BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
In 2023, four saddle bronc riders made over $200,000 in regular season earnings—the most ever achieved by any group in a single event in PRCA history.
The competitors in rodeo’s classic event have a good chance to up their standard again in 2024.
With a month still to go in the regular season, three bronc riders - Kade Bruno, Damian Brennan and Wyatt Casper - have already surpassed $200,000 and three more cowboys who finished in the Top 10 a year ago - Zeke Thurston, Lefty Holman and Ryder Wright - are all within $20,000 of the mark.
If this doesn’t prove that saddle bronc riding is more stacked than ever, consider this: nine of the Top 10 cowboys in the PRCA World Standings made the 2023 NFR. The only one who didn’t is Statler Wright, from one of the sport’s most legendary families.
No. 1 Kade Bruno, $210,399
Bruno picked up a check on 11-of-17 rides in August and that included a win at the Caldwell Night Rodeo (Idaho), where he was 90.5 on Miss Valley in the Finals to seal the deal on Aug. 17. That same weekend, he also took second at the Moses Lake Roundup Rodeo (Washington) before winning more than $6,000 at the Xtreme Broncs Finals a day later.
No. 2 Damian Brennan, $205,286
Since slipping to No. 3 in the World in the middle of August, Brennan has responded by winning more than $30,000 to get back to No. 2 and within striking distance of regaining the No. 1 spot. On Aug. 17, he won the Gooding Pro Rodeo (Idaho) with 89 points and the Moses Lake Roundup Rodeo with 90. Both of which paid more than $6,000. This past weekend, on Aug. 24, he added a third place finish at the Horse Heaven Roundup (Washington) and a second place finish at the Golden Spike Rodeo (Utah).
No. 3 Wyatt Casper, $201,200
In the last three weeks, the four-time NFR qualifier has moved up three spots and won about $50,000 toward the PRCA World Standings. The biggest factor in that jump was a pair of 87-point rides at the Xtreme Broncs Finals that won him the rodeo and paid him north of $30,000. It is the second consecutie year he won the event.
No. 4 Lefty Holman, $186,252
Since a $7,000+ weekend on Aug. 10, Holman has won only won check of more than $1,000 since. That came from splitting second at the Moses Lake Roundup Rodeo with Kade Bruno.
No. 5 Zeke Thurston, $185,580
The reigning World Champion was on fire from Aug. 15-24 when he got on five horses, rode them all for between 82.5 and 86.5 points and made a total of $20,962.
No. 6 Ryder Wright, $181,992
Wright raked in over $11,000 last weekend, claiming victory at the Golden Spike Rodeo with 89 points and securing second place at the Kitsap Stampede (Washington). He has finished in the Top 10 every year since 2016.
No. 7 Sage Newman, $173,391
Newman picked up checks on his first six horses of August, but since then he has made three straight qualified rides in the 70s and bucked off. He notched one win this month at the Yellowstone River Round-Up. He has likely locked up a fourth consecutive NFR appearance.
No. 8 Brody Cress, $169,731
Cress made about $65,000 in August and has been the best bronc rider in the PRCA over the last month. Over the weekend, he won three rodeos - the Gem State Stampede, Kitsap Stampede and Horse Heaven Roundup - which paid a total of $18,311. In August, he entered 16 rodeos total and won half of them.
No. 9 Statler Wright, $145,196
After two straight Top 20 finishes to start his career, Wright likley locked up his first NFR berth at age 20. Between August 24 and 26, he secured first, second, and third place finishes, earning over $8,000 combined.
No. 10 Dawson Hay, $121,992
Hay only got on seven horses in August, but was able to hold on to his Top 10 position.
No. 11 Kolby Wanchuk, $121,151
After finishing No. 17 a year ago, Wanchuk is in better position to make a third NFR this year. On Aug. 18, he won close to $5,000 at the Xtreme Broncs Finals and he leads this weekend’s Magic Valley Stampede (Idaho) after the first performance.
No. 12 Zachary Dallas, $118,699
Dallas last checks came in Idaho on the Weekend of Aug. 17 when he took fourth in the Average in Caldwell and third in Gooding. He leads the Resistol Rookie Standings by more than $90,000.
No. 13 Ben Andersen, $114,634
Andersen moved up two spots in the World Standings in August. His biggest check of the month was $3,123 at the Farm-City Pro Rodeo (Oregon)
No. 14 Brody Wells, $113,826
Since a sweep at the United States Open Xtreme Broncs Match on Aug. 7, Wells has won just $1,109 total.
No. 15 Logan Hay, $112,846
After earning just $7,000 in August, Hay slipped five spots in the World Standings.
No. 16 Ryder Sanford, $105,562
Sanford won three checks in August, but none of them were worth more than $2,000.
No. 17 Logan Cook, $94,845
Cook added about $25,000 to his season earnings in August, but still finds himself in the same place at No. 17. However, he was $28,000 out of an NFR spot a month ago and now he is about $18,000 back. He won about $6,000 at the Xtreme Broncs Finals and before that he took second at the Caldwell Night Rodeo.
No. 18 Layton Green, $93,337
Green won the Omak Stampede (Washington) on Aug. 11, but has only won about $3,000 since.
No. 19 Allen Boore, $91,559
Boore is making one final push for the 2024 NFR and is up five spots in the last two weeks thanks to his second place finish in the Average at the Xtreme Broncs Finals, which netted him nearly $25,000 and a second place finish at the Horse Heaven Roundup which added $4,860 more.
No. 20 Lucas Macza, $80,066
Macza won $14,000 toward the PRCA World Standings in August, almost all of it coming in Canada.
