2022 Wrangler NFR Round 9 News & Notes
Round 9 – Dec. 9, 2022 Round 9 Daysheet
Country singer Drake Milligan is the opening act, and the national anthem will be performed by country music artist Heath Sanders. RAM Rodeo is the performance sponsor.
WRANGLER NFR LIVE ON TELEVISION AND INTERNET
The 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo® presented by Teton Ridge airs nightly from Dec. 1-10 at 5:45 p.m. PST/8:45 p.m. (EST). The Cowboy Channel is the official network partner of PRORODEO® and the exclusive broadcast and streaming partner of the NFR. Live coverage of the NFR can be found on The Cowboy Channel and RFD-TV through its cable and satellite partners, and online at cowboychannelplus.com.
STETSON WRIGHT’S STAR SHINES EVEN BRIGHTER AT 2022 WRANGLER NFR
The victory train that is Stetson Wright is unstoppable. In Round 8, the Milford, Utah cowboy won his first saddle bronc riding round and added his third bull riding round win Thursday before 17,506 spectators at the 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge at the Thomas & Mack Center. Wright had a 90.5-point ride on Bar T Rodeo’s Hell Boy to capture the Round 8 victory. Then, he came back a short time later and split the bull riding victory with 90.5-point ride on Bar T Rodeo’s Angels Landing. Ky Hamilton, who is Wright’s traveling partner, shared the Round 8 win as he was 90.5 points aboard Dakota Rodeo’s Bubba G. Wright has earned $295,765, counting ground money in bull riding. Wright holds the record for most money won at a single NFR when he earned $313,898 in 2020 in Arlington, Texas, at Globe Life Field.
Since making his NFR debut in 2019, Wright has 16 career-round wins – 11 in bull riding and five in saddle bronc riding. Of Wright’s 16 winning round rides 13 have been 90.5 points or more. Wright won a career-best six rounds at the 2020 NFR – four in bull riding and two in bull riding.
BULL RIDER LUKASEY MORRIS OUT OF ROUND 8 WITH CONCUSSION
Bull rider Lukasey Morris, who missed Round 8 with a concussion also will miss Round 9. Morris, 20, will be re-evaluated prior to Round 10 to see if he can compete. Morris has yet to make the eight-second whistle in his first seven rides. He was injured after he was bucked off by Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’ Arctic Assassin in Round 7. Morris is 15th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $110,667.
NEWS & NOTES
Bareback rider NFR average leader Jess Pope goes head-to-head with Championship Pro Rodeo’s Vegas Confused in Round 9. Tilden Hooper finished fourth in Round 4 on the horse with an 85.5-point ride. Reigning PRCA World Champion Bareback Rider Kaycee Feild has drawn Southland’s Shoutin’ Shoes of Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics. The horse led Cole Reiner to a first-place check in Round 4… Saddle bronc rider Dawson Hay matches up with BDM Mud’s Killer Bee. The bareback turned saddle bronc horse led fellow NFR qualifier Chase Brooks to a second-place finish in Round 4 with an 88-point score. Zeke Thurston looks to reach the pay window for the fourth-consecutive night following an 89.5-point ride on Thursday night. The bronc rider currently leads in the average and will get on Flying 5 Rodeo’s Miss Major. In four rides this season, the bucking horse has boasted an average stock score of 44.88… Bull rider Trey Holston aims to build off of his strong performance in Round 8 after notching his first qualified ride at the NFR. He’ll have another great opportunity at nabbing money, drawing Salt River Rodeo’s Belly Dump. Stetson Wright claimed a go-round win on the bull in Round 4, riding him to a 92-point trip. Josh Frost continued his stellar run in Round 8, collecting money for the seventh time in eight nights. Frost currently sits second in the average, trailing only Stetson Wright. The three-time NFR qualifier will match up with Rafter H Rodeo Livestock’s Wicked Sensation. This bull has bucked off eight of his nine tandem partners since 2021, including Creek Young earlier in the week in Round 4.
Record times and scores for Round 9 of the Wrangler NFR:
Bareback riding: 90 points, Rowdy Buechner, 2005 Tim O’Connell, 2018
Steer wrestling: 3.2 seconds, Derek Daye, 1993 Cash Myers, 2001 Luke Branquinho, 2007
Team roping: *3.3 seconds, Chad Masters/Jade Corkill, 2009 Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 2017
Saddle bronc riding: 92 points, Dan Mortensen, 2002
Tie-down roping: *6.6 seconds, Hunter Herrin, 2015
Barrel racing: 13.40 seconds, Hailey Kinsel, 2018
Bull riding: 95.5 points, Zack Brown, 2001
*Denotes arena record
Courtesy of PRCA