Wrangler NFR Nears the Halfway Point
Kaycee Feild took another step toward a sixth World title with an 87.5 on Bar T Rodeo’s Outlaw. The second generation Utah cowboy split the round with RC Landingham (Hat Creek, Calif.) who bested Cervi’s Vitalix William Wallace. Feild has now moved to the lead in World – ahead of Jess Pope by $13,000 but Pope leads the aggregate and Field sits second. (The all important aggregate pays eight monies with the winner pocketing just under $70,000.) 2018 Canadian Champion, Richmond Champion, partnered up with Calgary Stampede’s Arbitrator Joe to be one of four 86 point rides for a share of third ($9,688 each). And for the second night in a row, 2019 Canadian Champion Orin Larsen from Inglis, Manitoba was one spot out of the money with an 85 point ride.
In a round that saw the season leader Jacob Talley take a no time, Will Lummus and Riley Duvall split the round with 3.9 second runs. Tristan Martin and Riley Duvall share the aggregate lead with Lummus in third. Donalda, Alberta veteran, Curtis Cassidy, was 4.7 for a share of sixth. Provost, AB’s Scott Guenthner finished out of the money in round 4 but holds down fifth in the aggregate.
On the heels of their go-round win on Saturday night, Arrowwood, Alberta’s Jeremy Buhler and his heading partner Rhen Richard (Roosevelt, Utah) were 4.7 for a fifth place cheque. The pair sit fifth in the average and sixth in the World. Junior Nogueira and Kaleb Driggers won top money on the night. They sit first in the aggregate and first overall.
In the saddle bronc event, Wade Sundell – who had struggled in the earlier rounds – rode like the 2018 Champion that he is. The Boxholm, Iowa bronc rider paired up with Powder River Rodeo’s Bet The Ranch for 89.5 and the round 4 win. The all-Canadian match-up of two time Canadian and two-time World Champion Zeke Thurston and Wayne Vold’s Alberta Moon combined for 88.5 points for third on the night ($16,111). Thurston has moved to third place in the aggregate and fifth in the World behind Stetson and Ryder Wright who sit first and second (but are well back in the aggregate). Dawson Hay marked an 84.5 but did not place in round while the remaining three Canadians – Layton Green, Kolby Wanchuk and Ben Andersen – all missed their horses out and took no scores.
Pawhuska, Oklahoma barrel racer Wenda Johnston posted the fastest time of the 2021 WNFR – 13.46 seconds to win the fourth go-round on her horse Mo. Steve Hillman did not place in the round but is leading the aggregate with reigning Champion Hailey Kinsel still in number one overall.
Second generation Montana bull rider, Parker Breding, continued to have the hot hand as he split the round with Dustin Boquet. Both men were 84.5 points and were the only qualified rides of the round for $43,544 including ground money. Breding, the only bull rider to have ridden all four of his bulls, holds a commanding lead in the aggregate and is now third in the World standings. Sage Kimzey, who is fighting a knee injury, remains solidly in the overall lead for the World title. The Duane Kesler bull, Switchback, contributed to the 13 buck-offs – by quickly dispatching Trey Benton III.
In the tie-down roping, reigning World Champion Shad Mayfield rebounded from a no time last night to win round four with a 7.6 second run. Two time World Champion, Caleb Smidt, split second and third in the round with three time title holder, Tuf Cooper. Smidt now leads the aggregate and sits third in the World. Four time Canadian Champion Shane Hanchey hangs onto third place in the aggregate and continues to lead the World standings.