ProRodeo Sports News - Nov. 22, 2019

WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO

Contenders for Award

A nother layer of excitement and intrigue at theWrangler National Finals Rodeo is the RAMTop Gun Award, which goes to the con- testant who wins the most money in any single event at theWrangler NFR. The winner receives a RAM3500 truck, a RAMTop Gun-branded gun fromCommemorative Firearms and a customTop Gun buckle from Montana Silversmiths. Here are some candidates who could be in the mix. Sage Kimzey Kimzey is a PRCA superstar, winning five consecutive bull riding world championships. A year ago, Kimzey was banged up at theWrangler NFR and still earned $118,237. Bull riding is unpredictable, but it would be hard to imagine Kimzey not having another strong performance at the Thomas &Mack Center. In 2014, he earned $175,466 and became the first rookie and bull rider to capture the RAMTop Gun Award. Tim O’Connell The bareback rider from Zwingle, Iowa, makes his sixth consecutive appearance at the Wrangler NFR after coming off back-to-back-to-back world championships. At the last three Finals, he won $195,308 (2016), $169,500 (2017) and $132,551 (2018). He qualified for Vegas after getting a late start in 2019 due to missing six months with injuries. He made a late charge to finish sixth in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings. Ryder Wright Wright had a PRCA record-breaking saddle bronc riding regular season, earning $224,488. He’s had strong Wrangler NFRs in the past, earning $185,577 en route to capturing his inaugural world championship

in 2017. During his Wrangler NFR debut in 2016, he earned $141,154. Considering how well he has done this season, Wright winning the Top Gun Award is not out of the question. Tyler Waguespack Waguespack seems to perform his best under the bright lights of the Thomas &Mack Center. He won world championships andWrangler NFR average titles in 2016 and 2018. In 2016, he won the RAMTop Gun award after earning $213,218. Last year, he finished second in the Top Gun race after earning $180,429, and he earned $127,333 in 2017 in Vegas. Waguespack enters the 2019Wrangler NFR fourth in the PRCA | RAM World Standings and seems poised for another big Vegas performance. Clay Smith Smith, the reigning team roping header world champion, set a record for most money won by a team roping header in a single regular season before the Wrangler NFR with $150,512. Since the spring, Smith has been roping with heeler Jade Corkill, who won world titles in 2012-14. A year ago, Smith earned $174,577 in Vegas. Hailey Kinsel The barrel racer fromCotulla, Texas, won the world championship last year thanks to earning $157,865 in Las Vegas. She is second in the standings to 2017 world champion Nellie Miller by $5,743 heading into the 2019Wrangler NFR and might duplicate another great performance in Vegas this year. Barrel racers Mary Walker (2012) and Sherry Cervi (2013) have won the Top Gun Award.

WRANGLER NFR CONTESTANT ROSTER

PRESENTED BY

RAM TOP GUN 1 Ryder Wright 2 Stetson Wright Clayton Biglow 29 Shali Lord 30 Clay Tryan

93 Colt Gordon 94 Cole Davison 95 Trenten Montero 96 Dakota Eldridge 97 Matt Reeves 98 Jessica Routier 99 Brody Cress 100 Erich Rogers 101 Bridger Chambers 102 Jordan Spears 103 Jennifer Sharp 104 Taylor Broussard 105 Amberleigh Moore 106 Tanner Brunner 107 Emily Miller 108 Cameron Morman 109 Tanner Aus 110 Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi 111 Jake Cooper 112 Caleb Anderson 113 Trey Kimzey 114 J.J. Elshere 115 Ivy Conrado-Saebens 116 Nellie Miller 117 Tyler Worley 118 Clayton Sellars 119 Boudreaux Campbell 120 Trey Benton III

65 Marty Yates 66 Stevi Hillman 67 Austin Foss 68 Daylon Swearingen 69 Paul Eaves 70 Jake Watson 71 Chase Tryan 72 Shad Mayfield 73 Cheyenne Wimberley 74 Dawson Hay 75 Stetson Jorgensen 76 Bradley Harter 77 Ty Breuer 78 Ericka Nelson 79 Riley Duvall 80 Will Lummus 81 Matt Sherwood 82 Tate Kirchenschlager 83 Jake Brown 84 Cooper Martin

PAYOUT GO-ROUNDS 1st – $26,231 2nd – $20,731 3rd – $15,654 4th – $11,000

31 Travis Graves 32 Tyler Bingham 33 Rhen Richard 34 Sterling Crawley 35 Rusty Wright 36 Cody Snow 37 Kyle Lockett 38 Koby Radley 39 Hunter Cure 40 Joseph Harrison 41 Brady Minor 42 Riley Minor 43 Taylor Santos 44 Steven Dent 45 Ty Blasingame 46 Shane Hanchey 47 Tyler Milligan 48 Tyson Durfey 49 Ty Harris 50 Riley Pruitt 51 Chad Masters 52 Tyler Waguespack 53 Michael Otero 54 Hailey Kinsel 55 Jeff Askey 56 Scott Guenthner

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Kaycee Feild Orin Larsen Clay Smith Sage Kimzey Zeke Thurston

5th – $6,769 6th – $4,231 AVERAGE 1st – $67,269 2nd – $54,577 3rd – $43,154 4th – $31,731 5th – $22,846 6th – $16,500 7th – $11,423 8th – $6,346

Ty Erickson 10 Caleb Smidt 11 Tuf Cooper

12 Tilden Hooper 13 Trevor Kastner 14 Richmond Champion 15 Kaleb Driggers 16 Junior Nogueira 17 Haven Meged 18 Chase Brooks 19 Tim O’Connell 20 Jade Corkill 21 Spencer Wright 22 Jacobs Crawley 23 Jake Long 24 Caleb Bennett 25 Josh Frost 26 Coleman Proctor 27 Ryan Motes 28 Clint Laye

85 Kyle Irwin 86 Adam Gray 87 J.D. Struxness 88 Tyler Wade 89 Lacinda Rose 90 Lisa Lockhart 91 Jordan Hansen 92 Tyler Pearson

57 Dona Kay Rule 58 Jesse Wright 59 Garrett Smith 60 Mitch Pollock 61 Wesley Thorp 62 Hunter Koch 63 Luke Brown 64 Brenten Hall

ProRodeo Sports News 11/22/2019

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