PRCA Standings Shuttle: Garrett Hale Leads with $12K

Steer roper Garrett Hale has won more money than anyone else in the PRCA since the 2021 season kicked off Oct. 1. While most of the other event leaders have earned about $6,000, Hale boasts $12,436.

The Texas cowboy finished the 2020 regular season 10th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings for steer roping with $30,631 to qualify for his third consecutive Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping. Now, he’s carrying his 2021 early season hot streak into the 2020 NFSR .

“My horses are working really good and I changed my outlook and mindset for this year to not overthink the roping aspect of it and not break it down so much, just go rope and have fun doing it,” said Hale, 28. “I got a little flustered in the middle of the season and could hardly win anything at all. I really had to slow it down and go back to the basics, in steer roping you need a repetition and to make the same run every single time, so that’s what I’ve been working on.”

There’s no time to overthink a run when it’s all reflexes. His new approach scored Hale $5,542 at the Roping Fiesta in San Angelo, Texas, Oct. 24-25.

“Muscle memory is in all sports – timed events, roughstock, baseball, everything,” Hale said. “I’m going to keep the same mentality throughout the year.”

Hale also attributed his recent success to his American Quarter Horse geldings Dinero (17) and Gumby (12).

“I can’t compliment my horses enough, they’ve been on point,” Hale said. “I trained Dinero. He’s the one I won Cody (Wyo.) on, and then Gumby is the one I won Prescott (Ariz.) on, and he came from Dan Fisher.”

Hale’s hot streak couldn’t have come at a better time, as he’s set to compete at the NFSR in Mulvane, Kan., Nov. 6-7, which will stream live on the PRCA on Cowboy Channel Plus app.

“This gives me a big boost of confidence going into the Finals,” Hale said. “I’m the type of guy who is tough on myself, so this confidence of, ‘You can do it and compete with these guys,’ has given me the edge going into the NFSR.”

Hale moved from second to first in the world standings during Oct. 19-25.

And he wasn’t the only ProRodeo athlete to advance within the Top 15 last week. While it doesn’t take much to make a big jump in the world standings when the season is fresh, every dollar won in October counts just as much as every dollar won in September.

The first 25 days of the 2021 season presented $1,377,723 worth of prize money. During the fourth week of the season, 11 cowboys moved up within the Top 15 of their respective events, while 27 launched from no money earned to a spot within the Top 15.

The following cowboys saw their positions improve in the Top 15 of the world standings or launched from having no money won to being within the Top 15.

31 Spots

• J.P. Wickett moved from 36th to fifth in steer roping.

23 Spots

• Chet Johnson moved from 24th to first in saddle bronc riding.

18 Spots

• Cody Darnell moved from 33rd to 15th in tie-down roping.

17 Spots

• Ryan Jarrett moved from 25th to eighth in tie-down roping.

16 Spots

• Chris Bechthold moved from 22nd to sixth in bull riding.

11 Spots

• Caleb Smidt moved from 13th to second in tie-down roping.
• Rocky Patterson moved from 17th to sixth in steer roping.

Seven Spots

• Jess Tierney moved from 11th to fourth in steer roping.

Three Spots

• Shad Mayfield moved from sixth to third in tie-down roping.
• Ruger Piva moved from 14th to 11th in bull riding.

One Spot

• Clayton Sellars moved from fourth to third in bull riding.

From Zero to Top 15

• Timothy Kent is first in bareback riding.
• Jordan Pelton is second in bareback riding.
• Nathan Hatchel is second in bull riding.
• John Leinaweaver is third in steer wrestling.
• Cole Reiner is fourth in bareback riding.
• Haven Meged is fourth in tie-down roping.
• Austin Beaty is fourth in bull riding.
• Scot Brown is fifth in team roping heeling.
• Will Stites is fifth in saddle bronc riding.
• Timber Moore is fifth in tie-down roping.
• Kalane Anders is sixth in steer wrestling.
• J.C. Flake is sixth in team roping heeling.
• Gage Hesse is seventh in steer wrestling.
• Jim Locke is seventh in steer roping.
• A.J. Williams is eighth in steer wrestling.
• Chuck Smith is eighth in team roping heading.
• John Bland is eighth in steer roping.
• Kevin Brown is ninth in team roping heeling.
• Clovis Crane is ninth in saddle bronc riding.
• J.R. Myers is ninth in tie-down roping.
• Martin Poindexter is ninth in steer roping.
• Cody Reed is 10th in team roping heading.
• Wyatt Hageman is 10th in saddle bronc riding.
• Blake Naglak is 12th in steer wrestling.
• Garrett Uptain is 12th in saddle bronc riding.
• Vin Fisher Jr. is 12th in steer roping.
• Jess Davison is 13th in bull riding.

Courtesy of PRCA