PRORODEO Sports News - November 22, 2024

TOP GUN AWARD

Contenders for Top Gun Award

BY TRACY RENCK A nother layer of excitement and intrigue to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge is the Top Gun Award, which goes to the contestant who wins the most money in any single event. Since 2011, it has taken a minimum of $146,941 to win the award. Here are some candidates – in no particular order – who should be in the mix in 2024. ROCKER STEINER Steiner, the 2022 Resistol Bareback Riding Rookie of the Year, had the best regular season of his young career, earning $233,319 arriving in Las Vegas as the season leader in his event. Steiner has four career NFR round wins – three in 2023 and one in 2022. A year ago, Steiner finished a career-best fifth in the PRCA | RAM World Standings and if he gets on a heater in 2024, he could be walking away as the world champion and Top Gun Award winner. SHAD MAYFIELD After bursting onto the PRORODEO scene in 2018, Tie-down roper Mayfield is competing in his sixth consecutive National Finals Rodeo and he’s trying to add gold buckle No. 2. Mayfield had a record-setting regular season in his event by earning $286,347. He also enters the Thomas & Mack Center as the leader in the all-around world standings. This could be Mayfield’s time to shine and leave Vegas with two gold buckles and the Top Gun Award. DALTON MASSEY The Hermiston, Ore., cowboy had quite the season again, re-setting the steer wrestling single-season earnings record – before the NFR – on the way to

making his second NFR appearance. A year ago, Massey had a gold buckle slip through his fingertips in Round 10 at the Thomas & Mack Center. This is far from a Redemption Tour but don’t be surprised if Massey completes the gold buckle mission in 2024 and also takes the Top Gun Award honor. ZEKE THURSTON The field of 15 saddle bronc riders at the NFR is as talented as ever. However, it is hard to bet against the Canadian superstar Thurston. Thurston is a four-time world champion, including winning the last two in a row in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, Thurston also won the Top Gun Award by earning $256,078 at the NFR. If there’s one thing that is true about Thurston is that the bigger the moment the better, he is. The Big Valley, Alberta, cowboy just won his fifth consecutive Canadian Saddle Bronc Riding World Championship in October and there’s no reason to believe that he will not continue that momentum through 10 days in Vegas and snaring his second Top Gun Award. HAILEY KINSEL The top-ranked barrel racer in the world standings looks like she has found her groove at just the right time. She won the Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls, S.D., Sept. 28, and earned $41,000. The bigger storyline is that it appears that her award-winning amazing horse, Sister is back in top form. Kinsel, a four-time world champion in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022, could make it gold buckle No. 5 at the end of the night on Dec. 14. If that happens, she could also be celebrating her second career Top Gun Award in her career to go along with first one she won in 2020. Back in 2020, Kinsel established the Top Gun Award earnings mark by earning $270,615.

WRANGLER NFR CONTESTANT ROSTER

BAREBACK RIDING Rocker Steiner Keenan Hayes Leighton Berry Dean Thompson R.C. Landingham Jess Pope Weston Timberman Cole Franks Cooper Cooke Jacob Lees Bradlee Miller Cole Reiner Garrett Shadbolt Taylor Broussard Richmond Champion STEER WRESTLING Dalton Massey Dakota Eldridge Stetson Jorgensen

TEAM ROPING (HEADER) Dustin Egusquiza Tyler Wade Kaleb Driggers Coleman Proctor

SADDLE BRONC RIDING Damian Brennan Ryder Wright Kade Bruno

BARREL RACING Hailey Kinsel Leslie Smalygo Ashley Castleberry Kassie Mowry Emily Beisel Lisa Lockhart Tiany Schuster LaTricia Duke Halyn Lide Dona Kay Rule Wenda Johnson Andrea Busby Abby Phillips Carlee Otero Shelley Morgan BULL RIDING T.J. Gray Clayton Sellars Jeter Lawrence Wacey Justin Schalla Chase Dougherty Trevor Reiste Cooper James Tristen Hutchings Jordan Wacey Spears Trey Kimzey Tyler Bingham Creek Walker Young Hayes Weight Jace Trosclair Josh Frost

PAYOUT

Each Go-Round 1st – 31% 33,687.18 2nd – 24.5% 26,623.74 3rd – 18.5% 20,103.64 4th – 13% 14,126.88

Wyatt Casper Brody Cress Zeke Thurston Lefty Holman Sage Newman Statler Wright Dawson Hay Kolby Wanchuk Brody Wells Zac Dallas Ben T. Andersen Logan Hay TIE-DOWN ROPING Shad Mayfield Haven Meged Ty Harris Riley Mason Webb Shane Hanchey Kincade Henry Dylan Hancock Zack Jongbloed Tuf Case Cooper Hunter Herrin Joel Braden Harris Cole Clemons Quade Hiatt Marty Yates John Douch

Clint Summers Andrew Ward Jake Smith J.C. Yeahquo Brenten Hall Luke Brown Clay Smith

5th – 8% 8,693.47 6th – 5% 5,433.42 Total: $108,668.32

Cyle Denison Erich Rogers Cody Snow Derrick Begay TEAM ROPING (HEELER) Levi Lord Wesley Thorp Junior Nogueira Jake Long

Average (go-rounds X3) 1st – 26.5% 86,391.31 2nd – 21.5% 70,091.06 3rd – 17% 55,420.84 4th – 12.5% 40,750.62 5th – 9% 29,340.45 6th – 6.5% 21,190.32 7th – 4.5% 14,670.22 8th – 2.5% 8,150.12 Total: $326,004.95

Will Lummus J.D. Struxness Jesse Brown Don Payne Cash Robb Rowdy Parrott Ty Erickson

Logan Medlin Douglas Rich Kaden Profili Kollin VonAhn Tanner Braden Coleby Payne Jonathan Torres Buddy Hawkins II

Justin Shaffer Tyler Pearson Tucker Allen Tyler Waguespack Scott Guenthner

Travis Graves Hunter Koch Paul Eaves

ProRodeo Sports News 11/22/2024

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