WEATHER GUARD PRCA World Standings Watch: Standings Shuffle – 22 Cowboys Move Up
With $787,623 up for grabs between 21 PRCA rodeos across the country this past week, 22 cowboys saw their position improve within the WEATHER GUARD® PRCA World Standings’ Top 15. Bull rider Trey Benton III had the biggest move, jumping from 15th to eighth after winning the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo Xtreme Bulls and taking home $12,643 on June 15.
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 lead as the summer season heats up.
Having two rodeos with six-figure payoffs this week proved to be a major boost as cowboys competed for $115,732 at the Strawberry Days Rodeo in Pleasant Grove, Utah, and $107,925 at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte, Neb.
The following cowboys saw their position in the world standings improve between June 12 and June 19.
• Trey Benton III moved from 15th to eighth in bull riding.
• Scott Guenthner moved from 14th to 10th in steer wrestling.
• Brennon Eldred moved from 14th to 10th in bull riding.
• Travis Graves moved from 18th to 15th in team roping heeling.
• Clay O’Brien Cooper moved from 10th to eighth in team roping heading.
• Wyatt Bloom moved from 14th to 12th in bareback riding.
• Billie Jack Saebens moved from second to first in team roping heeling.
• Marcos Costa moved from second to first in tie-down roping.
• Coleman Proctor moved from third to second in team roping heading.
• Caleb Smidt moved from fourth to third in tie-down roping.
• Sage Kimzey moved from fourth to third in bull riding.
• Nick Guy moved from fifth to fourth in steer wrestling.
• Kory Koontz moved from sixth to fifth in team roping heeling.
• Joe Frost moved from sixth to fifth in bull riding.
• Randall Carlisle moved from seventh to sixth in tie-down roping.
• Clayton Biglow moved from 10th to ninth in bareback riding.
• Paul Eaves moved from 10th to ninth in team roping heeling.
• Taos Muncy moved from 11th to 10th in saddle bronc riding.
• Ty Breuer moved from 12th to 11th in bareback riding.
• Jesse Stipes moved from 14th to 13th in team roping heading.
• Sterling Crawley moved from 14th to 13th in saddle bronc riding.
• Richmond Champion 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:
• Steer roper Garrett Hale moved from 20th to 16th and is $1,669 away from breaking into the Top 15.
• Bareback rider Austin Foss moved from 18th to 16th and is $1,028 away from breaking into the Top 15.
• Tie-down roper Blane Cox moved from 17th to 16th and is $397 away from breaking into the Top 15.
With the West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo and the Rodeo of the Ozarks in Springdale, Ark., already underway, 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