Monthly Archives: December 2023

LAS VEGAS – Saddle bronc rider Wyatt Casper has been looking for his opportunity to show off. He got it during a special Wednesday morning performance of the National Finals Rodeo, riding Legacy Pro Rodeo’s Jitter Bug for 85 points, good enough for fifth in the sixth go-round, worth just shy of $8,000. “That horse  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – It’s been six years since Mason Clements made his National Finals Rodeo debut, and his first year was his best year. Until now. Through Wednesday morning’s sixth round, Clements has placed four times and earned more than $85,000 in the process. He won Sunday’s first round, then nabbed paydays the next three,  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – It doesn’t take long to turn everything around when things go right at the National Finals Rodeo. Tanner Aus has been in this situation before. He’d placed only once heading into Wednesday morning’s special performance, but he changed his perception on his week with an 87-point ride on Flying U Rodeo’s Little  Continue Reading »

Fundraising event to give portion to Montero Foundation LAS VEGAS – Rodeo is not only wildly fascinating and action-packed; it’s driven by passion. Cowboys play the game because of the rush they get and the people they meet. Bareback riders are the warriors, the men who wedge their specially designed gloves into a rigging that  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – When a bolt of lightning fires, it can send shockwaves. Reigning world champion bareback rider Jess Pope got to experience that with Macza Pro Rodeo’s Stevie Knicks. The dark sorrel mare provided enough electricity to help produce an 88.5-point ride and push Pope to a third-place finish in Tuesday’s fifth round of  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – When the best broncs in the world are featured at the National Finals Rodeo, everyone expects big moments and even bigger scores. Saddle bronc rider Wyatt Casper was in the mix, riding Calgary Stampede’s Xena Warrior for 87.5 points to finish in a tie for fourth place in Tuesday’s fifth round. That  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – When the official secretary posted the draw for Tuesday’s fifth round of the National Finals Rodeo, J.D. Struxness knew he had a big opportunity. He capitalized on it, posting the fastest steer wrestling run of this year’s championship by stopping the clock in 3.3 seconds to win $30,706 and earn another Montana  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Coleman Proctor is no stranger to the nuances of the National Finals Rodeo. “It’s funny how you win money here once or win a go-round, and things just come back in your favor,” he said after Monday’s run of 4.3 seconds to finish fourth on Night 4 of team roping with his  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – In the grand scheme of the National Finals Rodeo, a sixth-place finish is better than most of the 15 in the field, but it’s small in comparison to round winners’ share of nearly $31,000. For bareback rider Dean Thompson, his 83.5-point ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s On Your Own was just what  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – J.D. Struxness may have stumbled a bit during the third round of the National Finals Rodeo, but it didn’t keep him down. He rebounded with a 3.9-second run during Monday’s fourth go-round to finish second, earning $24,268. In all, he has earned $58,041 since arriving in Las Vegas. He is still very  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – The training he received at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls provided the perfect foundation for bareback rider Mason Clements. He’s built upon it and has been one of the top cowboys in the game since. A four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Spanish Fork, Utah, Clements rode J-Bar-J Pro  Continue Reading »

Cinch NFR qualifiers recount the day of the UNLV shooting It was a typical Wednesday, the day before the start of the National Finals Rodeo. One-hundred-nineteen contestants were at the Thomas & Mack Center with family members and friends, rehearsing for the event’s grand entry. Shots rang out in the Frank and Estella Beam Hall,  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – There are a lot of thrills that come with competing at the National Finals Rodeo. It’s the world’s richest rodeo, with go-rounds paying nearly $100,000 for 10 performances. Bridger Anderson is getting to experience many of them in his first NFR at Las Vegas; his first qualification came in 2020, when the  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – On his way to Las Vegas a week ago, Leighton Berry started showing flu-like symptoms. By the time he arrived, his fever was high. Body aches and other nastiness came. He still wasn’t feeling well when the first round began Friday night. He wasn’t much better Saturday, Still, he placed in both  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Whether it’s on a football field in Pendleton, Oregon, or a baseball diamond in Arlington, Texas, or t a basketball arena in the City of Lights, Jess Pope will ride bucking horses anywhere. On Sunday night, he rode Championship Pro Rodeo’s Meat Cracker for 84.5 points to finish sixth in the third  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – At the National Finals Rodeo, momentum can swing in either direction. It’s trending upward for steer wrestler Stephen Culling, who grappled his animal to the ground in 4.3 seconds to finish in a tie for second place during Sunday’s third round. That was worth $21,296 and pushed his Sin City earnings to  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Bridger Anderson has found his rhythm at the National Finals Rodeo. After suffering two no-times to kickstart ProRodeo’s grand championship, he bounced back with a 4.7-second run to finish fourth in Sunday’s third go-round, pocketing $12, 877 and earned some well-timed momentum in Las Vegas. “It’s not the way we wanted to  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Every cowboy who makes a living in rodeo keeps plenty busy. They travel extensively just to make a living, covering tens of thousands of miles a year going from one rodeo to another. They only make money when they finish better than most in the field. First place is always the goal,  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – When cowboys arrive at in Sin City, they know the competition will be tough. Only the top 15 contestants in each event qualify for the National Finals Rodeo, so it’s a showcase of the sport’s elite from that year. Now in his fourth trip to the championship, Wyatt Casper understands that well.  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Coleman Proctor has done this dance before. He and his partner, heeler Logan Medlin of Tatum, New Mexico, suffered no-times in the first two go-rounds of the National Finals Rodeo. It’s frustrating and disappointing, but it’s also part of the sport. They didn’t dwell on it. In fact, they built off it.  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – While he gets all the glory when things go right and takes the blame when they don’t, J.D. Struxness isn’t competing alone this week. He has a large team that supports him, but also he has a handful to help him, including Ty Erickson, who owns Crush, the horse Struxness is riding,  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – While most people come to this shiny, desert town for fun and frivolity, reigning world champion bareback rider Jess Pope considers it a business trip. He’s definitely doing his job inside the Thomas & Mack Center during the opening two days of the National Finals Rodeo. He has finished third two nights  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – Just looking at Big Stone Rodeo’s Fired Up, Richmond Champion felt the nerves creeping up. “He’s kind of intimidating,” said Champion, a bareback rider from Stevensville, Montana. “He looks like there’s a lot going on, but Caleb (Bennett) told me today, ‘Dude, that horse feels so good. He’s fast, and it feels  Continue Reading »

LAS VEGAS – When Tanner Aus was a little boy, he watched his dad ride bareback horses and thought about how much fun it would be to follow in those footsteps. In the years since, he’s been one of the very best in the game, having qualified for ProRodeo’s championship event, the National Finals Rodeo,  Continue Reading »