ProRodeo Sports News - Dec. 20, 2024

TIE-DOWN ROPING AVERAGE WINNER

Tie-down roper Riley Webb won the NFR Average for the first time in his career, clocking 79.7 seconds on 10 head. He placed in eight rounds and won Rounds 1 and 2. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Hailey Rae

Masterful Performance

Webb nabs first NFR Average title

DAGIN RENCK, Special to ProRodeo Sports News T here’s an art to performing on the grand stage, especially at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge. It is a grueling grind with massive paydays and the adrenaline of 18,000 fans peeking over your shoulder. For tie-down roper Riley Webb, it was an opportunity to shine. The three-time NFR qualifier entered Las Vegas with a healthy deficit. An aggressive mindset soon became the strategy, shooting for go-round wins. The 21-year-old wasted no time, collecting his second-career go-round win in Round 1. Webb topped the leaderboard with a 7.0-second run. It signaled what was coming. “It’s amazing. . . . It’s a jump start for the rest of the week,” Webb said. It soon became “The Riley Webb Show.” The following night, the cowboy backed it up with a 7.8-second run and a second go-round win. Webb remained humble, understanding the work that remained. “I’m just trying to do my job and win as much money every night,” said the roper. “And it has worked out for me so far.” The Texas native continued to churn out strong performances. In Round 3, Webb placed second with a blazing 7.1-second run before earning his third go-round win the ensuing night. After four rounds, Webb had collected the most of any NFR contestant with $137,685. He chuckled about his temporary residence at the South Point

Casino & Resort, the nightly host for the go round buckle presentations. “The first couple of nights we were (staying at the South Point) because we were there for the breakaway,” Webb said. “I thought we were

going to be done at the South Point for a couple days, but it just so happened that we got out there the first two nights and it felt like we’d been there for a week. Now, we get to go back.” The go-round wins started to slow but Webb continued to run away with the average title. Over the final five rounds, he collected checks in four of them including a fourth-place finish in Round 8. The cowboy capped off a stellar NFR performance with an 8.3-second run on the final night, earning him a fifth-place finish. The 2024 NFR Average Champion finished with 79.7 seconds on 10 head, nearly 11 seconds faster than the field. Webb amassed $258,307 over the 10-night span, placing second in the RAM Top Gun Standings. The future remains bright for the young star. Years of NFR performances like this one seem inevitable. However, it never hurts to take a moment to reflect on your work. “It’s just so wild,” he said. “I’m so blessed to be here with any gold buckle or average title. Whatever it is, it just makes me want to work harder to get a chance to be here next year.”

ProRodeo Sports News 12/20/2024

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