Keenan Hayes made waves in the bareback riding during the 2023 regular season. The Colorado native broke the single season earnings record on Sept. 14 when he surpassed Clint Cannon’s 2009 record of $233,504.
In the toughest class of rookie bareback riders that we have seen in years, Hayes is also leading the Resistol Rookie race as he heads into the Thomas and Mack as the No. 1 ranked bareback rider in the world.
The 20-year-old will enter his first NFR as the man to beat with a lead of more than $100,000.
BIGGEST PAYDAYS
San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, $20,000
Hayes placed second in Rounds 1 and 2 of Bracket 2 to earn $5,000 and his spot in the Semifinals. It was in the Semifinals where he matched up with Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Ain’t No Angel to be 88.5 points and move on to the Finals where he finished second with a 90.5 point ride. In total, he left one of the biggest rodeos of the year with $20,000 to give him an early boost of momentum.
RodeoHouston, $20,000
In Super Series 5 of RodeoHouston, Hayes won two out of three Go-Rounds to move on to the Semifinals. There he would fall short only to make a massive comeback with a win in the Wildcard Round aboard Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Girl Crush. He would make his highest marked ride of the rodeo in the Championship Shootout with 88 points tot take third.
Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup (South Dakota) $19,000
On the final weekend of the regular season, Hayes’ mission was to further his lead in the World Standings and he did just that. After advancing in the last hole, he placed fourth in the Semifinal before a matchup with Muddy Creek Pro Rodeo’s Black Mamba would be an 86.5-point ride good for second place in the Short Round, and worth $19,000.
HIGHEST MARKED RIDES
Mountain State Circuit Finals (Colorado), 90 points
Hayes’ first 90-point ride came early in the season and that was no surprise. After an outstanding year on his permit, he drew Big Water Pro Rodeo’s Rambo in Round 3 of his Circuit Finals way back in October of 2022. The two would put 90 on top of the leaderboard.
Puyallup Cinch Playoffs (Washington), 90.5 points
What would tie to be his highest marked ride of the regular season came in the Final Round of the Cinch Playoffs in Puyallup, Washington. Aboard one of the season’s top horses, Calgary Stampede’s Yippee Kibitz, Hayes marked a whopping 90.5 points to finish third.
NOTABLE WINS
Rodeo Austin, 86.5 Points in Finals
Hayes was 88 and 84.5 on his first two horses before riding Black Kat of Beutler & Son Rodeo for 86.5 points to get his first career Texas Swing.
San Angelo Cinch Chute Out (Texas), 88 Points in Finals
Fresh off a win in Austin, Hayes added another big win in Texas three weeks later. He was 90.5 points on his first horse at the Cinch Chute Out, which paid nothing, but earned him a spot in the three-man clean-slate Short Round. There, he won the $7,500 first place prize with 88 points on Pickett’s Hooey Rocktop Notch.
NFR Open (Colorado), 86.5 points
Hayes had many impressive wins over the season and the second ever NFR Open is one of them. Although it didn’t have his highest marked rides of the year, this win added over $18,500 to his earnings.
Ellesnburg Rodeo (Washington), 174 Points on Two
At the famous Labor Day Weekend rodeo, Hayes made rides of 86 and 88 points to win the Average by 1.5 points over three-time World Champion Tim O’Connell. It was his sixth and final PRCA Playoff Series win of the season.
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