PRCA Standings Shuffle: 42 Move Up in Top 15
By Matt Naber
The July 1-8 portion of Cowboy Christmas had $3,668,132 up for grabs across 46 PRCA rodeos around North America, and 42 cowboys saw their position improve within the 2019 PRCA | RAM World Standings’ Top 15.
Having 13 rodeos with six-figure payoffs during the week proved to be a major boost, as cowboys competed for:
• $376,938 in Ponoka, Alberta
• $375,112 in St. Paul, Ore.
• $353,641 in Cody, Wyo.
• $333,349 in Greeley, Colo.
• $244,470 in Prescott, Ariz.
• $213,477 in Livingston, Mont.
• $176,335 in Oakley City, Utah
• $136,131 in Belle Fourche, S.D.
• $128,063 in Molalla, Ore.
• $121,627 in Mandan, N.D.
• $113,904 in Red Lodge, Mont.
• $109,927 in West Jordan, Utah
• $105,298 in Eugene, Ore.
Cowboy Christmas can be a determining factor to stay in the race for the Top 15. From July 2-8, seven of the eight events saw their top spot total increased by:
• $14,140 – bareback riding
• $14,654 – steer wrestling
• $19,160 – team roping heading
• $18,437 – saddle bronc riding
• $11,071 – tie-down roping
• $1,947 – steer roping
• $8,519 – bull riding
(Team roping heeling was the only event that did not see an increase at the top.)
Meanwhile, the cutoff for the 15th position increased by:
• $6,608 – bareback riding
• $7,967 – steer wrestling
• $6,741 – team roping heading
• $6,111 – team roping heeling
• $6,459 – saddle bronc riding
• $5,436 – tie-down roping
• $1,911 – bull riding
(Steer roping was the only event that did not see a change in the 15th spot.)
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.
It’s important to build a solid lead as the summer season heats up. Nobody knows this better than team roping header Erich Rogers, the 2017 PRCA Team Roping Header World Champion. The 32-year-old cowboy launched 20 spots, from 35th to 15th, thanks to winning the average at the Ponoka (Alberta) Stampede for $7,228 and at the St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo for $8,058; tying for first at the Annual Fourth of July Celebration in Window Rock, Ariz., for $2,470; and tying for fifth at the World’s Oldest Rodeo in Prescott, Ariz., for $1,340.
The following cowboys saw their position within the Top 15 in the world standings improve between July 1-8.
11 Spots
• Jade Corkill moved from 18th to seventh in team roping heeling.
Eight Spots
• Cooper Martin moved from 14th to sixth in tie-down roping.
Seven Spots
• Colt Gordon moved from 21st to 14th in saddle bronc riding.
Six Spots
• Will Lummus moved from 17th to 11th in steer wrestling.
• Dakota Eldridge moved from 19th to 13th in steer wrestling.
Five Spots
• Taylor Santos moved from 12th to seventh in tie-down roping.
Four Spots
• Kyle Irwin moved from 10th to sixth in steer wrestling.
• Steven Peebles moved from 18th to 14th in bareback riding.
Three Spots
• Stetson Wright moved from fifth to second in bull riding.
• Clayton Biglow moved from sixth to third in bareback riding.
• Junior Nogueira moved from ninth to sixth in team roping heeling.
• Kaleb Driggers moved from 10th to seventh in team roping heading.
• Boudreaux Campbell moved from 10th to seventh in bull riding.
• Wesley Thorp moved from 11th to eighth in team roping heeling.
• Dawson Hay moved from 13th to 10th in saddle bronc riding.
• Brady Garten moved from 13th to 10th in steer roping.
• Cole Melancon moved from 15th to 12th in bull riding.
• Steven Dent moved from 16th to 13th in bareback riding.
• Jake Finlay moved from 18th to 15th in saddle bronc riding.
• Koby Radley moved from 18th to 15th in bull riding.
Two Spots
• Clay Smith moved from third to first in team roping heading.
• Tyson Durfey moved from third to first in tie-down roping.
• Sterling Crawley moved from fifth to third in saddle bronc riding.
• J. Tom Fisher moved from seventh to fifth in steer roping.
• Clay Tryan moved from 12th to 10th in team roping heading.
• Tyler Worley moved from 17th to 15th in team roping heeling.
One Spot
• Vin Fisher Jr. moved from second to first in steer roping.
• Tyler Waguespack moved from fifth to fourth in steer wrestling.
• Jacobs Crawley moved from seventh to sixth in saddle bronc riding.
• Caleb Bennett moved from eighth to seventh in bareback riding.
• Chet Herren moved from eighth to seventh in steer roping.
• Riley Duvall moved from ninth to eighth in steer wrestling.
• Rusty Wright moved from ninth to eighth in saddle bronc riding.
• Jake Brown moved from 11th to 10th in bareback riding.
• Clint Laye moved from 12th to 11th in bareback riding.
• Jess Tierney moved from 12th to 11th in steer roping.
• Josh Frost moved from 12th to 11th in bull riding.
• Tanner Aus moved from 13th to 12th in bareback riding.
• Travis Graves moved from 13th to 12th in team roping heeling.
• Matt Sherwood moved from 15th to 14th in team roping heading.
• Ryan Jarrett moved from 16th to 15th in tie-down roping.
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.
• Steer wrestler Blake Mindemann moved from 20th and is $628 away from breaking into the Top 15.
• Team roping header Spencer Mitchell moved from 18th and is $134 away from breaking into the Top 15.
• Tie-down roper Jake Pratt moved from 18th and is $1,230 away from breaking into the Top 15.
With the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo in Colorado Springs, Colo., the Sheridan WYO Rodeo, the Central Wyoming Fair & PRCA Rodeo in Casper, Wyo., and the Rooftop Rodeo in Estes Park, Colo., underway and many more big rodeos 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 2019 Wrangler NFR.
Cowboys competing in Colorado Springs, Sheridan and Casper also have a chance to score valuable ProRodeo Tour points.
Check back with prorodeo.com next week to see who the new leaders are in the world standings.
Courtesy of PRCA