Reigning World Champion Zeke Thurston is proving why he has four Gold Buckles to his name with two of three Go-Round wins coming his way so far in Las Vegas. His Round 3 matchup was Powder River Rodeo’s standout mare Miss Valley, who Thurston put together an 88-point ride on.
“Especially horses like this... they all got lots of timing and real showy, you know. So it makes it a lot of fun for us,” Thurston said.
While he is off to a phenomenal start at his 10th National Finals Rodeo, Thurston knows how early it is in the 10-day marathon that is the NFR. The veteran saddle bronc rider’s game plan focuses on just that.
“You just come out here and try to do your job. It’s the same horses we get on all year long, it’s the same thing we do all year so. At this point, it’s kind of an old hat for me but I’ve seen all the scenarios play out here so just enjoy the good and roll with the punches,” he said.
With another Go-Round win, Thurston is the projected World Champion and leads the NFR Average Standings. However, he is still $2,000 behind Damian Brennan as both cowboys crossed the $300,000 mark for the season on Saturday.
