PRCA for the Record: Wrangler NFR Round 5
Bull rider Daylon Swearingen’s first go-round win during his inaugural trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2019 was one for the record books.
The 20-year-old rookie’s 92-point ride on Big Stone Rodeo Inc.’s War Cry in Round 5 was worth a $26,231 boost in the PRCA | RAM World Standings and broke the round’s 16-year-old record of 91.5 points, set by Ryan Brown on Sutton Rodeo’s Little Yellow Whale in 2003.
“I’m just blessed to get it done,” Swearingen said shortly after making his ride. “I just had to change something and tucked my jeans into my boots and put a Bible verse in my hat that says, “Shake It Off,” that quotes Philippians 3:13-14. Normally I don’t tuck my jeans into my boots, but sometimes you need to do something different for a mental thing. I feel like I ride better when I cut loose and just keep moving around in there.”
The Rochelle, Ga., cowboy went on to finish 11th in the average and took home $67,962 to finish ninth in the world standings.
“It’s pretty cool to get a record at the NFR,” Swearingen said. “It pushes you to move forward and opens your eyes to take each bull one at a time.”
Competition really heats up at the halfway point of the NFR, and Round 5 reflects that with arena records for bareback riding, steer wrestling and saddle bronc riding.
While a different arena means past NFR records likely will remain untouched this year, the best rides and runs of the past remain a good measuring stick as the 120 best ProRodeo athletes kick up dust on a new batch of arena dirt.
Every point counts and a fraction of a second can mean the difference between winning the world or coming in second at the Wrangler NFR.
The following records, and the records for the other nine rounds, could be broken Dec. 3-12. Fans can check with ProRodeo.com for updates throughout the competition and can watch the action unfold live on the PRCA on the Cowboy Channel Plus app.
The NFR Round 5 records are:
Bareback Riding
93 points
• Clayton Biglow on C5 Rodeo’s Virgil, 2018 (Also arena record. Biglow tied it during Round 10 in 2019)
Steer Wrestling
3.0 seconds
• Steve Duhon, 1986 (Also arena record. Shared by Bryan Fields, who equaled it in Round 6 in 2001)
Team Roping
3.6 seconds
• Garrett Tonozzi/Kinney Harrell, 2006
• JoJo LeMond/Cory Petska, 2010
Saddle Bronc Riding
93 points
• Billy Etbauer on Kesler Championship Rodeo’s Royal Visit, 2003 (Also arena record. Etbauer equaled it in Round 10, 2004)
Tie-down Roping
6.7 seconds
• Caleb Smidt, 2016
Barrel Racing
• 13.46 seconds, Carlee Pierce, 2011
Bull Riding
92 points
Daylon Swearingen on Big Stone Rodeo Inc.’s War Cry, 2019
Courtesy of PRCA