ProRodeo Sports News - November 2, 2018

the end of the month, got back in around the end of May but then fell out a week later. He got back into the Top 15 around the third week of July and stayed there. • Rhen Richard didn’t enter the Top 20 for team roping heading until mid-September when he jumped to 14th. • Nine of the 15 team roping headers who qualified for the Wrangler NFR have been in the Top 15 every week since Cowboy Christmas. TEAM ROPING HEELING • Paul Eaves was the No. 1 heeler from January to Aug. 9. He enters the Wrangler NFR in second. • Wesley Thorp and Jake Long ranked within the Top 10 for nearly the entire season. • Cory Petska and Brady Minor didn’t enter the Top 15 until mid-July. • Quinn Kesler wasn’t in the Top 20 until the first week of September and then broke into 15th during the final weekend of the season. • Ten of the 15 team roping heelers who qualified for the Wrangler NFR have been in the Top 15 every week since Cowboy Christmas. SADDLE BRONC RIDING • Jacobs Crawley, Sterling Crawley, Brody Cress and Wade Sundell stayed in the Top 15 all season. Taos Muncy was in the Top 15 all season except for one week at the end of July when he ranked 16th. • Although he stopped winning money after the start of August because of injury, Brody Cress stayed in the Top 3 all season up through the first week of September. • Jake Wright started the season in the Top 15 but fell out around the third week of January and didn’t get back in until the end of July.

Tie-down roper Jake Pratt competes at the 49th Annual Cowboy Capital of the World PRCA Rodeo in Stephenville, Texas, in September. William Kierce photo

• Eleven of the 15 saddle bronc riders who qualified for the Wrangler NFR have been in the Top 15 every week since Cowboy Christmas. Oddly enough, those cowboys ended the season ranked first through 11th. TIE-DOWN ROPING • Jake Pratt was in the Top 15 all season. • Cowboy Christmas was a major turning point for several tie-down ropers. Trevor Brazile, Cooper Martin, Caleb Smidt and Matt Shiozawa have all remained in the Top 15 every week since. • Shane Hanchey entered the Top 15 around the third week of January but didn’t claim the No. 1 spot until the end of the season. • Tyson Durfey was in the Top 15 all season except for the beginning of March when he fell to 19th. He climbed to first place by the end of April and stayed there until September. • Eleven of the 15 tie-down ropers who qualified for the Wrangler NFR have been in the Top 15 every week since Cowboy Christmas. STEER ROPING • Chris Glover, Trevor Brazile, Jarrett Blessing and Cody Lee have been in the Top 15 the entire season. Tuf Cooper and Scott Snedecor have been in the Top 15 every week except for immediately after the 2017 Wrangler NFR. • The Clem McSpadden National Finals Steer Roping lineup has been in place since Aug. 9. BULL RIDING • Sage Kimzey and Trevor Kastner were in the Top 15 all season. Kimzey was No. 1 all season except for a short stint in mid-February. • Seven of the 15 bull riders who qualified for the Wrangler NFR have been in the Top 15 since the beginning of April. • Thirteen of the 15 bull riders who qualified for the Wrangler NFR have been in the Top 15 every week since Cowboy Christmas.

Sage Kimzey rides Outlawbuckers Rodeo’s Walk Away in Ellensburg, Wash., Sept. 1. Bob Click photo

ProRodeo Sports News 11/2/2018

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