BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
As usual for this part of the season, some in the Top 20 have won most of their money so far in Fort Worth and San Antonio. However, in the bulldogging, its not as many you think as several cowboys in the Top 20 steer wrestlers have been collecting checks in places like Florida and Mississippi in addition to smaller Texas rodeos all the way back in October.
1. Will Lummus, $37,272
Will Lummus has already won five rodeos in 2023, most notably the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, where he earned more than $27,000 and had four straight times of 4.1 seconds or faster. His second-highest paying win was the 150th Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee, Florida, which paid him $2,789.
2. Jacob Talley, $35,400
There’s simply not a steer wrestler in the world hotter than Jacob Talley. Less than three weeks ago, he wasn’t in the Top 20, but he has since won $15,250 in San Antonio and $5,213 combined between the Dixie National (Mississippi), Brighton Field Day and Rodeo (Florida) and the Silver Spurs Rodeo. Since Feb. 9, he has five runs of 3.8 seconds or faster.
3. Ty Erickson, $32,165
Ty Erickson has made a vast majority of from the Montana Circuit Finals and Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. He won $9,150 for winning the Montana Circuit Finals for the fifth time in his career and added $15,760 for a second place finish in Fort Worth.
4. Tucker Allen, $30,544
Tucker Allen is currently the highest ranked steer wrestler to never make the NFR. The 23-year-old has won three rodeos in his native California this year, including the California Circuit Finals. His best career finish was No. 25 in 2022.
5. Jesse Brown, $30,428
Jesse Brown recently shot into the Top 5 by winning $22,500 at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Brown matched the fastest time of his career with a 3.1-second run in the Finals.
6. Kyle Irwin, $26,001
Kyle Irwin finished second behind Brown in the Finals of San Antonio and made a 3.1-second run himself earlier in the week. Overall, he made $17,000 in San Antonio and also recently added $2,243 for finishing second at the Silver Spurs Rodeo.
7. Stockton Graves, $24,777
At 44, Stockton Graves is the oldest bulldogger in the Top 10 by () years, but he hasn’t looked it so far in 2023. graves had four times of 4.4 seconds or faster in San Antonio, where he made $8,750. He also made the Finals in Fort Worth, banking $10,760.
8. Dalton Massey, $24,322
Dalton Massey is coming off of a weekend that earned him Timed Event Athlete of the Week honors. He made the Finals of San Antonio and also won more than $10,000 for winning La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros in Tucson.
9. Tyler Waguespack, $22,088
The reigning World Champion has done quite well in the Southeast this year by winning two rodeos in Mississippi and one in Florida. He has been solid during the Texas Swing as well, by making a total of $11,830 combined in Fort Worth and San Antonio despite not advancing to the Finals in either rodeo.
10. Cameron Morman, $21,467
Cameron Morman won the Badlands Circuit Finals all the way back in October of 2022 and also made $6,250 in San Antonio.
11. Joshua Hefner, $20,962
Joshua Hefner, like Tyler Waguespack, has done a majority of his damage in the Southeast this year. He has won two rodeos in Florida, one of which was the Southeastern Circuit Finals, in addition to splitting second with Kyle Irwin at the Silver Spurs Rodeo.
12. Travis Munro, $17,756
The 30-year-old Aussie pulled checks in four rounds in San Antonio and also finished second in the Average at the Prairie Circuit Finals.
13. Cash Robb, $15,296
Cash Robb benefited from the early part of the 2023 season. In October and November of 2022, he won a total $8,782.
14. Gavin Soileau, $14,917
Gavin Soileau recently won more than $5,000 at the Dixie National, which was his first check since Bracket 1 of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
15. Nick Guy, $14,776
Nick Guy recently placed in the Top 4 of the first two rounds of La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros and also finished third at Rodeo Rapid City early on in the month.
16. Walt Arnold, $14,707
Walt Arnold placed in four Texas rodeos in the first two weeks of the 2023 season all the way back in early October of 2022. Since then, he has also made the Finals in Fort Worth.
17. Brandon Harrison, $14,491
Brandon Harrison dominated his bracket in San Antonio by stopping the clock at 4 flat or faster three times. The $7,250 he won there is almost exactly 50 percent of his money for the season.
18. Rowdy Parrott, $14,198
Rowdy Parrott has already made six runs of 4.4 seconds or faster in the 2023 season. His biggest check so far came at the Texas Circuit Finals in October, where he won about $7,000.
19. Marc Joiner, $13,985
Marc Joiner won nearly $2,000 for a first place finish at the Northwest Florida Championship Rodeo and also made over $6,000 at La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros, which was the third most of any steer wrestler.
20. J.D. Struxness, $13,610
J.D. Struxness returned to San Antonio, where has the champion in 2022, and won $8,500, almost two-thirds of his season earnings. He has only competed in four rodeos this season.
