BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Round 1 of another NFR has come and gone and with most events closer than usual, it proved just how fast things can change inside the Thomas & Mack.
Bareback rider Weston Timberman had several big wins in his rookie season, Pendleton and Ponoka among them, but none were bigger than his 87-point ride to win Round 1 at his NFR debut. With the win, Timberman moved from No. 7 to No. 3 in the PRCA World Standings.
“I came here with the confidence that no one can beat me, and I think I showed that tonight,” Timberman said. “I came here to do a job.”
In steer wrestling, a fired up Will Lummus stopped the clock at 3.7 seconds to break a tie between Rowdy Parrott and rookie Cash Robb as one of the last cowboys out. Lummus, who is now No. 2 in the World, has three Top 5 finishes in the NFR Average in the last five years and got things rolling in the right direction on Thursday night.
Reigning World Champions Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp made waves in a faster-than-usual Round 1 of team roping, setting a Go-Round record with a 3.7-second run. Wade broke his own Round 1 record of 4.0 seconds, achieved with two different partners in 2014 and 2019. Wade/Thorp, who both entered Las Vegas No. 2, capitalized on a misstep by World Standings leaders Dustin Egusquiza and Levi Lord, who failed to record a time.
In saddle bronc riding, it was another reigning World Champion asserting himself as Zeke Thurston, who has also won the last two NFR Average titles as well, won the First Round. He was 86.5 points on Frontier Rodeo Coffee’s Yellowstone, which marked his 18th ride of 85 points or more in his last 21 outs at the Thomas & Mack. Thurston entered a little over $70,000 behind World No. 1 Damian Brennan and quickly trimmed that to $35,000.
“I was excited to get in here and get this thing rolling,” Thurston said. “I just did my part, that’s a super consistent horse, very reliable.”
Riley Webb made it a run of three straight events where the reigning World Champion won the Go-Round. Webb was 7 flat to cruise to the win as the next closest time was Joel Harris’ 7.7. It was Webb’s fourth time of 7.5 seconds or faster on 11 runs in his NFR career.
Webb came in one of the heavy hitters in the tie-down roping, ranked in the Top 4 alongside Shad Mayfield, Haven Meged, and Ty Harris, none of those three cowboys were in the money.
Hailey Kinsel may not be a reigning World Champion, but she does have four of them and could be poised to add another after a dominant Round 1 performance. Taking advantage of the top of the ground, Kinsel was 13.38, which would’ve been the fourth-fastest time of the entire 2023 NFR. She won the Go-Round by more than two tenths and extended her lead in the WPRA World Standings to $39,000.
The bull riders put on a show to close down Round 1. Nine cowboys made the whistle, which is more than any round in either of the last two NFRs. At the top was Trey Kimzey with 87.5 points.
BAREBACK RIDING
Round 1: 1. Weston Timberman on Drunk Bunny, 87 points, $33,687; 2. Bradlee Miller, 86.5, $26,624; 3. Keenan Hayes, 85.5, $20,104; 4. (tie) Taylor Broussard, Cole Franks and Dean Thompson, 85, $9,418 each.
World Standings: 1. Keenan Hayes, $249,187; 2. Rocker Steiner, $243,319; 3. Weston Timberman, $197,787; 4. Dean Thompson, $191,614; 5. Leighton Berry, $182,955; 6. R.C. Landingham, $181,420; 7. Jess Pope, $178,154; 8. Bradlee Miller, $173,989; 9. Cole Franks, $158,974; 10. Cooper Cooke, $149,067; 11. Taylor Broussard, $148,917; 12. Jacob Lees, $148,363; 13. Cole Reiner, $147,128; 14. Garrett Shadbolt, $147,096; 15. Richmond Champion, $138,965.
STEER WRESTLING
Round 1: 1. Will Lummus, 3.7 seconds, $33,687; 2. (tie) Rowdy Parrott and Cash Robb, 3.8, $23,364 each; 4. Justin Shaffer, 3.9, $14,127; 5. Dakota Eldridge, 4.2, $8,693; 6. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen and Don Payne, 4.4, $2,717 each.
World Standings: 1. Dalton Massey, $209,263; 2. Will Lummus, $192,524; 3. Dakota Eldridge, $188,095; 4. Stetson Jorgensen, $166,469; 5. J.D. Struxness, $157,266; 6. Jesse Brown, $145,266; 7. Cash Robb, $143,920; 8. Rowdy Parrott, $141,975; 9. Don Payne, $132,655; 10. Justin Shaffer, $120,508; 11. Ty Erickson, $109,657; 12. Tyler Pearson, $104,575; 13. Tucker Allen, $103,437; 14. Tyler Waguespack, $102,656; 15. Scott Guenthner, $101,348.
TEAM ROPING
Round 1: 1. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 3.7 seconds, $33,687 each; 2. Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili, 3.9, $26,624; 3. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 4.0, $20,104; 4. Derrick Begay/Jonathan Torres, 4.2, $14,127; 5. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 4.6, $8,693; 6. Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 4.7, $5,433.
World Standings (Headers): 1. Tyler Wade, $235,425; 2. Dustin Egusquiza, $211,008; 3. Kaleb Driggers, $187,361; 4. Coleman Proctor, $185,894; 5. Brenten Hall, $162,287; 6. Clint Summers, $153,146; 7. Andrew Ward, $146,581; 8. Jake Smith, $139,366; 9. J.C. Yeahquo, $136,296; 10. Derrick Begay, $129,195; 11. Clay Smith, $128,516; 12. Luke Brown, $127,418; 13. Erich Rogers, $127,007; 14. Cyle Denison, $118,812; 15. Cody Snow, $118,269.
World Standings (Heelers): 1. Wesley Thorp, $235,425; 2. Levi Lord, $211,008; 3. Junior Nogueira, $198,486; 4. Logan Medlin, $172,661; 5. Kaden Profili, $163,460; 6. Jake Long, $156,584; 7. Jonathan Torres, $141,832; 8. Douglas Rich, $139,366; 9. Coleby Payne, $137,630; 10. Kollin VonAhn, $135,382; 11. Tanner Braden, $134,959; 12. Paul Eaves, $127,606; 13. Buddy Hawkins II, $124,789; 14. Travis Graves, $122,042; 15. Hunter Koch, $120,280.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
Round 1: 1. Zeke Thurston on Frontier Rodeo Coffee Yellowstone, 86.5 points, $33,687; 2. Ryder Wright, 86, $26,624; 3. Dawson Hay, 85, $20,104; 4. Kade Bruno, 84.5, $14,127; 5. (tie) Brody Cress and Sage Newman, 83.5, $7,063 each.
World Standings: 1. Damian Brennan, $290,035; 2. Ryder Wright, $287,886; 3. Zeke Thurston, $255,073; 4. Kade Bruno, $251,250; 5. Brody Cress, $231,051; 6. Wyatt Casper, $229,784; 7. Lefty Holman, $217,735; 8. Sage Newman, $205,003; 9. Statler Wright, $182,824; 10. Dawson Hay, $177,962; 11. Kolby Wanchuk, $149,743; 12. Brody Wells, $145,803; 13. Zachary Dallas, $139,157; 14. Ben Andersen, $137,285; 15. Logan Hay, $137,250.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
Round 1: 1. Riley Mason Webb, 7.0 seconds, $33,687; 2. Joel Harris, 7.7, $26,624; 3. Hunter Herrin, 8.0, $20,104; 4. Tuf Cooper, 8.2, $14,127; 5. Dylan Hancock, 8.4, $8,693; 6. Zack Jongbloed, 8.9, $5,433. World Standings: 1. Shad Mayfield, $296,347; 2. Riley Mason Webb, $260,594; 3. Haven Meged, $231,309; 4. Ty Harris, $229,172; 5. Shane Hanchey, $167,845; 6. Marty Yates, $165,868; 7. John Douch, $165,804; 8. Hunter Herrin, $154,102; 9. Dylan Hancock, $153,590; 10. Joel Harris, $153,434; 11. Tuf Cooper, $151,571; 12. Kincade Henry, $150,958; 13. Zack Jongbloed, $149,814; 14. Cole Clemons, $113,417; 15. Quade Hiatt, $111,980.
BARREL RACING
Round 1: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 13.38 seconds, $33,687; 2. Carlee Otero, 13.55, $26,624; 3. Abby Phillips, 13.63, $20,104; 4. Andrea Busby, 13.70, $14,127; 5. Ashley Castleberry, 13.75, $8,693; 6. (tie) Shelley Morgan and Leslie Smalygo, 13.84, $2,717 each.
BULL RIDING
Round 1: 1. Trey Kimzey on Cookies & Cream, 87.5 points, $33,687; 2. (tie) Josh Frost and Cooper James, 86, $23,364 each; 4. Tristen Hutchings, 85, $14,127; 5. (tie) Trevor Reiste and Jace Trosclair, 84.5, $7,063 each.
World Standings: 1. TJ Gray, $254,844; 2. Hayes Weight, $246,023; 3. Josh Frost, $244,427; 4. Jace Trosclair, $230,029; 5. Clayton Sellars, $217,366; 6. Jeter Lawrence, $216,134; 7. Wacey Schalla, $204,096; 8. Cooper James, $192,362; 9. Trevor Reiste, $177,733; 10. Chase Dougherty, $175,013; 11. Tristen Hutchings, $174,587; 12. Trey Kimzey, $172,142; 13. Jordan Spears, $139,997; 14. Tyler Bingham, $135,616; 15. Creek Young, $131,609.
