ProRodeo Sports News - Sept. 6, 2024

MANAGER’S MESSAGE TRACY RENCK All-Around world title race gets more interesting L et’s be honest, since 2002 the race to capture the coveted PRCA All-Around World Championship hasn’t been super dramatic. That’s because the King of Cowboys Trevor

As a heeler with his partner Kaleb Driggers at the NFR that year – Round 10 proved to be Nogueira’s turning point. He and Driggers placed sixth in Round 10, which landed them fourth in the average and the $4,231 Nogueira earned in Round 10 was enough to win the gold buckle. Nogueira finished with $231,728 to edge Clayton Hass ($228,108) for the all-around crown. Can Nogueira make more PRCA history at the 2024 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge, Dec. 5-14? Certainly. He and Driggers are locks to qualify for the NFR and they won their respective heeler and header world championships in 2021 and 2022. Unlike the last five years when the all-around champion – Wright – was a foregone conclusion, the 2024 PRCA All Around Champion will not be decided before the completion of Round 10. Whomever does the best at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo – of the cowboys in the mix for all-around glory – will be golden. The NFR pays so much it has to be that way. Event round winners earned $33,687 and average winners earn $86,391. So conceivably in Round 10 – Dec. 14 – a cowboy could earn as much as $120,078. That could turn the race for the all around world championship upside down. Rodeo by nature – is unpredictable – so consistency is the key. Rising to the moment and embracing the pressure is a must. Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Peyton Manning is famously quoted as saying, “Pressure is something you feel when you don’t know what the hell you’re doing.” Come Dec. 14 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas – it will be clear what all-around cowboy knew what the hell he was doing because he will be the one walking out with a gold buckle on his belt.

Brazile dominated the race from 2002 to 2018, winning the all-around title a record shattering 14 times (2002-04, 2006-15, 2018). Before Brazile, who was a star tie-down roper, team roper and steer roper, started his all-around prowess there were five different all-around champs Dan Mortensen (1997), Ty Murray (1998), Fred Whitfield (1999), Joe Beaver (2000) and Cody Ohl (2001). Lately, Stetson Wright has been Mr. All-Around, winning the title five years in a row – 2019-23. Since 2002, the only cowboys not named Trevor Brazile or Stetson Wright to take home the All-Around World Championship are Ryan Jarrett (2005); Junior Nogueira (2016) and Tuf Cooper (2017). This year, however, the all-around race is going to be full of drama. Wright opened the door for that happening when he was unable to compete this season because of injury. With the regular season concluding Sept. 30 – the all around contender list is starting to take shape. As of Sept. 4, tie-down roper/steer roper Shad Mayfield is leading the way with $224,413; followed by bull rider/bareback rider Wacey Schalla ($167,481); team roping heeler/tie-down roper Nogueira ($166,234); and team roping header/steer roper Coleman Proctor ($137,963). There also a chance bull rider Josh Frost will qualify for the all-around race before season’s end. When Nogueira won his all-around gold buckle he made PRORODEO history by becoming the first Brazilian to don a gold buckle.

Tracy Renck is the Manager of Communications and Media. He previously served three years as the editor of the ProRodeo Sports News , and before that he spent seven years as a media coordinator at the

PRCA. He has three decades of experience in sports journalism.

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ProRodeo Sports News 9/6/2024

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