PRCA Standings Shuffle: 22 Move Up in Top 15
The ProRodeo summer run is heating up and so is the competition as cowboys cashed in at 10 ProRodeo stops worth a collective $481,275, June 8-14.
During the second week of June, 22 ProRodeo athletes advanced within their respective events within the Top 15 of the PRCA | RAM World Standings.
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 world standings early establishes a solid base and builds a cowboy’s confidence as the summer run approaches.
Nobody knows this better than steer roper Rocky Patterson, who jumped 21 spots from 32nd to 11th, thanks to winning the Ron Ross Memorial Steer Roping in Liberty Hill, Texas, June 14. Roping five head in 68.0 seconds was worth $9,063.
Patterson is a four-time world champion (2009-10, 2012 and 2016) with 25 qualifications to the Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping (1994-95 and 1997-2019). Since his rookie year in 1992, the Kansas cowboy has won more than $1.5 million.
It was an exceptionally good weekend for the Patterson family as Rocky’s son, Cole, won the steer roping at the Coleman (Texas) PRCA Rodeo for $3,177, June 13. That helped Cole climb from fourth to third in the standings.
Other cowboys to improve their position within the Top 15 last week include the following:
19 Spots
• Jim Locke moved from 31st to 12th in steer roping.
Nine Spots
• Brenten Hall moved from 23rd to 14th in team roping heading.
Six Spots
• Buddy Hawkins II moved from 14th to eighth in team roping heeling.
• J. Tom Fisher moved from 21st to 15th in steer roping.
Five Spots
• Tanner Brunner moved from 13th to eighth in steer wrestling.
• Tyler Bingham moved from 16th to 11th in bull riding.
Four Spots
• Junior Nogeuira moved from 19th to 15th in team roping heeling.
Three Spots
• Andrew Ward moved from 13th to 10th in team roping heading.
• Marty Yates moved from 17th to 14th in tie-down roping.
Two Spots
• Cody Lee moved from 11th to ninth in steer roping.
• Rusty Wright moved from 13th to 11th in saddle bronc riding.
• Jesse Pope moved from 14th to 12th in bareback riding.
One Spot
• Billy Good moved from third to second in steer roping.
• Jess Tierney moved from sixth to fifth in steer roping.
• Levi Gray moved from sixth to fifth in bull riding.
• Cody Snow moved from seventh to sixth in team roping heading.
• Ty Harris moved from ninth to eighth in tie-down roping.
• Scott Snedecor moved from ninth to eighth in steer roping.
• Sterling Crawley moved from 10th to ninth in saddle bronc riding.
• Ty Wallace moved from 15th to 14th in bull riding.
Cowboys on the bubble for a spot in the Top 15 can find themselves a few dollars short of qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. There are plenty of opportunities to win big between now and the end of the 2020 season, but it’s still noteworthy to see who is on the cusp of breaking into the Top 15.
• Kyle Irwin moved from 17th in steer wrestling and is $1,367 away from breaking into the Top 15.
• Chase Tryan moved from 23rd in team roping heeling and is $1,062 away from breaking into the Top 15.
• Colten Fritzlan moved from 17th in bull riding and is $255 away from breaking into the Top 15.
More changes are likely in the world standings as the third week of June features six ProRodeo competitions, including the Jordan (Mont.) Match Xtreme Bronc Ride and Newtown (N.D.) Rodeo Days-Adrian Foote Memorial.
Check back with ProRodeo.com next week to see who moved up within the Top 15 of the world standings.
Courtesy of PRCA