A career best season for Oklahoma’s Tanner Braden has earned him his first ever trip to the National Finals Rodeo. The No. 9 ranked heeler in the World roped with Cyle Denison all season long to cinch his ticket to the big show with $124,959 to his name.
RodeoHouston, $14,250
The second highest pay day of Braden’s season came early on in the Texas Swing. In Houston, Braden roped with Andrew Ward to be the No. 3 team moving on from Super Series 1. A 5.5-second run in the Semifinals advanced them to the Championship Round. In the Championship Shootout, Braden and Denison 5.4 put them in a tie for third.
St. Paul Rodeo, $3,303
Over Cowboy Christmas, Braden was roping with Denison when they stopped the clock at 5.1 seconds to be third in Round 1 at one of the July Fourth run’s most iconic rodeos. While this was their only pay day in St. Paul it kicked off the momentum for the summer.
They added to their Cowboy Christmas success at Home of Champions when a 3.5-second run in Montana was fast enough for the win by half a second over World Champion duo Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira.
Cache County Fair and Rodeo, $4,597
The first win of Braden’s August came in Utah to the tune of 4.2 seconds. This run would take over the leaderboard and bump a four-way tie to the No. 2 spot by three tenths of a second and add to Braden’s stellar season.
Puyallup Rodeo, $11,475
A 4.7-second run got Braden’s trip to Puyallup started before an 11.1 on two advanced him and Denison to the Semifinals where they were 4.3 seconds. He caught a leg in the Finals to be 9.7 but it was still good enough for a second and Braden’s third highest pay day.
Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup, $22,500
The final weekend of the regular season cinched Braden his first NFR while also being his highest pay day of the season. A pair of 3.9 seconds advanced Braden and Denison to the Semifinals and that alone was enough to put them well into the Top 15 in the World.
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