Audy Reed

Audy Reed – Spearman, Texas ($75,649)
First-time WNFR qualifier

Audie Reed probably doesn’t remember a time when boots and a hat weren’t part of his wardrobe. In fact, this ranch-raised cowboy probably was wearing them before he was out of diapers.

Born and raised in the panhandle of Texas, Audie is as comfortable on a saddle horse as he is on a bucking horse and that’s pretty comfortable. He got his PRCA permit in 2015 and got into Cheyenne Frontier Day’s rookie bronc riding competition. He won that and earned enough money to become a card holder in 2016. He finished last year 24th in the world and fifth in the rookie of the year standings.

He started off this year with a bang winning the National Western Stock Show Rodeo in Denver. That was worth $10,494 and put him in first place in the world standings. Then he watched as his name declined in the world standings and his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualification was in jeopardy.

After the Fourth-of-July run, he was in fifth place. The first of August he had dropped to twelfth. Then he was in 14th and while that didn’t hold, he finished the regular season with a win at the New Mexico State Fair Rodeo in Albuquerque. The $4,258 he won there was enough to hold off Cort Scheer. Audy finished $3,827 ahead of Cort.

Audie’s father, Hadley, was a saddle bronc rider in the PRCA before becoming a full-time rancher, husband and father. Hadley and his wife, Sonja, have two sons, Audie and J.D., who was the all-around champion at the National High School Finals Rodeo in 2015.

The family is nearly as excited as Audie is for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo competition. They know that with his work ethic and determination this is just the beginning of great things to come for this cowboy. He has nowhere to go but up starting 15th in the world standings with $75,649 in regular-season earnings.