo to add an additional $4,000.
New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo, 88 Points
As the season was nearing its end, Cress put together a clutch ride in Albuquerque aboard Mistaken Identity of Hi Lo ProRodeo. He tied for the win and added a much needed extra $5,000 to his regular season earnings.
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