PRCA Standings Shuffle: 34 Move Up in Top 15

By Matt Naber

Money talks. But in ProRodeo money shouts when competing for a spot in the Top 15 of the PRCA | RAM World Standings.

Nobody knows this better than bull rider Jordan Hansen after jumping nine spots last week, from 24th to 15th, thanks to winning $16,691 during the first weekend in August.

The Canadian cowboy’s biggest haul came from winning $12,956 at the Mountain Valley Stampede Rodeo in Heber City, Utah, Aug. 3. (See related story)

Hansen followed that win by splitting the win at Pile ‘O Bones in Regina, Sask., for $3,335. He picked up another check by placing sixth at That Famous Preston (Idaho) Night Rodeo.

With the end of the regular season eight weeks away, ProRodeo athletes competed for more than $1.86 million at the 36 competitions held across North America July 29 through Aug. 4.

Three ProRodeo Tour events featured payouts in excess of $100,000 – the Dodge City (Kan.) Roundup Rodeo ($328,786), the Mountain Valley Stampede Rodeo ($133,905), and Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo in Phillipsburg ($119,312).

The Big Sky Pro Rodeo in Great Falls, Mont., wasn’t on the Tour but a payout of $128,968 made a trip to Big Sky Country a worthwhile endeavor.

With so much money on the table, 34 cowboys saw their position improve within the Top 15.

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 during the summer run establishes a solid base and builds a cowboy’s confidence.

With some of the biggest checks on the line in the coming weeks, big jumps like Hansen’s are sure to happen again.

The following cowboys also moved up within the Top 15 last week.

Eight Spots

• Dakota Eldridge moved from 13th to fifth in steer wrestling.

Six Spots

• Shay Good moved from 20th to 14th in steer roping.
• Matt Sherwood moved from 21st to 15th in team roping heading.

Five Spots

• Stetson Jorgensen moved from 11th to sixth in steer wrestling.
• Westyn Hughes moved from 18th to 13th in tie-down roping.

Four Spots

• Koby Radley moved from 15th to 11th in bull riding.
• Nick Guy moved from 18th to 14th in steer wrestling.
• Jake Finlay moved from 19th to 15th in saddle bronc riding.

Three Spots

• Adam Gray moved from 10th to seventh in tie-down roping.
• Jake Brown moved from 13th to 10th in bareback riding.
• Hunter Koch moved from 14th to 11th in team roping heeling.
• Trenton Johnson moved from 16th to 13th in steer roping.

Two Spots

• Haven Meged moved from sixth to fourth in tie-down roping.
• Tyler Bingham moved from sixth to fourth in bull riding.
• Junior Nogueira moved from eighth to sixth in team roping heeling.
• Rusty Wright moved from 10th to eighth in saddle bronc riding.
• Chet Herren moved from 10th to eighth in steer roping.
• Trey Benton III moved from 10th to eighth in bull riding.
• Brady Garten moved from 11th to ninth in steer roping.
• Dawson Hay moved from 12th to 10th in saddle bronc riding.
• Ty Harris moved from 13th to 11th in tie-down roping.
• Wade Sundell moved from 14th to 12th in saddle bronc riding.
• Trenten Montero moved from 15th to 13th in bareback riding.
• Jess Tierney moved from 17th to 15th in steer roping.

One Spot

• Sage Kimzey moved from second to first in bull riding.
• Jacobs Crawley moved from fourth to third in saddle bronc riding.
• Tuf Cooper moved from fourth to third in steer roping.
• Kaleb Driggers moved from sixth to fifth in team roping heading.
• Caleb Bennett moved from seventh to sixth in bareback riding.
• Steven Dent moved from ninth to eighth in bareback riding.
• Clay Tryan moved from ninth to eighth in team roping heading.
• Tyler Wade moved from 15th to 14th in team roping heading.
• Logan Patterson moved from 16th to 15th in bareback riding.

Cowboys on the bubble for a spot in the Top 15 can find themselves a few dollars short of qualifying for the Wrangler NFR. The following cowboys climbed the standings to No. 16.

• Team roping header Nelson Wyatt moved from 17th and is $1,180 away from breaking into the Top 15.
• Team roping heeler Nano Garza moved from 17th and is $2,914 away from breaking into the Top 15.

Check back with ProRodeo.com next week to see who the leaders are in the PRCA | RAM World Standings.

Courtesy of PRCA