BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
We’re almost halfway through the 2024 Wrangler NFR presented by Teton Ridge and the World Title races are stating take shape.
To start off the night, Bradlee Miller was 88.5 points on Secret’s Out of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo to win Round 4 and add to his buckle collection after winning Round 2. It was a much-needed bounce back after he was 62.5 points in Round 3.
Leighton Berry and Dean Thompson split second with 86.5 points while Rocker Steiner was fourth with an 86.
In steer wrestling, JD Struxness moved to No. 2 in the World with a Round 4 win in the fastest night we’ve seen yet in the bulldogging. There were five total times in the 3s.
Will Lummus remains the NFR Average leader and the projected World Champion.
Team roping featured a crowd leaderboard on Sunday night. JC Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins, Clint Summers/Jake Long, Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord and Cody Snow/Hunter Koch were all 4.1 seconds. It is the first four-way tie in any event at the NFR since the steer wrestling in Round 9 in 2021.
The win was most crucial for Egusquiza/Lord, who made it two straight and cut Wade/Thorp’s lead in the World Standings from $60,000 to about $5,000 in about 48 hours.
In saddle bronc riding, Ryder Wright reminded the rodeo world that he also has multiple Gold Buckles. The cowboy who entered the NFR No. 2 was 90.5 points on Tickled Pink of Championship Pro Rodeo. Wright has won a check in three of the first four rounds and is No. 1 in the World and No. 4 in the Projected World Standings. Zeke Thurston remains the projected World Champion.
In tie-down roping, Riley Webb tightened his grip on the lead in the PRCA World Standings with a 7.5-second run to give him his third Go-Round win in four tries. The one he didn’t win, he was second.
Webb has totaled a whopping $137,685 already at the NFR and leads the World Standings by a little more than $40,000.
Kassie Mowry broke Hailey Kinsel’s run of three straight Go-Round wins with a 13.43-second run of her own. Mowry was the runner-up the previous two nights and has already stacked about $97,000 in Las Vegas.
Hailey Kinsel remains in the driver’s seat after a fifth Gold Buckle. She took third on Sunday night and leads the World Standings by $76,000.
To finish the night, Josh Frost was 86.5 points and was met with a huge applause as he moved to 3-for-4 during the NFR and greatly strengthened his World Title chances on Sunday night.
BAREBACK RIDING
Round 4: 1. Bradlee Miller on Resistol’s Secrets Out, 88.5 points, $33,687; 2. (tie) Leighton Berry and Dean Thompson, 86.5, $23,364 each; 4. Rocker Steiner, 86, $14,127; 5. Weston Timberman, 85.5, $8,693; 6. (tie) Cooper Cooke, Cole Franks and R.C. Landingham, 85, $1,811 each; 9. Jess Pope, 84.5; 10. (tie) Richmond Champion and Keenan Hayes, 83 each; 12. (tie) Jacob Lees and Cole Reiner, 82.5 each; 14. Garrett Shadbolt, 82; 15. Taylor Broussard, 79.
World Standings: 1. Keenan Hayes, $281,244; 2. Rocker Steiner, $271,573; 3. Bradlee Miller, $241,363; 4. Dean Thompson, $229,829; 5. Jess Pope, $221,260; 6. Weston Timberman, $206,480; 7. Leighton Berry, $206,319; 8. Cole Franks, $204,253; 9. R.C. Landingham, $183,231; 10. Cooper Cooke, $177,502; 11. Taylor Broussard, $158,335; 12. Jacob Lees, $148,363; 13. Cole Reiner, $147,128; 14. Garrett Shadbolt, $147,096; 15. Richmond Champion, $138,965.
STEER WRESTLING
Round 4: 1. J.D. Struxness, 3.6 seconds, $33,687; 2. (tie) Ty Erickson and Scott Guenthner, 3.7, $23,364 each; 4. Dakota Eldridge, 3.8, $14,127; 5. Cash Robb, 3.9, $8,693; 6. Justin Shaffer, 4.2, $5,433; 7. (tie) Tucker Allen and Don Payne, 4.3 each; 9. Tyler Pearson, 4.5; 10. Tyler Waguespack, 4.8; 11. Stetson Jorgensen, 4.9; 12. Will Lummus, 5.2; 13. Rowdy Parrott, 5.3; 14. Jesse Brown, 8.8; 15. Dalton Massey, 9.9.
World Standings: 1. Will Lummus, $226,212; 2. J.D. Struxness, $219,388; 3. Dalton Massey, $209,263; 4. Dakota Eldridge, $202,222; 5. Stetson Jorgensen, $193,093; 6. Rowdy Parrott, $182,725; 7. Cash Robb, $152,614; 8. Jesse Brown, $152,329; 9. Tucker Allen, $144,368; 10. Justin Shaffer, $140,250; 11. Ty Erickson, $138,454; 12. Don Payne, $132,655; 13. Scott Guenthner, $124,712; 14. Tyler Pearson, $124,678; 15. Tyler Waguespack, $102,656.
TEAM ROPING
Round 4: 1. (tie) Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, Cody Snow/Hunter Koch, Clint Summers/Jake Long and J.C. Yeahquo/Buddy Hawkins II, 4.1 seconds, $23,635 each; 5. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 4.3, $8,693; 6. Jake Smith/Douglas Rich, 4.7, $5,433; 7. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 4.8; 8. Luke Brown/Travis Graves, 5.7; 9. Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 18.6; 10. Derrick Begay/Jonathan Torres, Cyle Denison/Tanner Braden, Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili, Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp and Andrew Ward/Kollin VonAhn, NT.
World Standings (Headers): 1. Tyler Wade, $269,112; 2. Dustin Egusquiza, $264,799; 3. Kaleb Driggers, $217,516; 4. Coleman Proctor, $200,021; 5. Clint Summers, $186,561; 6. Brenten Hall, $182,391; 7. J.C. Yeahquo, $171,341; 8. Andrew Ward, $166,685; 9. Erich Rogers, $165,041; 10. Cody Snow, $153,314; 11. Jake Smith, $144,800; 12. Luke Brown, $134,482; 13. Derrick Begay, $129,195; 14. Clay Smith, $128,516; 15. Cyle Denison, $118,812.
World Standings (Heelers): 1. Wesley Thorp, $269,112; 2. Levi Lord, $264,799; 3. Junior Nogueira, $228,642; 4. Jake Long, $189,999; 5. Logan Medlin, $186,788; 6. Kaden Profili, $183,564; 7. Paul Eaves, $165,640; 8. Buddy Hawkins II, $159,835; 9. Kollin VonAhn, $155,486; 10. Hunter Koch, $155,325; 11. Douglas Rich, $144,800; 12. Jonathan Torres, $141,832; 13. Coleby Payne, $137,630; 14. Tanner Braden, $134,959; 15. Travis Graves, $129,106.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
Round 4: 1. Ryder Wright on Tickled Pink, 90.5 points, $33,687; 2. Wyatt Casper, 87.5, $26,624; 3. Lefty Holman, 87, $20,104; 4. Brody Wells, 86, $14,127; 5. Dawson Hay, 85, $8,693; 6. Damian Brennan, 84.5, $5,433; 7. (tie) Kade Bruno and Sage Newman, 84 each; 9. Zachary Dallas, 83.5; 10. Zeke Thurston, 80.5; 11. Kolby Wanchuk, 79.5; 12. Ben Andersen, 74.5; 13. Brody Cress, Logan Hay and Statler Wright, NS.
World Standings: 1. Ryder Wright, $326,282; 2. Damian Brennan, $312,584; 3. Zeke Thurston, $305,875; 4. Wyatt Casper, $282,125; 5. Brody Cress, $260,030; 6. Kade Bruno, $255,959; 7. Lefty Holman, $237,839; 8. Dawson Hay, $213,279; 9. Sage Newman, $209,712; 10. Brody Wells, $193,617; 11. Statler Wright, $182,824; 12. Kolby Wanchuk, $170,028; 13. Zachary Dallas, $139,157; 14. Ben Andersen, $137,285; 15. Logan Hay, $137,250.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
Round 4: 1. Riley Mason Webb, 7.5 seconds, $33,687; 2. Zack Jongbloed, 8.0, $26,624; 3. (tie) Shane Hanchey and Dylan Hancock, 8.2, $17,115 each; 5. Cole Clemons, 8.3, $8,693; 6. Ty Harris, 8.7, $5,433; 7. Quade Hiatt, 9.4; 8. Marty Yates, 9.5; 9. Shad Mayfield, 9.6; 10. Tuf Cooper, 9.7; 11. John Douch, 10.8; 12. Haven Meged, 13.9; 13. Kincade Henry, 20.2; 14. Joel Harris, 22.8; 15. Hunter Herrin, NT.
World Standings: 1. Riley Mason Webb, $354,592; 2. Shad Mayfield, $313,190; 3. Ty Harris, $268,293; 4. Haven Meged, $231,309; 5. Zack Jongbloed, $203,061; 6. Shane Hanchey, $187,677; 7. Dylan Hancock, $179,398; 8. Joel Harris, $173,537; 9. John Douch, $171,237; 10. Marty Yates, $165,868; 11. Tuf Cooper, $165,698; 12. Hunter Herrin, $162,796; 13. Kincade Henry, $150,958; 14. Quade Hiatt, $132,084; 15. Cole Clemons, $122,111.
BARREL RACING
Round 4: 1. Kassie Mowry, 13.43 seconds, $33,687; 2. Carlee Otero, 13.59, $26,624; 3. Hailey Kinsel, 13.61, $20,104; 4. Tiany Schuster, 13.68, $14,127; 5. Halyn Lide, 13.72, $8,693; 6. (tie) LaTricia Duke and Shelley Morgan, 13.75, $2,717 each; 8. Ashley Castleberry, 13.79; 9. Andrea Busby, 13.81; 10. Emily Beisel, 13.82; 11. Dona Rule, 14.04; 12. Wenda Johnson, 18.87; 13. Lisa Lockhart, 18.92; 14. Abby Phillips, 19.29; 15. Leslie Smalygo, 29.28.
BULL RIDING
Round 4: 1. Josh Frost on One Chance, 86.5 points, $37,219; 2. Tyler Bingham, 84.5, $30,155; 3. Trey Kimzey, 82.5, $23,635; 4. Jace Trosclair, 82, $17,659; 5. Dustin Boquet, Chase Dougherty, TJ Gray, Tristen Hutchings, Cooper James, Jeter Lawrence, Trevor Reiste, Wacey Schalla, Clayton Sellars, Jordan Spears, Hayes Weight and Creek Young, NS.
World Standings: 1. Josh Frost, $296,860; 2. Jace Trosclair, $268,878; 3. TJ Gray, $254,844; 4. Clayton Sellars, $252,140; 5. Jeter Lawrence, $250,908; 6. Hayes Weight, $246,023; 7. Tristen Hutchings, $230,008; 8. Cooper James, $223,332; 9. Wacey Schalla, $204,096; 10. Trey Kimzey, $195,777; 11. Chase Dougherty, $187,510; 12. Tyler Bingham, $178,268; 13. Trevor Reiste, $177,733; 14. Jordan Spears, $139,997; 15. Creek Young, $131,609.
