Standings Shuffle: 30 Move Up in Top 15
Making a clean sweep at The American in Arlington, Texas, March 6-7 launched bull rider Colten Fritzlan from 48th to No. 1 in the PRCA | RAM World Standings. Fritzlan’s move was one of the biggest during the first week of March as he and 29 other cowboys advanced within the Top 15 of their respective events.
Even with only $50,000 of his $103,000 win counting toward the world standings, Fritzlan leads by $26,218 with $56,260.
Fritzlan won the first round of The American with 89.75 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo Company’s Justified and made the only qualified ride in the eight-man semifinals with 89.50 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Chiseled.
Fritzlan capped off his run at The American with an exclamation point, scoring 90.25 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Safety Meeting to win the Shoot-Out.
“It’s a great confidence booster to get the season started off right and I’m looking forward to the events to come,” Fritzlan said. “I will definitely be going fulltime this summer.”
As of March 7, the Colorado cowboy’s 2021 season earnings are almost as high as his entire 2020 regular season earnings, $58,408. He went on to win the after at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo to finish third in the world with $241,447 and claim the PRCA | Resistol Bull Riding Rookie of the Year title.
“It definitely is pretty dang cool,” Fritzlan said. “It’s still really early in the season and I am fortunate to get the win at The American this year and look forward to getting the ball rolling.”
In less than 18 months of ProRodeo competition (including time interrupted by COVID-19), Fritzlan has won nearly $300,000 to help him celebrate his 21st birthday, March 11. But that’s not the young cowboy’s style.
“I’ll be investing in land and things like that,” Fritzlan said. “I don’t like to spend a lot of money, so I’ll be saving it. I bought some property, just a couple of acres in Lipan, Texas, with an arena and everything I need to have some fun and learn a lot.”
Those at-home practice sessions will come in handy as the 2021 season heats up. This week, ProRodeo athletes will head to the 93rd Annual Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo, the Marvelous Xtreme Bull Madness in Vernal, Utah, and the North Dakota Winter Show in Valley City.
Fans can catch all the action on The Cowboy Channel and PRCA on Cowboy Channel Plus App. (See broadcast schedule)
With more major rodeos on the horizon, big jumps such as Fritzlan’s are sure to happen again. The 30 cowboys who advanced within the Top 15 of their respective events March 1-7 are listed below.
Outside the Top 50
• Tuf Cooper is second in tie-down roping.
• Luke Brown is third in team roping heading.
• Matt Sherwood is eighth in team roping heeling.
• Zeke Thurston is eighth in saddle bronc riding.
• Derrick Begay is 10th in team roping heading.
• Cody Craig is 10th in tie-down roping.
44 Spots
• Sage Kimzey moved from 46th to second in bull riding.
42 Spots
• Cody Devers moved from 49th to seventh in steer wrestling.
27 Spots
• Kaycee Feild moved from 30th to third in bareback riding.
24 Spots
• Tilden Hooper moved from 25th to first in bareback riding.
• Jason Stockton moved from 36th to 12th in steer roping.
21 Spots
• Taylor Santos moved from 30th to ninth in steer roping.
20 Spots
• Wesley Thorp moved from 22nd to second in team roping heeling.
13 Spots
• Tyler Pearson moved from 15th to second in steer wrestling.
Nine Spots
• Jacob Talley moved from 10th to first in steer wrestling.
• Tim O’Connell moved from 11th to second in bareback riding.
Seven Spots
• Shane Hanchey moved from eighth to first in tie-down roping.
Six Spots
• Erich Rogers moved from seventh to first in team roping heading.
Five Spots
• Jim Locke moved from 13th to eighth in steer roping.
• Logan Cook moved from 17th to 12th in saddle bronc riding.
Four Spots
• Paden Bray moved from fifth to first in team roping heeling.
• Ryder Wright moved from fifth to first in saddle bronc riding.
• Stetson Wright moved from sixth to second in saddle bronc riding.
• Jake Minor moved from 11th to seventh in team roping heeling.
• Cody Lee moved from 18th to 14th in steer roping.
Two Spots
• Will Lummus moved from fifth to third in steer wrestling.
• Vin Fisher Jr. moved from fifth to third in steer roping.
• Dustin Boquet moved from fifth to third in bull riding.
One Spot
• Riley Minor moved from 15th to 14th in team roping heading.
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 2021 season is still a ways off, but it’s still noteworthy to see who is on the cusp of breaking into the Top 15.
Saddle bronc rider Joseph Harrison moved from 20th and is $436 away from breaking into the Top 15.
Check back with prorodeo.com next week to see who the new leaders are in the world standings.
Courtesy of PRCA