ProRodeo Sports News 2023 Year-End Edition

BAREBACK RIDING AVERAGE WINNER

From Round 1, where Keenan Hayes had an 83.5-point ride on Flying U Rodeo’s Lil Red Hawk, the Colorado cowboy was all business during his stellar NFR. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Roseanna Sales

Hat Trick BY TRACY RENCK S ome critics may have thought Resistol Rookie bareback rider Keenan Hayes couldn’t handle the pressure or the marathon that is the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Well, the Colorado cowboy silenced his critics. Hayes not only won the world championship, but thanks to a masterful performance in Round 10 walked away as the NFR average champion. Hayes secured his average title with his electric 90-point ride on J Bar J’s Straight Ringer in Round 10 of the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge at the Thomas & Mack Center. Hayes won the round and earned $30,706 for the performance. He also added the NFR average title to his season resume. The favorite to win the bareback riding average crown in Round 10 was 2022 PRCA World Champion Jess Pope. Pope was trying to become the first bareback rider in PRCA history to win the average in his four appearances at the NFR. Hayes, however, didn’t get the memo about Pope. Pope stubbed his toe aboard star horse Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire, registering a 78.5-point trip.

So, the 11.5-point swing by Hayes on his 90-point ride allowed him to leapfrog Pope for the average crown. Hayes had 850 points on 10 head and Pope finished with 845.5 points on 10. For the average win, Hayes earned $78,747. “It was awesome, me and Jess (Pope) were over there fighting with some buckskin horses that’s mostly what we were thinking about just getting out on those horses, so it was really fun,” said Hayes, 20. Hayes placed in five rounds. He split fourth in Round 1 (83.5 points on Flying U Rodeo’s Lil Red Hawk), split second in Round 3 (87.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage) and Round 4 (85.5 points on Muddy Creek Rodeo’s Hot Mocha) and split sixth in Round 8 (83.5 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Heads Up Hank). That set the stage for Hayes’ electric ride on J Bar J’s Straight Ringer. After Pope’s 78.5-point ride, Hayes watched outs by Rocker Steiner and Clayton Biglow before delivering the ride of his life. Now, no matter what Hayes does the rest of his career – he will be the first cowboy in PRCA history to win the Resistol Rookie, PRCA Bareback Riding World Championship and NFR average championship in the same year. Hayes truly had a season for the record books and one he will never forget. Bareback rider Keenan Hayes wins world, average, rookie honors

ProRodeo Sports News 12/22/2023

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