2022 PRCA Media Guide

Bull Riding

Kimzey Moves to Second All-Time with Seventh World Title

The stairway to seven came with broken steps, but not dreams. Sage Kimzey entered the 2021 seasonmotivated by disappointment. He finished fifth in the 2020 PRCA | RAM World Standings following the NFR in Arlington. Now, the numbers make sense again for the cowboy. The fifth-place finish snapped a streak of six consecutive bull riding world titles. That fueled his drive for a seventh crown with immortality waiting as Don Gay is the only eight-time winner. The Salado, Texas, cowboy found himself in a familiar place at the Thomas & Mack Center In Las Vegas after Round 10, holding the sought-after gold buckle. Even for someone of his talent and consistency, No. 7 did not come easily. “Yeah, I mean it was a long 10 days for sure,” Kimzey said. “But it’s the best 10 days of our lives every year, so it’s just fun. There’s a lot of ups and downs, but at the end of the day it’s the NFR.” While most would have been satisfied with a top-10 finish in 2020, it was not a view Kimzey

found comfortable. A year later, he reached the apex of the sport again. “For sure, I wanted to be at the top always,” Kimzey said. “It was one of those things where last year didn’t go as planned so I just got back on, tried harder, and do better.” The eight-time NFR qualifier went to work. In the first two rounds, Kimzey found the pay window both nights, earning a third and second-place finish, respectively. The Round 2 ride was unique, not for the score but because he made the eight-second whistle. Kimzey rode Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’ Artic Assassin, a bull who had not had a qualifying ride in three years. After Artic Assassin rendered 18 unsuccessful tries, Kimzey snapped the streak, scoring 87.5 points. After multiple tough nights, the champion found his groove in Round 8, riding Dakota Rodeo’s Safety Meeting for an 87.5-point ride, enough for a fourth-place finish. He finished the NFRwith a quali fied ride each of the final two nights, highlighted by

2021 WORLD CHAMPIONS

his Round 10 ride. Kimzey rode Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Greeley Hat Works Centerfold to an 88-point ride, earning second place. The cowboy finished his 2021 NFR with 506 points on six head, finishing third in the average. Kimzey placed in six rounds, earning him a total of $146,727 over the 10 nights. He finished his 2021 season atop the 2021 PRCA | RAMWorld Standings with a crisp $411,465 to go along with the gold buckle. Despite reclaiming the throne and strong NFR showing, Kimzey is not done. His sights are set on becoming the greatest ever. “It’s just one more step towards the mountain top,” he said.d – Dagin Renck

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Roseanna Sales

Bull rider Sage Kimzey returned to the spotlight, winning his seventh world championship.

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2022 PRCA MEDIA GUIDE