Monthly Archives: December 2023

LAS VEGAS – Just a few days after making his final team-roping run of the 2023 ProRodeo season, Coleman Proctor was doing the things Coleman Proctor does. He was practicing and taking care of his daughters, Stella and Caymbree, while his wife, Stephanie, was working. When the horses and steers were put away, the three  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The dreams J.D. Struxness had of winning a world championship didn’t fade just because another man walked away with the gold buckle. They’re still vivid, still in his mind and still on the table for the upcoming seasons. Louisiana cowboy Tyler Waguespack may have walked away from the National Finals Rodeo with  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – When the curtain closed on the 2023 National Finals Rodeo, Bridger Anderson realized he’d earned $120,939 during his stay in the City of Lights. “It was a great week, and we had a lot of fun,” said Anderson, a two-time qualifier from Carrington, North Dakota. “It’s awesome to have family here the  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Concluding his eighth National Finals Rodeo, bareback rider Tanner Aus took many things back to his Minnesota home: Confidence, talent and satisfaction that he got on nearly a dozen of the greatest bucking horses over consecutive nights. There’s also that $90,480 in earnings. It was a job well done, and he wrapped  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The National Finals Rodeo is unlike any other, and Dean Thompson now understands that more than ever before. “Round No. 10 at the NFR is crazy,” said Thompson, 21, a first-time bareback rider on ProRodeo’s biggest stage from Altamont, Utah. “My body feels great. I feel like I’m riding bucking horses as  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Several weeks ago, the top 15 bareback riders in ProRodeo convened on a conference call to decide the bucking horses to be selected to the National Finals Rodeo. It’s a tough list to crack. This is the sport’s Super Bowl and World Series wrapped into a 10-day championship, and only the very  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – When things are askew in his personal life, Orin Larsen leans on his family and close friends. When things are wrong in rodeo, he does the same thing. Whether it’s conversations with his mom and dad or a phone call to one of his siblings, they help him maintain a strong attitude  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – When he’s not on the rodeo trail, Jess Pope is quite comfortable working around his own place in eastern Kansas. He has a cow herd and also offers up his services for day work for other ranchers in the area. He’s a cowboy who knows the importance of handling his business. He’s  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – In the heat of competition, there are things that happen that can knock someone off his perch. J.D. Struxness experienced that during Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. His steer didn’t take the fall as expected, so the Milan, Minnesota, cowboy tried to grab a leg and pull the animal  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – No matter how fast sprinter Usain Bolt is, he understands that a good start is the key to making a good run. Steer wrestlers compete similarly. They need to start fast to stop the clock in quick order, all while riding a fast horse that’s chasing a running steer. When Bridger Anderson  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Forgive Stephen Culling if he was hoping for more from his first National Finals Rodeo. He’s placed six times, which is an incredible feat considering only the best in ProRodeo play on this stage, but he’s finished at or near the bottom five of those nights. His only five-figure payout came Sunday  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The dollars and cents of rodeo are starting to add up for saddle bronc rider Wyatt Casper. Through nine rounds at the National Finals Rodeo, he has placed five times, the latest coming after an 86.5-point ride on United Pro Rodeo’s Awesome Sauce to finish in a tie for third place in  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Cody Devers dreamed of this moment from the time he was a young child. After two National Finals Rodeo qualifications and 14 go-rounds in Las Vegas, the Perryton, Texas, took the victory lap inside the Thomas & Mack Center. He wrestled his steer to the ground in 3.5 seconds to win Friday’s  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – When Stephen Culling backs into the timed-event box to make his runs at the National Finals Rodeo, he has all the confidence necessary to win at an elite level. That’s why he’s here. He was one of the top 15 steer wrestlers in ProRodeo when the season closed Sept. 30, and he’s  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Every athlete knows that performing well doesn’t always translate into wins. Richmond Champion has that figured out after he picked up just his third paycheck of this year’s National Finals Rodeo. He matched moves with Three Hills Rodeo’s Tarnished Silver for 85.5 points and finished fourth during Thursday’s eighth round. “I feel  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Sometimes in rodeo, it only takes one ride to make a change. That came for saddle bronc rider Wyatt Casper after Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. He was just 74 points on King Rodeo & Wentz Bucking Bulls’ Popeye, and he knew things needed to turn around. Fast forward  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Just qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo is a major accomplishment for bareback rider Jacob Lees. He finished the regular season 14th in the world standings to earn his spot during the 10-day championship, which takes place at the Thomas & Mack Center. There’s a learning curve when it comes to competing  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Steer wrestler Bridger Anderson picked a good time to make the fastest run of his professional career. He stopped the clock in 3.3 seconds to win Thursday’s eighth round of the National Finals Rodeo, pocketing $30,706. That catapulted his Las Vegas earnings to nearly $85,000. What’s big is it was just his  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Like those championship bouts that have made this city famous for decades, Jess Pope doesn’t mind scrapping. This isn’t a middleweight match of Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler from two decades ago. This is the reigning world champion bareback rider vs. 1,200 pounds of bucking muscle, and it took place Thursday night  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Slowly but surely, steer wrestler Stephen Culling is making money at the National Finals Rodeo. ProRodeo’s grand finale offers a purse of $100,000 per day, and it’s paid out to the top six places in descending order: Round winners earn the most, $30,706. Culling has been among the leaders four times in  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – It’s not often that a cowboy can say they got on three elite bucking horses in one day. Tanner Aus can. His first came Wednesday morning during the sixth round of the National Finals Rodeo. His initial mount didn’t have a good day, so he was offered a re-ride so he had  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Not many people in rodeo are more consistent at the National Finals Rodeo than bareback rider Jess Pope. He’s won the last three NFR average titles and is the reigning world champion, and he’s done it with a steady run of success since he first qualified in 2020. There’s more proof, though:  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Three-time world champion bareback rider Tim O’Connell scored a little redemption during the seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. “That’s the horse that actually threw me off in 2021, which was the first time I’d been thrown off a horse in about 88 rounds here at the National Finals Rodeo,” O’Connell  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The times are fast at the National Finals Rodeo every year. Even though he’s never played on this stage, Stephen Culling knew what to expect. He wanted to be one of the fastest steer wrestlers in the field, and earning a spot among the top 15 is a major accomplishment. He has  Continue Reading »