ProRodeo Sports News - October 5, 2018

NFR QUALIFYING

Three cowboys crack Top 15 on final weekend Breaking the Bubble Team roping heeler Quinn Kesler broke the bubble during the final weekend of the 2018 season thanks to tying for fourth at the American Royal Rodeo in Kansas City, Mo., and tying for fifth at the Poway (Calif.) Rodeo. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Dan Hubbell

BY MATT NABER A year of constant travel, broken bones and a blur of competitions across the Western Hemisphere boiled down to a few dollars as the deciding factor for cowboys to break the bubble and get into the Top 15 to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. With a week left in the regular season, three cowboys jumped into the Top 15 of their events at the last minute. According to the Oct. 1 PRCA | RAMWorld Standings, team roping heeler Quinn Kesler made it by $515, saddle bronc rider Chase Brooks made the cut by $367 and tie-down roper Ryan Jarrett made it by $493. All numbers and positions in the world standings are unofficial and pending an audit from a third party. KESLER CASHES IN Kesler is familiar with the bubble after finishing his rookie year 16th in 2015. He went on to qualify for his first Wrangler NFR in 2016 but found himself 44th in 2017. Now the Utah cowboy is ready to make a return to Las Vegas. History nearly repeated itself when Kesler found himself 16th the week before the end of the 2018 season. But Kesler knew he could make the Top 15. “I think it’s just believing in yourself,” Kesler said. “I realized I could do it throughout the whole year. But, it took a while to get a lot of money won in the summer.” Kesler moved from 16th to 15th at the end of the season thanks to tying for fourth at the American Royal Rodeo in Kansas City, Mo., Sept. 29, for $,1706 and tying for fifth at the Poway (Calif.) Rodeo, Sept. 29, for $1,422. “It was a long week and pretty stressful trying to stay positive and work

at what you’ve been doing every day,” Kesler said. Earning $61,349 in 2018 came partly due to wins at the Pony Express Rodeo in Eagle Mountain,

Utah, the Meridian (Idaho) Lions Rodeo, and the Summit County Fair & Rodeo in Coalville, Utah, with his partner Rhen Richard, who finished 15th among team roping headers. Their turning point in the season was winning $7,572 by tying for second at the Snake River Stampede in Nampa, Idaho, in July, Kesler said. “I tried to do the best I could, and Rhen did great on giving me a chance,” Kesler said. “That gave us enough of a jump to realize we can dang-sure do this and keep winning.” The duo’s big break came at the end of August when Kesler moved from 24th to 15th and Richard moved from 22nd to 12th thanks to winning $5,268 at the Horse Heaven/Kennewick (Wash.) Round-Up, $3,422 at the Kitsap Stampede in Bremerton, Wash., and $2,030 at the Golden Spike Rodeo in Tremonton, Utah. They also won $1,486 in tie-down roping at the Gem State Stampede in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. BROOKS MAKES BANK Although Brooks has been competing with the PRCA since 2013, this is the first time he’s finished a regular season in the Top 50. The Deer Lodge, Mont., cowboy ranked as high as 51st in 2017 with $21,454. “It’s kind of crazy, I never imagined my first year going hard I would make it up there,” Brooks said. Brooks’ big break came during Cowboy Christmas when he jumped from

ProRodeo Sports News 10/5/2018

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