ProRodeo Sports News - July 10, 2020

HOLIDAY PLANNING

sure had a couple of long drives, but we got it done. We left my house in Stephenville (Texas), and Oakley City was our first rodeo. Then we went to Prescott to Cody and then over to the Dakotas and did all four rodeos over there and ended up in Bigfork. “It was a great week. We were a little bit behind, and to win that much and see our names go up there (in the standings) was great. Every rodeo we went to had more than 100 teams, and it was the best guys in the world. This is a week I will never forget.” Thanks to their lucrative Cowboy Christmas, Wyatt moved up to 12th in the header PRCA | RAMWorld Standings with $26,575 and Lord scooted to 10th in the heeler world standings with $27,773. “We just drew good steers and tried to catch as many as we could, and it worked out pretty well,” Wyatt said. “This is the best Cowboy Christmas I’ve ever had by far. The crazy thing is I missed the best steer we ran during the week in Mandan. It could’ve been even better. Going to these rodeos now there is a lot less pressure because you know you have to be fast. It takes the thinking out of it, and I don’t mind trying to go fast.” This is the second seasonWyatt and Lord have roped together, and they’re aiming to make their Wrangler National Finals Rodeo debuts. “Everybody is out here for one goal, and that’s to make it to the NFR,” Lord said. “This (Cowboy Christmas run) got us on the right track, but we dang sure have a lot of work to still do.” THURSTON FINDS ENJOYABLE COWBOY CHRISTMAS PATH Before Cowboy Christmas began June 29, reigning world champion saddle bronc rider ZekeThurston had not competed in a PRCA rodeo since

March 8 at RFD-TV’s The American in Arlington, Texas, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So much for being rusty. Thurston earned the most money of any roughstock contestant during Cowboy Christmas – not counting ground money – with a $14,509 haul. Thurston, who has competed in 15 rodeos this season, moved to 12th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $29,734. “There weren’t as many rodeos going on, so it was tricky to get your days and things you might need just because there were so many guys who were all entered in the same rodeos,” said Thurston, of Big Valley, Alberta.

Thurston went to Prescott, Mandan, Killdeer and Cody. He won Killdeer ($5,668), split the win in Mandan ($3,201), was second in Cody ($4,281) and split fifth in Prescott ($1,359). “Most of how I did was the draw, and when you have good horses like that it’s awesome,” Thurston said. “You still have to ride them and ride them good. There are a lot of guys who ride awesome and you have to do something to stand out or set yourself apart. It’s pretty cool (to have this success). It can easily go the other way. I’ve had the Fourth of July (run) go both ways, and this way is a lot more fun.” Although many cowboys are entering the same rodeos, Thurston doesn’t see that as added pressure. “You’re out there competing on your horse and working with your horse,” Thurston said. “You’re just trying to make the best ride as possible and make your horse look as good as possible, then the chips will fall where they may.”

Hailey Rae photo Team roping header Nelson Wyatt makes his run at the Cody Stampede with heeler Levi Lord. The duo earned $16,333 during the 2020 Cowboy Christmas run.

ProRodeo Sports News 7/10/2020

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