PRCA Standings Shuffle: 24 Move Up in Top 15
The 2020 season is unfolding into what could be one of the most profitable in ProRodeo history, as three cowboys have already won more money this year than what was needed to make a qualification to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo last year, and more big ProRodeo events are coming soon.
This week, competition continues at RodeoHouston and begins at Rodeo Austin (Texas), while the 92nd Annual Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo is set for March 12-15. RodeoHouston ends March 22, while Austin ends March 28.
Fans can catch the RodeoHouston action on The Cowboy Channel, March 9-13 at 7:30 p.m. (ET), March 14 at 4:30 p.m. and March 15 at 2 p.m. Rodeo Austin will air March 14 at 8 p.m. and March 15 at 4 p.m.
Steer wrestler Matt Reeves has won $77,580 this season, $2,630 more than what it took to qualify for last year’s Wrangler NFR in the 15th position.
Wyatt Casper was already No. 1 in saddle bronc riding before RFD-TV’s The American, but the Texas cowboy has $119,645 next to his name on the 2020 PRCA | RAM World Standings after winning The American. Based on last year’s cutoff for 15th, Casper has surpassed that benchmark by $28,834.
Tie-down roping’s rising star, Shad Mayfield continued his hot streak and is nearly $100,000 ahead of his competition. The 19-year-old cowboy has surpassed last year’s cutoff for No. 15 by $44,441 with his current total of $130,701.
Reeves, Wyatt and Mayfield weren’t alone in having a season-changing experience at RFD-TV’s The American, Several others moved up with earnings from The American, as 24 cowboys climbed the ladder within the Top 15 of their respective events March 2-8.
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 NFR. Every dollar counts, and making the Top 15 in the world standings early establishes a solid base and builds a cowboy’s confidence as the season picks up pace.
Nobody knows that better than bareback rider Kaycee Field and team roping header Colby Lovell as both cowboys launched from outside the Top 50 into the Top 15 in one week of competition. With more major rodeos on the horizon, big jumps such as these are likely to happen again.
Outside the Top 50
• Kaycee Feild is second in bareback riding.
• Colby Lovell is fifth in team roping heading.
38 Spots
• Joseph Harrison moved from 39th to first in team roping heeling.
36 Spots
• Dakota Eldridge moved from 38th to second in steer wrestling.
26 Spots
• Tate Kirchenschlager moved from 41st to 15th in team roping heading.
20 Spots
• Caddo Lewallen moved from 23rd to third in tie-down roping.
19 Spots
• Clayton Biglow moved from 23rd to fourth in bareback riding.
• Kyle Lockett moved from 33rd to 14th in team roping heeling.
15 Spots
• Haven Meged moved from 25th to 10th in tie-down roping.
14 Spots
• Vin Fisher Jr. moved from 19th to fifth in steer roping.
12 Spots
• Luke Brown moved from 13th to first in team roping heading.
• Sage Kimzey moved from 13th to first in bull riding.
Eight Spots
• Scott Snedecor moved from 14th to sixth in steer roping.
Seven Spots
• Ryder Wright moved from 10th to third in saddle bronc riding.
Four Spots
• Spencer Wright moved from 13th to ninth in saddle bronc riding.
• Tyson Durfey moved from 16th to 12th in tie-down roping.
• Garrett Hale moved from 16th to 12th in steer roping.
Three Spots
• Boudreaux Campbell moved from seventh to fourth in bull riding.
Two Spots
• Matt Reeves moved from third to first in steer wrestling.
• Cole Elshere moved from eighth to sixth in saddle bronc riding.
One Spot
• Landon McClaugherty moved from fourth to third in steer roping.
• Corey Ross moved from 12th to 11th in steer roping.
• Hunter Cure moved from 15th to 14th in steer wrestling.
• Zeke Thurston moved from 16th to 15th in saddle bronc 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 end of the 2020 season is so far away that the bubble doesn’t matter yet, but it’s still noteworthy to see who is on the cusp of breaking into the Top 15. The following cowboys climbed the standings to No. 16.
• Saddle bronc rider Rusty Wright moved from 17th and is $123 away from breaking into the Top 15.
• Steer roper Cody Lee moved from 17th and is $131 away from breaking into the Top 15.
More major changes in the world standings are likely to occur in the coming weeks as RodeoHouston and Rodeo Austin unfold.
Check back with ProRodeo.com next week to see who the new leaders are in the world standings.
Courtesy of PRCA