BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN
Round 8 of the 2021 Wrangler NFR saw some familiar faces win the round in the roughstock events and a barrel racer get an important first round win.
Kaycee Feild won his fourth Go-Round of 2021 with 87.5 points Hi Lo Rodeo’s High Heels in the bareback riding and Parker Breding was 92.5 on Stace Smith’s Let’s Gamble. The other roughstock winners were Stetson Wright and Layton Green in the saddle bronc riding.
In barrel racing, Jordon Briggs, the Average leader, finally notched a round win with a time of 13.45 seconds.
In steer wrestling, Will Lummus won his second Go-Round of 2021 and also overtook Tristan Martin in the Average.
As for the roping events, it was Hunter Herrin getting on the board in tie-down and Clay Smith/Jade Corkill doing so in the team roping.
BAREBACK RIDING
The battle between Jess Pope and Kaycee Feild raged on Thursday night as Feild won the round, giving the pair seven of eight round wins so far in the rodeo.
Feild has now won over $150,000 at the NFR this year and leads the Average by one point over Pope.
“It’s been so much fun (to compete with Jess Pope all week). I really look up to Jess Pope, he’s a young, he’s strong, he’s tough and competing against him, it’s fun,” Feild said.
1. Kaycee Feild, 87.5, $26,997
2. Cole Franks, 87, $21,336
3. Garrett Shadbolt, 86, $16,111
4. Orin Larsen, 84.5, $11,321
5. R.C. Landingham, 83.5, $6,967
6. Jess Pope, 83, $4,354
FEILD’S RIDE
STEER WRESTLING
Will Lummus not only won the Go-Round and took the lead in the Average, he also sits as the projected World Champion once again.
Lummus was 3.4 seconds on Thursday night and Tyler Waguespack, the current projected world No. 2 was right behind him with a 3.6.
“Yeah absolutely (the plan was to go at the barrier tonight), last night I had a great chance too and I didn’t hit the barrier, I didn’t take a chance and when you got guys like Tyler Waguespack drawing good ones......I can’t back off myself,” he said.
1. Will Lummus, 3.4, $26,997
2. Tyler Waguespack, 3.6, $21,336
3. Jacob Talley, 3.8, $16,111
T4. Tristan Martin, 3.9, $9,144
T4. Stockton Graves, 3.9, $9,144
T6. Scott Guenthner, 4.1, $1,089
T6. Rowdy Parrott, 4.1, $1,089
T6. Dakota Eldridge, 4.1, $1,089
T6. Jesse Brown, 4.1, $1,089
LUMMUS’ RUN
TEAM ROPING
Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, a very experienced pair, won the Go-Round with a time of 3.7 seconds and now Smith is No. 3 in the World Standings and Corkill is No. 2.
The pair is now fifth in the Average, but only about $15,000 out of No. 1 in the world and they are very capable of winning a ton of day money over the next two days as they have the arena record at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Last year, Colby Lovell/Paul Eaves won the last three Go-Rounds despite being out of the Average to win their respective World Titles.
1. Jade Corkill / Clay Smith, 3.7, $26,997
2. Junior Nogueira / Kaleb Driggers, 3.9, $21,336
T3. Coy Rahlmann / Douglas Rich, 4.0, $13,716
T3. Wesley Thorp / Cody Snow, 4.0, $13,716
T5. Logan Medlin / Coleman Proctor, 4.1, $5,661
T5. Brady Minor / Derrick Begay, 4.1, $5,661
SMITH/CORKILL’S RUN
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
Stetson Wright and Layton Green both went for 91 to give Wright his second Go-Round in the saddle bronc riding and Green his first, it was also the first of Green’s career and he did it on the legendary Virgil from C5 Rodeo.
Wright now has two 90-point rides in the saddle bronc riding and is No. 1 in the World Standings, but because of his ninth place spot in the Average, falls behind Ryder Wright and Brody Cress in the projected final standings.
With a fourth-place finish Thursday night, Ryder Wright has overtaken Cress as the projected World Champion.
1. Stetson Wright, 91, $24,167
1. Layton Green, 91, $24,167
3. Ben Andersen, 86.5, $16,111
4. Ryder Wright, 86, $11,321
5. Chase Brooks, 84.5, $6,967
6. Wyatt Casper, 82, $4,354
WRIGHT’S RIDE
GREEN’S RIDE
TIE-DOWN ROPING
Hunter Herrin has not had the NFR he wanted so far but it was sweetened on Thursday night when he tied for the fastest time of the rodeo with a 7.1-second run.
Herrin said afterward he had been disappointed with his performance especially because he had been drawing well all week.
In the World Title race, Caleb Smidt extended his lead over Shane Hanchey with an 8.1-second run to finish third.
1. Hunter Herrin, 7.1, $26,997
2. Haven Meged, 7.8, $21,336
3. Caleb Smidt, 8.1, $16,111
4. Shane Hanchey, 8.3, $9,144
4. Ryan Jarrett, 8.3, $9,144
6. Westyn Hughes, 8.6, $4,354
HERRIN’S RUN
BARREL RACING
Coming into Round 8, Average leader Jordon Briggs had placed in six of seven rounds, but had yet to win one. She changed that with a 13.45-second run.
Afterward, she said all credit belonged to her horse Rollo, whose feet have been perfect all week.
“I’m happy to be his jockey,” she said. “I’m just trying to stay out of his way.”
Briggs cut into Hailey Kinsel’s world lead, but is still projected to finish No. 2 behind the reigning World Champion.
1. Jordon Briggs, 13.45, $26,997
2. Shelley Morgan, 13.56, $21,336
3. Hailey Kinsel, 13.66, $16,111
4. Jessica Routier, 13.68, $11,321
5. Emily Beisel, 13.71, $6,967
6. Dona Kay Rule, 13.73, $4,354
BRIGGS’ RUN
BULL RIDING
No bull rider has been hotter than Parker Breding at the NFR. He won his third Go-Round and rode his sixth bull on Thursday and did so in style with a whopping 92.5 points. Breding has won about $123,000 at the NFR this year.
“I watched videos of that bull and really liked the looks of him,” Breding said. “I knew if I could kind of ride them jumps and try to stay forward after he started spinning, he was going to even out a little bit more and that plan came together.”
The World Title race between Sage Kimzey and Stetson Wright stayed closely contested as both men covered their bulls and the projected final standings have shifted back into Kimzey’s favor after Wright overtook him on Wednesday.
1. Parker Breding, 92.5, $27,868
T2. Josh Frost, 88.5, $19,595
T2. Trey Benton, 88.5, $19,595
4. Sage Kimzey, 87.5, $12,192
5. Stetson Wright, 83, $7,838
