BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Dalton Massey has been No. 1 in the PRCA Steer Wrestling World Standings since RodeoHouston concluded and has not given an inch since.
The 30-year-old has never made the NFR, but appears unfazed by those trailing him. He’s opened up a lead of more than $55,000, even with past World Champions Tyler Waguespack and Ty Erickson behind him at No. 2 and 3 and a slew of multi-time NFR qualifiers behind them. In fact, no one in the Top 7 in the PRCA Steer Wrestling World Standings other than Massey has fewer than three qualifications to the big show in Las Vegas.
Massey has already accumulated $146,869 this season, about $12,000 more than Stetson Jorgensen, who entered the 2022 NFR No. 1, did all of last season.
When talking steer wrestling in 2023, it’s impossible to not lead with the breakout star from Hermiston, Oregon.
No. 1 Dalton Massey - $146,869
In the last two weeks, Massey has continued to make statement after statement. He was the champion of the Big Fork Summer Pro Rodeo (Montana) with times of 4.5 and 4.6 and then made his way to Canada, where he won Round 1 of Pool A at The Calgary Stampede and registered three times of 4.7 seconds or faster. Massey has made more than $50,000 since the beginning of June.
No. 5 J.D. Struxness - $74,150
Struxness started off 100 Rodeos in 100 Days on the best foot possible by winning the Reno Rodeo, and more than $17,000, to kick things off. He continued to perform well in another huge rodeo as he took second in the Showdown Round at the Ponoka Stampede.
No. 17 Dirk Tavenner - $43,114
Tavenner made the biggest move among not just steer wrestlers, but all of ProRodeo over Cowboy Christmas by going from outside the Top 50 and to inside the Top 20. Tavenner did it by taking home more than $10,000 from the Greeley Stampede and the St. Paul Rodeo, the latter of which he won. Tavenner has roughly tripled his season earnings since the beginning of 100 Rodeos in 100 Days on June 15.
No. 19 Don Payne - $41,428
Payne would’ve been the biggest mover in the steer wrestling over Cowboy Christmas if it weren’t for Tavenner. The Stephenville native was ranked No. 46 in the world on June 15 then won $5,700 in Reno and $13,500 in Greeley. Since the conclusion of Greeley on June 29, he has added more than $2,000 at three more rodeos.
| WORLD RANK | NAME | EARNINGS |
| 1. | Dalton Massey | $146,869 |
| 2. | Tyler Waguespack | $81,444 |
| 3. | Ty Erickson | $75,841 |
| 4. | Jesse Brown | $74,696 |
| 5. | J.D. Struxness | $74,150 |
| 6. | Will Lummus | $67,130 |
| 7. | Jacob Talley | $66,763 |
| 8. | Cody Devers | $60,386 |
| 9. | Bridger Anderson | $59,219 |
| 10. | Tucker Allen | $52,562 |
| 11. | Dakota Eldridge | $50,275 |
| 12. | Cash Robb | $50,122 |
| 13. | Stephen Culling | $49,402 |
| 14. | Stan Branco | $48,552 |
| 15. | Stockton Graves | $48,346 |
| 16. | Nick Guy | $47,722 |
| 17. | Dirk Tavenner | $43,115 |
| 18. | Joshua Hefner | $43,044 |
| 19. | Kyle Irwin | $41,625 |
| 20. | Don Payne | $41,428 |
Standings via ProRodeo.Com are accurate as of 2 PM ET on Friday, July 14.
