ProRodeo Sports News - Sept.15, 2023

PUYALLUP, WASH.

WASHINGTON STATE FAIR PRO RODEO

Wade/ Thorp get big victory Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp teamed up in the ProRodeo ranks for the first time in 2023, but they are far from strangers. “We’ve known each other growing up and we’ve been buddies for a long time,” said Wade, 31. “We’ve ran a lot of steers together over the years. Probably more than most people have that have roped together all year. It hasn’t been much different, I just had to figure out how to start catching.” They put that chemistry on display during the Cinch Playoffs at the Washington State Fair Pro Rodeo. After punching their tickets to the four-man finals, the duo clocked a 4.9-second run to walk away victorious. “I knew all the steers in the final four round were going to be good,” Wade said. “Then getting to go last I figured if we just caught him smooth, we were going to be fast enough. I took a little longer on the head side than I wanted to, where Wesley kind of needed to hurry, but he did a good job.” All told, they each cashed in for $15,513 in Puyallup. Thorp said the big payday came at the right time with the ProRodeo season winding down. “Getting paid like this, during this time of the year is huge,” said Thorp, the 2019 PRCA World Champion Heeler. “We are about to head home, and we have just a few rodeos left. We’ve had some confidence lately with things going our way. It’s great to keep momentum going. It’s a dang sure good feeling to get a payday like this right now.” They will return to Texas to wrap up their 2023 season, but a trip to Sioux Falls, S.D., for the Governor’s Cup is still on the docket. “Anytime you can put yourself in a better spot at the end of the year to give yourself an advantage it always helps because you never know,” Thorp said. “It can come down to $200 or $20,000 at the end of the day. So, anytime you can get closer before you get there is better.”

Roberta Barkley photo

It has been a career year for bull rider Trey Kimzey. He’s won more money than he ever has in a PRCA regular season and added to that total at the Cinch Playoffs at the Washington State Fair Pro Rodeo in Puyallup, Sept. 10. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Kimzey on the way to the four-man final round. In the semifinals the Strong City, Okla., cowboy was left with a decision. He put together a 61-point ride on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Tommy Boy but was given the option of a re-ride. He chose to stick with his score and he’s glad he did. He made it through to the short-round, where eventually his 84-point trip on Wayne Vold Rodeo’s Hard Not To Get won him the rodeo and added $13,000 to his season earnings. “I just kind of took a chance in the eight-man round honestly and luckily for me it paid off,” said Kimzey, a two-time NFR qualifier. “I drew the best bull for me I thought in the short round. He was absolutely awesome and fit me to a T. I got a little mad when he got me off to the side, but I knew I had to get it together. I couldn’t mess him up in that situation.” As of Sept. 13, Kimzey sits eighth in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $145,695 earned this season. He believes he’s riding as well as he ever has in his ProRodeo career. “Honestly, this is the best I’ve been riding all year, and my riding percentage has been really good, which makes a difference,” Kimzey said. “I’m just hoping I can keep the ball rolling. “I’m going to more rodeos than I probably ever have, and it just feels so good. You get into a groove, where it feels like they just can’t buck me off.” As the Cinch Playoffs champ, he now punches his ticket to Sioux Falls, S.D., for the Governor’s Cup, where $1.1 million will be up for grabs. Kimzey claims bull riding win Trey Kimzey won the first round of Bracket 2 at the Cinch Playoffs with an 85-point ride on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Terminator.

Kent Soule photo

Coming into 2023, Dalton Massey has never finished higher than 17th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings. That stretch will come to an emphatic halt when the ProRodeo regular season concludes on Sept. 30. Massey is in the midst of a record-breaking steer wrestling season, where he has passed Ty Erickson for the most money ever won in a PRCA regular season. He wasted no time boasting about the horse underneath him when describing what has made the difference this year. “The great horse I’m riding, Eddy, has made a huge difference,” said Massey, 30. “Tanner (Milan) has been letting us take him all fall. “The name of the game is horsepower and he’s just been working so great for me everywhere. He gives us a chance every time we nod our heads and I think that’s been the difference.” The dangerous duo was on display yet again at the Cinch Playoffs in Puyallup, Wash. The results were no different. In the four-man final round, Massey laid down a 3.5-second run to walk away with the title and nearly $16,000 in earnings, which bumps his 2023 winnings up to $185,888. He said drawing the right steer is as important as anything in their event. “This season has just been awesome. I’ve drawn great and that horse has just been a game changer,” he said. “I’m just trying to make the best of all the chances I get. That’s really important in our sport.” For some, this might be seen as a breakout season for Massey. For him, it’s something that has gradually been in the works since he purchased his PRCA card in 2014. It just took a little more seasoning and maybe a touch of luck to get to this point. “I feel like I’ve been on the cusp of this for a while now, I’ve said that before though,” Massey explains. “I think the horse change, drawing great, and a little bit more experience has led to a lot of success for me and a lot of luck too.” Dalton Massey continued record-breaking season Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp clocked a 4.9-second time in the finals to walk away with the team roping title and a $13,000 payday each.

Kent Soule photo Dalton Massey acknowledges the crowd after winning the Cinch Playoffs at the Washington State Fair Pro Rodeo with a 3.5-second run.

ProRodeo Sports News 9/15/2023

ProRodeo Sports News 9/15/2023

ProRodeo.com

ProRodeo.com

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