ProRodeo Sports News - Nov.20, 2020

TOP GUN

Contenders for Top Gun Award

A nother layer of excitement and intrigue to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is the Top Gun Award, which goes to the contestant who wins the most money in any single event at the Wrangler NFR. Since 2011, it has taken a minimum of $146,941 to win the Top Gun Award. Here are some candidates who should be in the mix for the honor in 2020. SAGE KIMZEY Kimzey is a PRCAmegastar, winning six consecutive bull riding world championships. A year ago, Kimzey had a stellar Wrangler NFR, earning $217,942, not counting ground money. He finished second in the 2019 Top Gun standings behind bareback rider Clayton Biglow ($243,891). In 2014, Kimzey earned $175,466 and became the first rookie and first bull rider to capture the RAMTop Gun Award. STETSON WRIGHT Wright won his first all-around world championship a year ago with $297,923. That total received a big boost when he earned $114,923 while competing in bull riding. Wright enters the 2020Wrangler NFR second in the all-around race and with a grand opportunity to earn truckloads of money since he’s competing in saddle bronc riding and bull riding. If Wright, 21, gets on a heater, he could capture multiple world titles and his first Top Gun Award. TIM O’CONNELL The bareback rider makes his seventh consecutive appearance at the Wrangler NFR. He won three world championships in a row from 2016-18 and finished third in the 2019 world standings. He won $195,308 at the NFR in 2016,

$169,500 in 2017, $132,551 in 2018 and $147,923 in 2019. O’Connell enters the 2020 Finals as the bareback riding season leader and is more focused and determined to win a fourth world title. That could end with him as the Top

Gun Award winner. SHAD MAYFIELD

The Clovis, N.M., cowboy had an amazing 2020 PRCA regular season. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic reducing the rodeo schedule, Mayfield still earned $156,668 the most of any cowboy in the regular season. Winning a tie-down roping world championship, NFR average and the Top Gun Award would be a fitting end to Mayfield’s remarkable season. TYLER WAGUESPACK There’s no questionWaguespack seems to perform his best under the bright lights. He won world championships andWrangler NFR average titles in 2016 and 2018. In 2016, he won the Top Gun award after earning $213,218. In 2018, he finished second in the Top Gun race after earning $180,429. With history as a guideline, Waguespack should perform outstandingly in 2020. DONA KAY RULE Dona Kay Rule and High Valor, two-time Purina Horse of the Year, will make their second appearance at the Wrangler NFR. In 2019, the duo placed in five of 10 rounds and won two. Rule and Valor have continued to get stronger, as seen at the Gold Buckle Beer ProRodeo Tour Finale. This duo can turn in fast times while also staying consistent to contend for the average title. Barrel racers Mary Walker (2012) and Sherry Cervi (2013) are past Top Gun winners.

WRANGLER NFR CONTESTANT ROSTER 1 Shad Mayfield 2 Wyatt Casper 3 Tim O’Connell 4 Kaycee Feild 30 Jacob Talley 31 Dona Kay Rule 32 Allen Boore PAYOUT GO-ROUNDS

92 Rusty Wright 93 Adam Gray 94 Jake Brown 95 Blake Knowles 96 Emily Miller 97 Ryann Pedone 98 Lefty Holman 99 Colten Fritzlan

63 Jessica Routier 64 Timber Moore 65 Curtis Cassidy 66 Tyler Worley 67 Kolton Schmidt 68 Hunter Koch 69 Nelson Wyatt 70 Levi Simpson 71 Jeff Flenniken 72 Dakota Eldridge 73 Caleb Smidt 74 Jacobs Crawley 75 Tyson Durfey 76 Tanner Brunner

33 Westyn Hughes 34 Junior Nogueira 35 Tyler Milligan

Each contestant receives a 10,000-point bonus toward Wrangler NFR Place...................Pts. 1st..................67,269 2nd.................54,577 3rd..................43,154 4th..................31,731 5th..................22,846 6th..................16,500 7th..................11,423 8th....................6,346 Place...................Pts. 1st..................26,231 2nd.................20,731 3rd..................15,654 4th..................11,000 5th....................6,769 6th....................4,231 AVERAGE

5 Luke Brown 6 Matt Reeves 7 Stetson Wright 8 Ryder Wright

36 Clay Tryan 37 Marty Yates 38 Ty Harris 39 Paul Eaves 40 Richmond Champion

100 Jeff Askey 101 Cole Reiner 102 Cole Elshere 103 Will Lummus 104 Lisa Lockhart 105 Boudreaux Campbell 106 Jule Hazen 107 Brittney Barnett 108 Jesse Brown 109 Ty Breuer (Out) 110 Tyler Bingham 111 Ty Wallace 112 Wenda Johnson 113 Isaac Diaz 114 Zeke Thurston 115 Taos Muncy 116 Parker McCown 117 Trevor Kastner 118 Chad Rutherford 119 Clayton Sellars 120 Winn Ratliff

9 Tuf Cooper 10 Clay Smith 11 Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi 12 Hailey Kinsel 13 Sage Kimzey 14 Brody Cress 15 Tilden Hooper 16 Clayton Biglow 17 Cody Snow 18 Joseph Harrison 21 Brady Portenier 22 Haven Meged 23 Jake Long 24 Dustin Egusquiza 25 Colby Lovell 26 Buddy Hawkins II 27 AndrewWard 28 Jamie Howlett 29 Jimmie Smith 19 Orin Larsen 20 Jade Corkill,

41 Travis Graves 42 Ky Hamilton 43 Logan Medlin

77 Chase Tryan 78 Brenten Hall 79 Caddo Lewallen 80 Cheyenne Wimberley 81 Jace Melvin 82 Hunter Herrin 83 Stetson Jorgensen 84 Jacob Edler 85 Shane Hanchey 86 Denton Fugate 87 Jess Pope 88 Chase Brooks 89 Sterling Crawley 90 Bridger Anderson 91 Clayton Hass

44 Shay Dixon Carroll 45 Mason Clements 46 Charly Crawford 47 Tiany Schuster 48 Dustin Boquet 49 Tanner Aus 50 Shorty Garrett 51 Leighton Berry 52 Jill Wilson 53 Shelley Morgan 54 Chad Masters 55 Wesley Thorp 56 Tyler Waguespack

59 Stevi Hillman 60 Roscoe Jarboe 61 Ryan Jarrett 62 Levi Lord

57 Erich Rogers 58 Paden Bray

ProRodeo Sports News 11/20/2020

WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO

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