ProRodeo Sports News - December 16, 2022

PRCA ROOKIES OF THE YEAR

Starting out Strongly Riley Webb claims Resistol Rookie All-Around

BY TRACY RENCK I t was a great season for rookies in ProRodeo. The eight PRCA | Resistol Rookies of the Year combined to earn $573,559 in 2022. Of those eight, bareback rider Rocker Steiner, tie-down roper Riley Webb and bull rider Lukasey Morris made their debuts at the 2022Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge Dec. 1-10 at theThomas &Mack Center in Las Vegas. All the Resistol Rookies of the Year were recognized Dec. 6 during Round 6 of the Wrangler NFR on the arena dirt. ALL-AROUND & TIE-DOWN ROPER OF THE YEAR: Riley Webb Hometown: Denton, Texas Biggest moment of the 2022 season? "When I won the short round in Reno. I earned $16,000 in Reno and that got me in the Top 15 in the world standings for the first time which was very special." What does it mean to win Rookie of the Year in two events? "The team roping I entered the last one of the year in Fort Worth (Texas) and that was the only one I entered, and we got a check. It feels great to win two Rookie of the Year awards and be able to make the NFR all in one year. That is pretty special." BAREBACK RIDER OF THE YEAR: Rocker Steiner Hometown: Weatherford, Texas Biggest moment of the 2022 season? "Probably the Calgary Stampede. That was my biggest win and my most-prized win. I was just excited to get on in front of 110,000 people. That’s a moment I have been dreaming of since I was a little kid." What does it mean to win Rookie of the Year? "It means a bunch. The Rookie of the Year is a big award for anybody, and it is definitely going to be in my trophy case. I just hope I can keep adding to the case. I think 2022 was one of the best years for a rookie. This was pretty much the first year that all the rodeos have been normal since COVID and some of the bareback riding rookies were some of the best I have seen in a few years." Biggest moment of the 2022 season? "I feel like my most memorable moment was at Ellensburg (Wash.) Rodeo. I split the short round win and I finished third in the average, and I won a pretty good check ($4,577). That was one of my best rodeos in 2022." What does it mean to win Rookie of the Year? "This means a lot. Every rookie when they start the year, they set the goal to win Rookie of the Year. For me to come out on top means a lot. At home, I put the work in just as much as everybody else, and it just all fell into place for me to be able to win Rookie of the Year. This definitely gives me a confidence boost for the 2023 season." TEAM ROPING HEADER OF THE YEAR: Tanner James Hometown: Porterville, Calif. Biggest moment of the 2022 season? "I would say Bozeman Mont. I split the win over there at the Bozeman Stampede in August. That was my second win of the season and that was part of a great week for me. I placed at a few rodeos that week and Bozeman was the last one we went to that week, and we won." What does it mean to win Rookie of the Year? "You only get one opportunity at it – one chance to win Rookie of the Year – and you get multiple chances at trying to make the NFR. To be able to win the Rookie of the Year is amazing." STEER WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Landris White Hometown: Angleton, Texas

TEAM ROPING HEELER OF THE YEAR: Junior Zambrano Hometown: Nogales, Ariz. Biggest moment of the 2022 season? "This year was a combination of a lot of memorable moments. First off was winning in Tucson (Ariz.) at the beginning of the year. That was a hometown rodeo for me so to win that was a really big accomplishment. Then, to go all year and go as much as I could was also another big accomplishment. I don’t really come from a rodeo background so to get to hang out with these guys all year was an accomplishment in itself." What does it mean to win Rookie of the Year? "This is such an honor. I’m not going to change my plan or slow down. I’m still going to go to as many rodeos as I can and showing up with this title under my belt is definitely going to help me with my confidence going down the road." SADDLE BRONC RIDER OF THE YEAR: Damian Brennan Hometown: Injune, Australia Biggest moment of the 2022 season? "Winning two rounds in Calgary, that was pretty cool. The atmosphere was electric, and it was my first time there. You looked up and there were just thousands of people staring down on top of you. It was pretty cool to do a victory lap around there, that’s for sure." What does it mean to win Rookie of the Year? "That was one of my main goals. I wanted to make the NFR as well, but winning Rookie of the Year was and to be able to get that done with the competitors who I was competing against means a heck of a lot. To have my name in ProRodeo history is awesome, especially coming fromAustralia. That makes this even more special." Biggest moment of the 2022 season? "The short round in Pendleton (Ore.). I tied my first steer, and I won the first round at Pendleton and that was awesome. I tied my second one down and I was like 14 (seconds) and I should have been 12. Then I come back second call back. Garrett Hale went, and he was 10.9 and DaltonWalker was 10.8 and nobody all week had tied one faster than 11 seconds and 10-something at Pendleton is doing it. I kept riding around thinking, no big deal just tie one down and win some money. My steer ran to the left really bad, and I took him from the head side. Everybody I talked to my father-in-law (Tony Reina), Scott (Snedecor) and Trevor (Brazile) all said take him the other side. They promised it would be easy and sure enough he was. I got back on my horse, and I was 10.9 and I won Pendleton." What does it mean to win Rookie of the Year? "That’s the only thing I have ever wanted to win. That’s always been my deal (to win Rookie of the Year). To be perfectly honest, it never really occurred to me about making the Finals or anything like that, but I wanted to win Rookie of the Year. There’s just something about that buckle. It is indescribable. That’s a coveted deal." STEER ROPER OF THE YEAR: Logan Currie Hometown: Wharton, Texas Biggest moment of the 2022 season? "When I won the Redding (Calif.) Xtreme Bulls. At the Xtreme Bulls events, I would place here and there, but seemed like I never did any good. Then I finally got my first win and I thought ‘Maybe I do ride good enough to be here.’ " What does it mean to win Rookie of the Year? "Ever since I can remember, my two goals were winning Rookie of the Year and making the NFR my rookie year. This year riding against guys like Bubba Greig and Dawson Gleaves, those guys ride really good. I knew it was going to be tough to win Rookie of the Year. To accomplish two of my goals in the same year, I’m just really blessed." BULL RIDER OF THE YEAR: Lukasey Morris Hometown: Union City, Okla.

ProRodeo Sports News 12/16/2022

ProRodeo.com

93