WEATHER GUARD PRCA World Standings Watch: Standings Shuffle – 40 Cowboys Move Up
With $3.16 million up for grabs between 24 PRCA rodeos across North America this past week, 40 cowboys saw their position improve within the WEATHER GUARD® PRCA World Standings’ Top 15.
Nobody knows this better than team ropers Kyle Lockett and Jr. Dees. Lockett launched from 63rd to 16th in the team roping heeling standings thanks to winning $27,400 at the Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo in Salt Lake City and $3,839 at California Rodeo Salinas. Dees jumped from 59th to sixth in the team roping heading standings thanks to winning $52,400 in Salt Lake City.
Veteran and rookie cowboys alike 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 presented by Polaris RANGER. It’s important to build a solid bankroll while the summer season is in full swing.
Having five rodeos with six-figure payoffs and the $1 million Days of ’47 Cowboy Games & Rodeo in Salt Lake City this week proved to be a major boost as cowboys competed for $455,429 in Edmonton, Alberta; $379,717 in Nampa, Idaho; $360,578 in Salinas, Calif.; $276,762 in Spanish Fork, Utah; and $188,879 in Ogden, Utah.
Having so many opportunities to win big money can really stir the pot on the world standings. In the last week alone, 19 cowboys burst the bubble and broke into the Top 15.
The following cowboys saw their position in the world standings improve between July 17 and July 25.
30 SPOTS
• Ryle Smith moved from 34th to fourth in steer wrestling.
22 SPOTS
• Tyler McKnight moved from 26th to fourth in team roping heeling.
21 SPOTS
• Trevor Brazile moved from 30th to ninth in tie-down roping.
17 SPOTS
• Tyler Bingham moved from 32nd to 15th in bull riding.
15 SPOTS
• Wyatt Denny moved from 18th to third in bareback riding.
• Cody DeMoss moved from 18th to third in saddle bronc riding.
12 SPOTS
• Jon Ragatz moved from 21st to ninth in steer wrestling.
• Tom Richards moved from 21st to ninth in team roping heading.
11 SPOTS
• Jake Wright moved from 21st to 10th in saddle bronc riding.
8 SPOTS
• Tyler Pearson moved from 11th to third in steer wrestling.
• Cooper Martin moved from 16th to eighth in tie-down roping.
5 SPOTS
• Heith DeMoss moved from 13th to eighth in saddle bronc riding.
4 SPOTS
• Tuf Cooper moved from fifth to first in tie-down roping.
• Dustin Bird moved from 18th to 14th in team roping heading.
• Ace Slone moved from 17th to 13th in tie-down roping.
3 SPOTS
• Layton Green moved from eighth to fifth in saddle bronc riding.
• Caleb Bennett moved from 11th to eighth in bareback riding.
• Trevor Reiste moved from 13th to 10th in bull riding.
• Trey Benton III moved from 14th to 11th in bull riding.
• Jake Vold moved from 17th to 14th in bareback riding.
• Timber Moore moved from 18th to 15th in tie-down roping.
2 SPOTS
• Paul Eaves moved from fifth to third in team roping heeling.
• Clay O’Brien Smith moved from sixth to fourth in team roping heading.
• J.R. Vezain moved from eighth to sixth in bareback riding.
• Levi Simpson moved from 10th to eighth in team roping heading.
• Cole Melancon moved from 10th to eighth in bull riding.
• Jeremy Buhler moved from 12th to 10th in team roping heeling.
• Jacob Talley moved from 17th to 15th in steer wrestling.
• Lane Ivy moved from 17th to 15th in team roping heading.
1 SPOT
• Sage Kimzey moved from second to first in bull riding.
• Ty Wallace moved from fourth to third in bull riding.
• Jake Long moved from sixth to fifth in team roping heeling.
• Justin Malone moved from seventh to sixth in tie-down roping.
• Russell Cardoza moved from seventh to sixth in team roping heeling.
• Mason Clements moved from 16th to 15th in bareback riding.
Cowboys on the bubble for a spot in the Top 15 can find themselves just a few dollars short of making a Wrangler NFR qualification. The following cowboys climbed the standings to No. 16 this past week:
• Team roping header Nelson Wyatt moved from 32nd to 16th and is $2,146 away from breaking into the Top 15.
• Bareback rider Tanner Phipps moved from 22nd to 16th and is $3,051 away from breaking into the Top 15.
• Saddle bronc rider Rusty Wright moved from 17th to 16th and is $5,064 away from breaking into the Top 15.
With Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days underway and the Deadwood (S.D.) Days of ’76 Rodeo on the horizon, the outcomes of these rodeos and others are sure to impact the world standings, and possibly give a glimpse at who will compete at the 2017 Wrangler NFR.
Check back with prorodeo.com next week to see who the new leaders are in the world standings.
Courtesy of PRCA