Ep. 96 - National Finals Rodeo Pre-Show
It’s our third year of doing these episodes and we are so excited to bring you some pre-National Finals Rodeo notes and what we have learned from the convention so far. Both Rachel and Katie got the chance to be together at the NFR and to break it all down.
Miss Rodeo America
This year, with a second year to most all of the titleholders, it is a VERY close race. An extra special shoutout to Miss Rodeo California who spent 18 days in the hospital after E Coli tried to kick her butt. While we are thankful that she is okay and home now, she was not able to compete at the Miss Rodeo America pageant after two years representing California - we can’t imagine how tough that is for her but we are thankful that she is alive.
PRCA Awards Ceremony
Happening before the NFR kicks off, it’s such a pivotal year to have everyone back to it. At the ProRodeo Hall of Fame kick off event, they had Clint Johnson, the father of former guest Janie Johnson, as the lead man of the event. The ProRodeo Hall of Fame also holds another event which is the Rodeo Clown Reunion and will mark 44 years next year!
PRCA Keynote “Back In The Saddle Again”
Based off of a Gene Autry song written after the recession to get back in the saddle again and that’s pretty fitting for the 2021 NFR. While you can go in person, masks are mandated by the governor, but there is also The Cowboy Channel. You can watch from the app, RFD-TV or even sling TV. The NFR has moved up which means that it will be starting at 5:45 pm each night.
Event Notes
All Around
It’s overall shocking how much money was made this year compared to last year. Stetson Wright is $320K plus won this year with Paden Bray in second place with $135K. “Only?” It’s so much behind Stetson - so much so in fact that he’s already won the all around! Stetson is leading the saddle bronc entering the NFR and second in the bull riding to Sage Kimzey.
With that being said, it’s really interesting that in 2020, the number 1 person in the all around race had $120K won which would have placed them 7th in the 2021 All Around race. It has to do with more rodeos that were able to happen and, in the conversations happening at the PRCA convention, the rookies and permits are down. In fact, there are no rookies at the NFR this year. This was a result of people not sure what was going to happen with rodeo in the pandemic.
Sponsor money, however, was so big at rodeo’s this year making them able to put more money into rodeos that did happen. With rodeo being an outdoor sport allowing people to attend really allowed them to take off during the pandemic, even with all the businesses that had to shut down. Rodeo was a lot of the only events happening and that’s awesome for the sport to happen.
When you look at the 2020 all around race, of the top 10 only 3 were eligible still for monies won with Tuf Cooper, Stetson Wright and Clay Smith. Trevor Brazille was second but didn’t make the NFR which dropped him out of the race by not having the NFR payout money. In 2021, the PRCA is paying out $55 million! Of the top 10 in the all around in 2021 there are a nine that are still eligible and competing at this NFR. It would be a really cool race if Stetson wasn’t here this year.
Bull Riding
Sage Kimzey is going to be hungry for that 7th world title. The problem is that he’s on the hunt for 8 world titles and he’s getting there, but these last few titles will be hard. Stetson Wright is young, healthy, athletic and very talented. While Sage does have the lead right now, the bull riding is very interesting because there is a huge spread between the top and bottom. There are 52 total NFR qualifications between the Top 15 which includes a couple long shots. Three NFR average titles won by Sage Kimzey. Eight world titles with Sage Kimzey with 6, Stetson Wright with 1 and Shane Proctor with 1.
Shane just came back to the PRCA from the PBR. Guess who is also back? JB Mauney! Legendary PBR champion is in for his first NFR sitting 6th. In career earnings, he has the least amount of money won in his career. While he’s a first time NFR attendee, he did fill his permit when he first started.
The average age of a bull rider is 26 years old and have spent an average of six years in the PRCA. There are four that are at their first PRCA event which is tied for the most newcomers to the NFR this year with steer wrestling. There are 19 total first timers at the NFR this year.
Saddle Bronc
Stetson Wright is coming in first with Ryder Wright right behind him by $11,000. There is $119K between 1st and 15th with Spencer Wright bringing up 15. The Wrights are known for being super successful at the NFR.
Starts with a Wright and ends with a Wright, bookending the top 15. The average age is 27 years old with an average of seven years in the PRCA with three newcomers.
Brody Cress, in Katie’s opinion, is the most consistent, having won the NFR average twice with a cornucopia that have won the average as well. This is a veteran group that knows how to play the long game for the $261, 261 average money that is split up to the top 8.
Bareback
Coming in at spot one is Tilden Hooper and right on his heels is multi-world champion Tim O’Connell. If Tilden could hold Tim off, it would be his first world title. The highest he’s placed is third but there is a long line of big names that the top 2 have to compete with. Clayton Biglow, Kaycee Feilds, and Richmond Champion are all within $16K.
With 63 title NFR qualifications, it puts them in the most veteran packed event.
Steer Wrestling
Jacob Talley had a great season to come in first before the NFR with our friend of the podcast, Jesse Brown, coming in pretty close in second. Jesse’s first NFR qualification was held last year in Texas so this is the first time he’s been in the Thomas & Mack but behind them is a bunch of Steer Wrestling stars like Tyler Waguespack and Tyler Pearson.
Dakota Eldridge is there, on the hunt for his first world title, and has won the NFR average multiple times. There have been only four NFR average titles won and by only two of them and only three world titles on. Curtis Cassidy has won the most with $1.9 million. The average steer wrestler has won $270K. Outside of the heelers, the Steer Wrestlers are the oldest on average at the NFR.
What is really cool, most of these steer wrestlers have been here for eleven years which matches only the team ropers.
Team Roping
Leading the standings is Dustin and Junior and there are so many former world champions showing up. That list doesn’t even including the guys in the top 15 that have won the average at the NFR. Going hard for the average money is going to be the name of the game. The average will pay out huge but check out this piece from the Team Roping Journal to know who is roping with who.
Clay Tryan enters with $2.7 million won in his career which makes him the richest cowboy entering the NFR. The average age of headers being 30 and heelers being 31 years old.
Tie Down Roping
Former world champion Shane Hanchey comes in at number one but spots three through six are former world champions. Shane lost his horse right before the NFR so he’s riding another horse provided by the owner of his old mount so we will see how this works out. He also has a lot to celebrate with his wife, Taylor Hanchey, being the first woman to qualify to the NFR in two events making it in the 15th slot in the breakaway this year.
Also in the hunt is Marty Yates who holds some of the fastest indoor tie-down runs. Always fast at the American and at the Thomas & Mack, we are excited to see what he can do in the arena and compete.
Barrel Racing
Hailey Kinsel is on the hunt for her fourth world title - we know that Sister is a champ! Following in second place is Jordon Briggs who has been living in the futurity world and joined her mom in the past with jockeying Bozo in the past. We are sad that Lisa Lockhart left Louie at home this year for the first time in eleven years!
Shoutout to Dona Kay Rule who joins Caleb Smidt in being back to the NFR after being flagged out in 2020 for testing positive for COVID. They are both entering into the rodeo sitting 4th in their respective events.
Breakaway
Jordan Jo Fabrizio’s episode will be out at the start of January for our COWGIRL Magazine 30 Under 30 collaboration. We talked about how we were shocked that breakaway wasn’t at the Thomas & Mack this year, but a big thank you to the Orleans for hosting them. They’ll be doing five rounds both Monday and Tuesday night.
We had Ryle Smith on the show in the first season and he said we should have breakaway at the NFR. Then Brandi Buzzard shared that she was shocked that they’d be chatting about having breakaway on TV and now we are going to have breakaway any year now. From what people predicted to what happened, we are very excited to see it continue to join rodeo’s across the country.