Races Tighten After WNFR Round Seven
A fistful of dollars.
That’s all that separates the leaders in several events as the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo moves into the home stretch.
With three rounds remaining, the barrel race has come down to a Hailey Kinsel-Jordon Briggs battle. Kinsel, the three time World Champion, and her mare Sister were first in the round with a speedy 13.45 to stay number one overall and second in the aggregate. Briggs and her 2021 Horse of the Year, Rollo, registered a 13.57 for second in the round which helps the second generation cowgirl maintain second spot overall but she sits first in the cash-rich aggregate.
Another event that has become extremely compelling is the team roping where the hands-across-the-border duo – Canadian heeler, Jeremy Buhler and Utah header, Rhen Richard clocked a 4.2 for third place and their fifth consecutive money run. The pair has moved to second in the aggregate and fifth overall. Buhler has closed to within $30,000 of leader Junior Nogueira while on the heading side, Richard is $32,000 back of Dustin Egusquiza. Dustin Egusquiza and partner Travis Graves split the round with Clay Tryan and Jake Long – both teams at 3.7.
There was still more drama in the bareback event as last year’s aggregate winner, Jess Pope, made another incredible ride – this time on J Bar J’s All Pink to mark 88.5 for his third round win of the week. The Kansas cowboy added $26,997 to his already impressive earnings. Five time World Champion, Kaycee Feild, was awarded a re-ride and came back with an 87.5 point on Bridwell’s Mary for a second place cheque. Just $11,000 separates the two cowboys in the World race with Feild still in first and Pope right behind. Both are solid in the aggregate too with Pope holding down top spot and Feild in second. Canada’s Orin Larsen (Inglis, MB) came back from his round win last night with a solid 85.5 on Big Stone Rodeo’s Fired Up for a fifth place cheque.
The steer wrestling event was characterized by super fast times and bitter disappointments. Two time World Champion, Tyler Waguespack, improved his chances at another title as he posted a lightning fast 3.3 – the quickest time of the Finals so far – to earn the win. The Louisiana bulldogger is now second in the World and maintains fourth position in the lucrative aggregate standings. First time qualifier Dirk Tavenner, who was fifth in the aggregate coming into tonight and second in the World, had his steer get away from him and dropped to twelfth in the aggregate and third overall. Bad luck plagued Canadians Curtis Cassidy and Scott Guenthner in round seven where Cassidy broke the barrier and Guenthner took a no time.
Saddle bronc riding was a success story for two time Finalist Wyatt Casper. The Texan was 89 points on Big Bend Rodeo’s Broken Camp to win the round. All five Canadian bronc riders faced adversity in round 7 with none making trips to the pay window. Zeke Thurston rode his bronc but dropped from second to fourth in the aggregate. The two time World Champion maintains fourth spot in the World standings. Ryder Wright, Stetson Wright and Brody Cress are one-two-three overall but round seven saw some changes in the aggregate race. Cress holds onto number one in the aggregate while Ryder sits sixth and Stetson, ninth in that all important race.
Top money in the tie down roping went to former World Champion Haven Meged for a 7.1 second run on a calf that ropers had won on twice already at the 2021 Finals. Meged is sixth in the aggregate and fifth overall. Caleb Smidt continues to hold down first in both the aggregate and World standings. Westyn Hughes, Cory Solomon and season leader Shane Hanchey are among the ropers still in the hunt for a World title.
And in the bull riding, it wasn’t until Stetson Wright climbed on his third bull that the round winner was decided. Wright marked an impressive 90.5 on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Bloomer’s High Rise with the only other qualifying ride, a 52.5 effort by Josh Frost. With the addition of the ground money in tonight’s round – Wright pocketed $46,374 and Frost $40,713 – the overall standings saw some changes. Wright remains second overall but has moved to within $20,000 of season leader Sage Kimzey in the World race. Wright jumped from eighth all the way to third place in the aggregate while Kimzey slipped back to fifth.