The Summer Run is the time that a cowboy can catapult to the top or fall out of the Top 15 and a recent swing in Utah and Nebraska gave a couple bareback riders a boost of momentum right before 100 Rodeos in 100 Days.
The official start of the Summer Run, the Reno Rodeo, begins June 20, and the cowboys on the bubble are hungry for their spot. Take a look at your Top 20 bareback riders in the PRCA.
No. 1 Keenan Hayes, $100,837
A $3,000 win came Hayes’ way at the Home of the Navajo PRCA Rodeo in Arizona after an 87-point ride on Cervi Brother’s Moon Dancer. That kicked off his month of June and he followed it up with a paycheck at every rodeo since. That includes the fourth-place 90.5-point ride on Night Gazer at the Darby Xtreme Bareback (Montana), an 85-point win at the Ute Mountain Round-Up (Colorado) and another 90-point win at the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo (Utah) on Powder River’s Misdemeanor. The reigning World Champion has earned $20,000 since the middle of May.
No. 2 Cooper Cooke, $95,887
Placing at the Redding Rodeo (California) in the middle of May lit a fire for the 21-year-old Cooke and he has earned money at all but two rodeos since then. A stop in Washington at the Advantage Dirt Bares and Broncs where he matched up with King Rodeo’s Red Velvet for 86 points was worth $5,500 and he has since picked up three more wins since that when combined total over $10,500 and have an average score of 86 points. Cooke is holding on tight to his spot at the top.
No. 3 Leighton Berry, $93,334
Berry has competed six times since May 1 and four of those times resulted in trips to the pay window. His 86-point ride on Andrews Rodeo’s Dusty Diamond won him the Helotes Festival Association Rodeo (Texas) on May 4 and he earned a second consecutive Parker County Sheriffs Posse Frontier Days and Rodeo (Texas) title after an 86.5 aboard Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Drinkin Again on June 8.
No. 4 Rocker Steiner, $77,128
After almost a month off in May, Steiner has come back swinging. The two-time National Finals bareback rider is averaging an 86 points per ride while cashing in an average of $2,330 per rodeo since May 25. Two 89-point rides resulted in wins in Texas and Oklahoma before his three most recent wins came in Arizona, Nebraska and North Dakota. The highest scoring of the most recent three, which all came since June 5, is 88 points on Happy Hour of Beutler and Son Rodeo at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo (Nebraska).
No. 5 Dean Thompson, $74,840
Thompson took full advantage of his second time in a row aboard Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire at the Guymon Pioneer Days (Oklahoma) as he made a 92-point ride and picked up over $12,000. Thompson got some momentum in Guymon and has since added two more wins, the San Juan Stampede (Utah) and Sisters Rodeo (Oregon). An 88-point ride on Corey and Lange Rodeo’s Cowboy Fever was worth a $5,900 win in Sisters to keep Thompson in the Top 5.
No. 6 Tanner Aus, $67,766
Aus’ success this winter and spring has been top tier. The eight-time NFR cowboy has only been at two rodeos in the month of May and zero in June. At one of the two in May, Aus finished second at the Will Rogers Stampede (Oklahoma) thanks to an 85.5-point ride on Pink Smoke of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo.
No. 7 Garrett Shadbolt, $64,849
Shadbolt has found himself in the money twice recently. An 80.5 was good enough to be sixth at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo while his 86-point ride in Vernal landed him in the No. 3 hole. That ride was worth $1,500 aboard Hell’s Fire of Burch Rodeo.
No. 8 Bradlee Miller, $60,044
It has been a $9,600 month of June for Miller. A win at Rodeo Celina (Texas) kicked it off as he was 85.5 for his lone first place finish this month, but he has consistently placed since. His most recent payday was the biggest coming in at $3,600 courtesy of a second-place finish at the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo. It was an 87.5-point ride on Flip a Coin of Powder River Rodeo.
No. 9 RC Landingham, $58,282
Since May, Landingham has taken $17,000 to the bank after a steady stream of success has come his way. A win at the Wild Rogue Pro Rodeo (Oregon) on May 18 aboard Big Star was just one of the $2,000 pay days. Another came after an 86-point ride at the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo (California) after a matchup with Right on Q of Rosser Rodeo. A string of third-place finishes has come lately and that includes the $6,000 at Darby Xtreme Bareback. There, Landingham rodeo New Scarlett of Pickett Pro Rodeo for 91 points.
No. 10 Taylor Broussard, $56,690
Broussard most recent win came by way of the Deep South PRCA Rodeo in his home state of Louisiana on May 18. An 84.5-point ride was all it took and he followed it up by placing at the Hood County Stampede (Texas) to cash in there as well.
No. 11 Jacob Lees, $54,742
Lees took advantage of the month of May and more recently, he has cashed in on more than $3,000 twice. At the Sisters Rodeo, Lees matched up with Flaxy Lady of Corey and Lange Rodeo to be 85.5 and finish third. He then went to Livermore Rodeo (California) where his 87.5-point ride on Buster of Bridwell Pro Rodeo put him on top of the leaderboard. Combined, Lees cashed in on $6,700.
No. 12 Clayton Biglow, $54,655
Biglow is another cowboy consistently cashing in going into the Summer Run. His third-place finish at the Advantage Dirt Bares and Broncs came after an 84.5-point ride on Nacho of Summit Pro Rodeo. It added $2,500 to his season earnings. Biglow has competed in three rodeos since May 30 and won small checks at two of them.
No. 13 Cole Reiner, $53,677
Reiner has hit a sweet spot adding over $15,000 to his earnings in the first two weeks of June alone. Mucch of that came thanks to the giant payday from his win at the Darby Xtreme Bareback after a 92-point ride on Nightcrawler of Pickett Pro Rodeo in the Short Go. Another strong finish was the 88.5 on Medicine Show at the Hood County Stampede.
No. 14 Cole Franks, $49,453
Franks has made two 86-point rides recently that allowed him to cash in on $3,000 combined but he remains steady to place almost everywhere he goes. One of those 86’s came at the Parker County Sheriffs Posse Frontier Days and Rodeo and added $2,000 to his earnings. Franks already has five checks worth more than $1,000 in June.
No. 15 Waylon Bourgeois, $40,755
Bourgeois is gunning for his first NFR qualification and is having a streak of success. A Long Round win came his way at the Darby Xtreme Barebacks to the tune of 88.5 points on Hell on Hooves and his 89.5 in the Short Go would put him fifth. Since winning $4,500 in Montana on June 2, he has cashed in another $4,400.
No. 16 Bronc Marriott, $38,195
Marriott picked up a win at the Fort Herriman PRCA Rodeo (Utah) after an 87.5-point ride on Fire Man of Legacy Pro Rodeo. It proved to be worth $2,000 to kick off his June. His most recent payday was a third-place finish on Brenda’s Boy after 82.5 points at the Mackay Rodeo (Idaho) on June 15.
No. 17 Weston Timberman, $36,410
Rookie bareback rider Weston Timberman is hanging tough with the big dogs. He only entered two rodeos in the month of May and has only competed at the Darby Xtreme Bareback in June, where he was 85 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Freckled Frog.
No. 18 Jayco Roper, $36,216
Roper has picked up three wins between May 16 and June 3, including the Santa Rosa Roundup (Texas), Redding Rodeo (California), and the Pony Express Rodeo (Utah). The biggest win of the three was Redding Rodeo at $5,900 thanks to an 87-point ride on No Tail Dell of Bridwell Pro Rodeo.
No. 19 Nick Pelke, $34,845
Pelke is another young gun that is eyeing a potential first trip to Las Vegas. A fourth-place pay check from the Woodward Elks Rodeo (Oklahoma) was his most recent step closer as he won a check there. However, he has not won more than $1,000 at rodeo since March.
No. 20 Sam Petersen, $34,276
Once again, the Cinch World’s Toughest Rodeos are being good to Montana’s Petersen. An 86-point ride on Happy Trails of Championship Pro Rodeo’s in Raleigh remains his most recent payday. Petersen has be sidelined with an injury since mid-April.
Standings via ProRodeo.com are accurate as of Tuesday, June 18 at 5 PM ET.
