Miller collects title in Round 2
LAS VEGAS – It’s becoming a reality now for bareback rider Bradlee Miller. After finding his opening night of his first National Finals Rodeo a bit surreal, the stakes amped up a bit more on Night 2, when he rode Wayne Vold Rodeo’s True Grit for 86.5 points to win Friday’s second round. That was […]
Pope rebounds for Round 2 cash
LAS VEGAS – Jess Pope’s scrambling season may have followed him to the National Finals Rodeo. He started the year slow, then made a mad dash as the campaign came to a close to enter ProRodeo’s grand finale sixth in the world standings. After a less-than-par score on opening night guided by a horse that […]
Struxness earns 1st NFR check
LAS VEGAS – The pressure valve for rodeo’s biggest stars gets turned up a notch or two when they arrive at the National Finals Rodeo. There’s a $14.2 million purse on the line, and that’s enough to pack in the nerves. The 120 contestants have worked all year in order to be in this magical […]
Proctor driven with Round 2 cash
LAS VEGAS – Coleman Proctor had a chance to win Friday’s second round of the National Finals Rodeo. “I was trying to win good the round, and I thought we made a good run,” Proctor said, referring to him and his heeler, Logan Medlin. “I kind of fouled up the finish a little bit. I […]
Broussard ready to slay dragons
LAS VEGAS – Taylor Broussard is a cowboy. He’s also a politician of sorts. He’s not running for Congress or any public office, but when he felt the need to voice his opinion prior to the National Finals Rodeo, he made sure he was heard. Case in point: Burch Rodeo’s Bunk House Mouse, a powerful […]
Proctor makes moves on Night 1
LAS VEGAS – His two weeks in the Nevada desert are part of a business trip for team roping header Coleman Proctor. So far, he’s taking care of business. Proctor and his heeling partner, Logan Medlin of Tatum, New Mexico, roped their first steer in 4.0 seconds Thursday night to finish third and collect checks […]
Back where it all began
I walked through the executive offices of the Thomas & Mack Center for the first time 23 years ago as the rodeo beat writer for The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City. I was ignorant of the ways things worked at my first National Finals Rodeo. I arrived from my hotel in what I thought was plenty […]
Timberman scores Round 1 win
LAS VEGAS – Weston Timberman is mature beyond his 20 years. In his first go-round at his first National Finals Rodeo, Timberman scored 87 points on J Bar J’s Drunk Bunny to win the night of bareback riding and $33,687. He moved up four spots to third in the world standings, sitting at $197,787, and […]
NFR money a reality for Miller
LAS VEGAS – Somebody may want to pinch Bradlee Miller. Competing at the National Finals Rodeo for the first time, Miller didn’t show any newcomer nerves. In fact, he rode Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Shady Nights for 86.5 points to finish second during Thursday’s first round, just a half-point behind the winner, Weston Timberman. Miller was […]
Broussard cashes early at NFR
LAS VEGAS – When Taylor Broussard realized he needed to make some changes to his lifestyle, he knew the benefits would come. He proved it during Thursday’s opening night of the National Finals Rodeo, riding Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’ Land of Fancy for 85 points to finish in a tie for fourth place […]
Franks adds to NFR excitement
LAS VEGAS – Cole Franks arrived in the City of Entertainment with dreams on his mind and a big-ticket item. “When you’re going to the big show, you’ve got to make big moves,” said Franks, a 23-year-old bareback rider from Clarendon, Texas, now competing for the third time at the National Finals Rodeo. In a […]
Wells digs deep for his first NFR
POWELL, Wyo. – While atypical for most rodeo cowboys, Brody Wells didn’t actually grow up competing in the sport. Make no bones about it: He was still a cowboy. Raised in the Bighorn Basin near Powell in the northern Wyoming, he grew up in the elements. He and his family hunted, and he spent countless […]
Timberman fulfilling NFR dream
COLUMBUS, Mont. – Weston Timberman was a rodeo cowboy long before he ever realized it. With a dad and an uncle who rode bareback horses, Timberman spent his early childhood with them when times allowed. When the traveling road show that is rodeo passed by his place, cowboys made a pit stop. It was just […]
Shadbolt riding for NFR money
MERRIMAN, Neb. – On the northern end of the Nebraska Sandhills rest thousands of acres of rolling grasslands. It’s vast yet desolate, a perfect place for cattle and the ranchers that raise them. This is Garrett Shadbolt’s home. It’s why he’s a cowboy and why he’s raising a family, the things that are the most […]
New bride makes rodeo better
ALTAMONT, Utah – Dean Thompson’s fantastic year only got better as the calendar moved toward autumn. While riding bucking horses as a professional bareback rider, the young cowboy produced his best season yet, earning $172,197 through the year-long campaign. He will enter his second straight National Finals Rodeo as the No. 4 man in the […]
Miller’s NFR dream is a reality
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – It is sometimes hard to comprehend when dreams become reality. Growing up in a rodeo family, Bradlee Miller has fantasized about being one of the best cowboys in the world. To do that, the top hands in the game must first earn qualifications to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand championship […]
Yeahquo has sights set on NFR
MANDAREE, N.D. – On a September day in 2008, J.C. Yeahquo realized what he was meant to do. “The first time I got to rope off a horse was on my eighth birthday,” said Yeahquo, 24, who is originally from Manderee, grew up in Crescent, Oklahoma, and now lives in Stephenville, Texas. “That was when […]
Late heroics propel Pope to NFR
WAVERLY, Kan. – The edge is a tricky place to be. One step in the right direction can build confidence and sustain hope. One awkward step can spell disaster. Jess Pope was on that ledge most of the 2024 rodeo season. In fact, it wasn’t until the final few weeks of the ProRodeo campaign that […]
Struxness riding high to Vegas
MILAN, Minn. – It’s been eight years since J.D. Struxness earned his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. From a 21-year-old college student to a family man and father of two little girls, a great deal has changed for the Minnesota cowboy who makes his living wrestling steers and chasing his rodeo dreams. “We’ve […]
Proctor in line for two world titles
PRYOR, Okla – When Coleman Proctor qualified for the National Finals Rodeo for the first time a decade ago, he was on Cloud 9, an exhilarating feeling he’d only dreamed about. So many things have changed over time, but there’s something familiar for the Pryor team roping header as he prepares for his ninth trip […]
Champion slides into 9th NFR<
STEVENSVILLE, Mont. – Richmond Champion’s sigh of relief could be heard down the Bitterroot Valley. After a year of rodeo and countless battles with bucking horses that outweigh him by hundreds of pounds, the bareback rider held his breath as the regular season came to a close. He knows only the top 15 men on […]
Lees eager for 2nd straight NFR
CALDWELL, Idaho – As he has matured, Jacob Lees has learned what it takes to excel as a professional bareback rider. “I feel like I’m really consistent, and I know how to handle a lot of different horses now,” said Lees, 28, originally from Caldwell but now living in Boyd, Texas, with his wife of […]
Broussard ready for NFR fight
ESTHERWOOD, La. – Taylor Broussard burst onto the ProRodeo scene a decade ago and was quickly identified as a rising star. He proved it in 2019 with his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo, the sport’s grand finale that takes place over 10 December nights. He finished the campaign 15th in the world standings […]
Casper ready for NFR business
MIAMI, Texas – Wyatt Casper is a businessman who has no problem with the hard work it takes to succeed. He toils in a profession that requires dedication, time-commitment and travel. He’s pretty good at it. The business? Rodeo. His occupation? Saddle bronc rider. Why does he do it? To best care for his family, […]