PRORODEO Sports News - November 22, 2024

DAVIE, FLA.

Mission Accomplished RAM SOUTHEASTERN CIRCUIT FINALS

Waylon Bourgeois finishes the job

BY ALEX RILEY, Special to ProRodeo Sports News W aylon Bourgeois had been denied before. He was intent on making sure it didn’t happen again. Coming into the RAM Southeastern Circuit Finals Rodeo, the Church Point, La., native wanted to avoid a repeat of last year when he finished second in the average and third in the overall year-end race. Both results left him shy of claiming either circuit buckle and without a qualifying spot at the NFR Open in July. All three accomplishments – the year-end, the rodeo average and a trip to the NFR Open – have officially been crossed off the list. “It’s been a pretty big goal of mine ever since I started pro rodeoing to win my circuit. It’s the one I wanted to start off with and we got it done, so it’s pretty exciting,” Bourgeois said. Bourgeois held off a strong push by Taylor Broussard to get the job done, winning two rounds and finishing with 241.5 points on three head. That total put him three points ahead of Broussard for the average title, while his $11,391 in earnings kept him in front of Broussard for the year end championship as well. It’s a mental boost for the up-and-coming bareback rider after a somewhat disappointing end to 2024. His $123,039 in earnings was a career-high, but only managed to finish 18th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings, three spots away from his first trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge. While it wasn’t the result he wanted, Bourgeois ended the 2024 regular season with some confidence, placing third at the CINCH Playoffs Governor’s Cup for a $15,000 payday. That momentum carried over into 2025 as he took second at two Florida rodeos in October, both of which gave him an early head start on defending his newly acquired circuit titles. Bourgeois already has $13,670 in his ledger for 2025, putting him second in the first installment of the PRCA | RAM World Standings. “Heck, 2024 is in the past now. It was close. I wouldn’t say that I’m mad about it – I’m actually excited about it because it lit a fire in me, I feel like and I don’t want that to happen again,” Bourgeois said. After tying for third in the opening round at the Southeastern Circuit Finals Rodeo with a 77, Bourgeois rolled to wins in the second and third go-rounds, with respective scores of 83 and 81. His second horse, Barry’s Girl from Hampton Pro Rodeo, was extremely familiar as he’s matched up with the horse three times now, with the first dating back to high school. In the finals, he faced 4L Rodeo’s Watermelon Moons and while he had hoped for a bigger score it was enough to wrap up the titles and another opportunity to earn money. Because the NFR Open only takes circuit finals winners and the year-end champion, Bourgeois was left out of the 2024 event. But this coming July, he’ll have a guaranteed spot in the field in Colorado Springs, Colo. It’s a trip he’s certainly looking forward to. “I’m super excited about this year. That’s going to be another big help to capitalize out there and make my first NFR,” Bourgeois said.

TOP SCORES

TOP MONEY EARNER Ryder Sanford ($13,351, saddle bronc riding) BAREBACK RIDING

Sanford

1. Waylon Bourgeois .... 241.5 pts. on 3 2. Taylor Broussard ..................... 238.5 3. Jacob Raine ............................. 228.5 STEER WRESTLING 1. Kyle Irwin ................... 12.6 sec. on 3 2. Tyler Waguespack ...................... 12.8 3. Will Lummus ............................. 13.7 TEAM ROPING 1. K. Sanchez/T. Porter ... 17.6 sec. on 3 2. K. Daniel/A. Plyler ...................... 21.0 3. S. Sasser/K. Kagel ..................... 24.4 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Ryder Sanford ............. 247 pts. on 3 2. Treyson Antonick ........................ 225 3. Kody Rinehart .......................... 218.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Riley Istre ................... 27.6 sec. on 3 2. Macon Murphy .......................... 30.7 3. Polo Bacque II ........................... 32.0 BARREL RACING 1. Alex Jones ................ 45.14 sec. on 3 2. Margo Crowther ...................... 45.35 3. Erin Wetzel ............................... 45.36 BULL RIDING 1. Clayton Sellars ............. 238 pts. on 3 2. Jace Trosclair .............................. 237 3. Hudson Bolton ................. 163.5 on 2

Complete results Page 87

T.J. Hunt photo Waylon Bourgeois holds on for an 83-point ride on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Barry’s Girl in Round 2 of the RAM Southeastern Circuit Finals Rodeo on Nov. 9 in Davie, Fla.

ProRodeo Sports News 11/22/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 11/22/2024

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