WEATHER GUARD PRCA World Standings Watch: Standings Shuffle – 31 Cowboys Move Up
With $1.23 million up for grabs between 25 PRCA rodeos across the country this past weekend, 31 cowboys saw their position improve within the WEATHER GUARD® PRCA World Standings’ Top 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 Wrangler Champions Challenge presented by Justin Boots events this week proved to be a major boost as cowboys competed for $92,800 in both Spanish Fork, Utah, and Santa Maria, Calif. Nobody knows this better than team ropers Coleman Proctor and Billie Jack Saebens who split the win in Santa Maria and won Spanish Fork – good for $7,424 each.
This week’s big rodeo payoffs weren’t limited to just the WCC events, as the Old Fort Days Rodeo in Fort Smith, Ark., boasted a $119,925 payoff.
The following cowboys saw their position in the world standings improve between May 29 and June 5.
• Cody Wright moved from 20th to 12th in saddle bronc riding.
• Trey Benton III moved from 17th to 13th in bull riding.
• Levi Simpson moved from 17th to 12th in team roping heading.
• Hunter Herrin moved from 10th to sixth in tie-down roping.
• Billie Jack Saebens moved from sixth to third in team roping heeling.
• Dakota Eldridge moved from 10th to seventh in steer wrestling.
• Coleman Proctor moved from fifth to third in team roping heading.
• Matt Shiozawa moved from 11th to ninth in tie-down roping.
• Clay Smith moved from 12th to 10th in team roping heading.
• Guthrie Murray moved from 14th to 12th in bull riding.
• Hayes Smith moved from 16th to 14th in team roping heading.
• Ty Romo moved from 17th to 15th in team roping heeling.
• Zeke Thurston moved from third to second in saddle bronc riding.
• Joe Frost moved from sixth to fifth in bull riding.
• Russell Cardoza moved from seventh to sixth in team roping heeling.
• Caleb Bennett moved from seventh to sixth in bareback riding.
• Evan Jayne moved from eighth to seventh in bareback riding.
• J. Tom Fisher moved from eighth to seventh in steer roping.
• Paul Eaves moves from 11th to 10th in team roping heeling.
• J.D. Struxness moved from 11th to 10th in steer wrestling.
• Ryder Wright moved from 11th to 10th in saddle bronc riding.
• Dustin Bowen moved from 11th to 10th in bull riding.
• Clayton Biglow moved from 12th to 11th in bareback riding.
• Scott Guenthner moved from 15th to 14th in steer wrestling.
• Cody Pearson moved from 15th to 14th in team roping heeling.
• Trevor Brazile moved from 15th to 14th in steer roping.
• Jon Ragatz moved from 16th to 15th in steer wrestling.
• Jeff Askey moved from 16th to 15th in bull 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 heeler Joseph Harrison moved from 24th to 16th and is $165 away from breaking into the Top 15.
• Tie-down roper Westyn Hughes moved from 17th to 16th and is $1,137 away from breaking into the Top 15.
• Bareback rider Orin Larsen moved from 17th to 16th and is $930 away from breaking into the Top 15.
With the Sisters (Ore.) Rodeo and Livermore (Calif.) 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