ProRodeo Sports News - November 19, 2021

TOP GUN

Contenders for Top Gun Award

KAYCEE FEILD The veteran bareback rider is on a mission this year to win his sixth bareback riding world championship which would be a PRCA record. He enters the NFR fifth in the world standings and if he gets on a heater, he could win title No. 6 and his first Top Gun Award. SHANE HANCHEY The Louisiana native tie-down roper won the world championship in 2013 and just missed adding to his gold buckle collection in 2019 and 2020. He won the NFR average for the second time in his career in 2020 and if he keeps his momentum rolling, he will be a two-time world champ and a first- time Top Gun Award winner. HAILEY KINSEL The 2020Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is one barrel racer Hailey Kinsel will not soon forget. The Texas cowgirl won her third barrel racing world title in a row and captured the Top Gun Award after earning a barrel racing NFR-record $270,615 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Kinsel set the record for most money earned by a Top Gun earner, eclipsing the mark of $243,891 by bareback rider Clayton Biglow in 2019. Kinsel won five rounds and placed in eight at the NFR, finishing the season with $349,076 in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings. Kinsel is back at the NFR and in the No. 1 spot in the standings. If she performs like she did a year ago she will be the first repeat winner of the Top Gun Award. It would also be the fourth time a barrel racer would take home the honor as Mary Walker (2012), Sherry Cervi (2013) and Kinsel (2020) have won the award.

BY TRACY RENCK A nother layer of excitement and intrigue to the Wrangler National Fi- nals Rodeo is the Top Gun Award, which goes to the contestant who wins the most money in any single event at the Wrangler NFR. The award has been up for grabs since 2010, but in its first year, money earned in multiple events counted in the Top Gun standings. Since, the RAM Top Gun Award has gone to the contestant who earns the most money in a single event. 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 2021. SAGE KIMZEY Kimzey never made an announcement but make no mistake he wants to return to the bull riding throne. The Oklahoma native saw his streak of six consecutive world championships end in 2020 when he finished fifth. Kimzey comes to Vegas first in the world standings again and would like nothing more to add his second RAMTop Gun Award to his resume. 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 second all-around world championship a year ago and first bull riding world title. Wright is back at the NFR in saddle bronc riding and bull riding and if he gets rolling, he will have a great chance to also claim the RAMTop Gun Award.

WRANGLER NFR CONTESTANT ROSTER

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

31 Justin Smith 32 Marty Yates 33 Jordon Briggs 34 Rhen Richard 35 Jake Long 36 Clay Tryan 37 Cole Reiner 38 Haven Meged 39 Garrett Shadbolt 40 Cory Solomon 41 Tyler Wade 42 Shelley Morgan 43 Jesse Brown 44 John Douch 45 Creek Young 46 Trey Yates 47 Hunter Herrin 48 Layton Green 52 JB Mauney 53 Brenten Hall 54 Trey Benton III 55 Dona Kay Rule 56 Cody Snow 57 Dustin Boquet 58 Parker Breding 59 Tyler Pearson 60 Dakota Eldridge 49 Orin Larsen 50 Ryan Jarrett 51 Richmond Champion

63 Will Lummus 64 Jessica Routier

93 Boudreaux Campbell 94 Spencer Wright 95 Curtis Cassidy 96 Cody Devers 97 Dawson Hay 98 Douglas Rich 99 Wenda Johnson 100 Rowdy Parrott 101 Coy Rahlmann 102 Ben Andersen 103 Cole Franks 104 Tristan Martin 105 Lisa Lockhart 106 Cody DeMoss 107 Molly Otto 108 Riley Duvall 109 Zach Hibler 110 Coleman Proctor 111 Tegan Smith 112 Brady Minor 113 Quinn Kesler 114 Shane Proctor 115 Taylor Broussard 116 Ruger Piva 117 Roscoe Jarboe 118 Braden Richardson 119 Wade Sundell

Stetson Dell Wright Shane Hanchey Ryder Wright Sage Kimzey Tilden Hooper Dustin Egusquiza Junior Nogueira

PAYOUT

65 Wyatt Casper 66 Clayton Sellars 67 Cheyenne Wimberley 68 Tyler Waguespack 69 Clint Summers 70 Amanda Welsh 71 Nellie Miller 72 Tanner Aus 73 Derrick Begay 74 Sage Newman 75 Scott Guenthner 76 Ross Ashford 77 Zeke Thurston 78 Ky Hamilton 79 Emily Miller-Beisel 80 Jeremy Buhler 81 R.C. Landingham 82 Stetson Jorgensen 83 Buddy Hawkins II 84 Andrew Ward 85 Stockton Graves 86 Stevi Hillman 87 Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi

Each Go-Round 1st – 31% 26,996.97 2nd – 24.5% 21,336.32 3rd – 18.5% 16,111.09 4th – 13% 11,321.31

Paden Bray

Tim O'Connell 10 Travis Graves 11 Caleb Smidt 12 Clayton Biglow 13 Shad Mayfield 14 Westyn Hughes 15 Kaleb Driggers 16 Caleb Bennett 17 Clay Smith 18 Erich Rogers 19 Tuf Case Cooper 20 Jacob Talley 21 Brody Cress 22 Taylor Santos 23 Hailey Kinsel 24 Marcos Costa 25 Jade Corkill 26 Josh Frost 27 Kaycee Feild 28 Ty Harris 29 Wesley Thorp 30 Jess Pope

5th – 8% 6,966.96 6th – 5% 4,354.35 Total: 87,087.00

Average (go-rounds X3) 1st – 26.5% 69,234.17 2nd – 21.5% 56,171.11 3rd – 17% 44,414.37 4th – 12.5% 32,657.63 5th – 9% 23,513.49 6th – 6.5% 16,981.96 7th – 4.5% 11,756.75 8th – 2.5% 6,531.52 Total: 261,261.00

88 Ivy Saebens 89 Logan Medlin 90 Kolby Wanchuk 91 Joseph Harrison 92 Dirk Tavenner

61 Chase Tryan 62 Chase Brooks

DEC. 2-11, 2021

ProRodeo Sports News 11/19/2021

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