Standings Shuffle: 19 Move Up in Top 15

The groundhog didn’t see his shadow on Feb. 2, but plenty of cowboys were seeing green as the five competitions held Jan. 28 through Feb. 3 were worth a collective $287,147. The bulk of this week’s prize money came from Rodeo Rapid City (S.D.), but a few lucky cowboys walked away with thicker wallets at the Indianapolis addition of the Cinch World’s Toughest Rodeo. With so much money up for grabs, 19 cowboys climbed within the Top 15.

Cowboys know it’s easier to maintain a position at the top than it is to play catch-up when trying to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Every dollar counts, and making the Top 15 in the PRCA | RAM World Standings early establishes a solid base and builds a cowboy’s confidence as the season picks up pace.

Nobody knows that better than team roping header Lightning Aguilera. The 25-year-old Texas cowboy’s massive jump of 47 spots from 61st to 14th in the world standings was thanks to winning $4,718 at Rodeo Rapid City (S.D.), Feb. 2, with Ty Arnold as his heeler.

With more high-dollar competitions on the horizon, big jumps such as Aguilera’s are likely to occur again.

44 Spots

• Clay Van Aken moved from 56th to 14th in team roping heading.

20 Spots

• Wyatt Denny moved from 31st to 11th in bareback riding.

19 Spots

• Riley Pruitt moved from 28th to ninth in tie-down roping.

17 Spots

• J.J. Elshere moved from 24th to seventh in saddle bronc riding.

11 Spots

• Richmond Champion moved from 21st to 10th in bareback riding.

Nine Spots

• Clint Kindred moved from 19th to 10th in tie-down roping.

Seven Spots

• Ty Arnold moved from 13th to sixth in team roping heeling.
• Nic Lica moved from 21st to 14th in bull riding.

Four Spots

• Clayton Biglow moved from 11th to seventh in bareback riding.

Three Spots

• Bradley Harter moved from fifth to second in saddle bronc riding.

Two Spots

• Joey Sonnier III moved from eighth to sixth in saddle bronc riding.
• Zeke Thurston moved from 15th to 13th in saddle bronc riding.

One Spot

• Jared Keylon moved from second to first in bareback riding.
• Ty Erickson moved from second to first in steer wrestling.
• Trevor Reiste moved from fifth to fourth in bull riding.
• Jade Blackwell moved from 11th to 10th in saddle bronc riding.
• Jake Finlay moved from 12th to 11th in saddle bronc riding.
• Ty Breuer moved from 15th to 14th in bareback riding.

With the San Angelo (Texas) Rodeo and the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth, Texas, underway, the outcomes of those rodeos and others are sure to impact the world standings.

Check back with prorodeo.com next week to see who the new leaders are in the world standings.

Courtesy of PRCA