Results

LAS VEGAS – Saddle bronc rider Dawson Hay picked a good day to have a great day.

The Canadian tied the Round 9 record with a winning ride of 92 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s BDM Mud’s Killer Bee before 17,762 spectators Friday night at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge at the Thomas & Mack Center.

“Yeah, that’s a crazy good horse,” said Hay, 24. “I remember when I first started riding broncs and I saw that horse come on through the years to become the legendary status we all know it has. I’d never had the chance to draw that horse before. I saw it on the list, and I told my wife, ‘I’m going to draw that horse at the NFR this year.’ I thought it was going to be in the first round but we got her.”

The ride was noteworthy not only because of tying the round record, but also because it was the final out of Killer Bee’s career.

“I’m not sure it’s even sunk in yet,” Hay said. “It’s such an incredible feeling. Going through that ride, I’m not sure I’ve ever been on a horse that feels quite like that. That’s a ride that’s going to stick with me forever. It’s a special moment and the kind of thing we’ve always dreamed of since we were little.”

For the performance, Killer Bee was chosen top saddle bronc horse of Round 9. In Round 4 of the 2022 NFR, Killer Bee carried Chase Brooks to an 88-point ride and was selected saddle bronc horse of the night.

At the 2020 Wrangler NFR, Killer Bee was chosen the top bareback horse. She was the 2019 PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year and voted top bareback horse of Round 3 of the 2019 NFR after bucking off Austin Foss. Killer Bee was also the top bareback horse of the 2018 NFR and top saddle bronc horse of the 2013 and 2014 NFRs.

Killer Bee, 17, weighs 1,350 pounds and is 16.3 hands.

Bareback rider Tim O’Connell snares win

Veteran Tim O’Connell, a three-time world champion – 2016-18 – won Round 8 with an 88-point ride on Stace Smith Pro Rodeos’ Star Witness on a re-ride.

“I have never been on that horse, but I have seen videos of him, and I knew what he was capable of,” O’Connell said. “You don’t anticipate coming here and getting a re-ride because you have been thinking about a horse for like 16 hours. I was thankful for getting it (the re-ride). I knew I had to take care of business. He gave me the opportunity to go out there and win and I took it.”

This was O’Connell’s first round win since Round 4 of the 2020 NFR at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. O’Connell won that round with a 90.5-point ride on Fettig Pro Rodeo’s Pop A Top.

“It feels great. It was so exciting,” O’Connell said of getting to make an NFR victory lap again. “I’m sore. I’m beat up but I love this. At the end of the day, I love being a bareback rider.”

Hunter Cure nabs third round win of 2022 NFR

Make it three round wins for steer wrestler Hunter Cure.

The Texas cowboy clocked a 3.6-second run to win Round 9. He also won Round 2 (3.7 seconds) and Round 4 (3.4 seconds).

“That was actually the steer I had in Houston to win the 50 thousand, I am sure glad I got the one I did to have such a smooth and nice run,” said Cure 39.

Cure is fourth in the world standings with $206,270. He is a two-time world champion in 2013 and 2015.

“(My horse) is a paint mare owned by Ringo Robinson, I know it takes a little time in the box, but I am looking for a certain feel and make sure she has her weight on her front end and she is square, I know we can knock things out on a steer that runs this fast,” Cure said of his horsepower.

“Nerves don’t really play into things this late in the rodeo, just trying to get as much money as I can. I never thought I would be taking 3 firsts, but at this point in the game, that’s really what I have to do.”

Cure has earned $96,741 at the NFR.

Marty Yates wins another round in tie-down roping

Marty Yates’ late charge at the Wrangler NFR continued on Friday.

The Stephenville, Texas, cowboy clocked a 7.8-second run to win Round 9.

Yates also won Round 4 (7.4 seconds) and Round 5 (7.3 seconds).

“I’m feeling good. Wishing I had had a little more success in some of those other rounds; but it all works out,” Yates said. “I’m getting a lot of money out of here and I’ll start over again here in a couple weeks.”

Yates is sixth in the world standings $215,981. He has earned $93,710 at the NFR.

Team ropers Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler capture victory

Stating the obvious Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler have had a disappointing 2022 Wrangler NFR.

The duo received a no-time in six of the eight rounds – but Richard/Buhler bounced back in Round 9 getting the win with a 3.8-second run.

I think I got a good start and got it on the steer, everything flowed pretty good,” Richard said. “Jeremy hooked his horse’s tail – so I didn’t really see that. But he still heeled him fast and I actually faced a little bit early which probably cost us from being a little faster but I’m glad it worked out.”

Buhler was thrilled with his result.
“I don’t know, that was the first time I’ve been under 4 seconds at the Thomas & Mack,” Buhler said.

Richard is 10th in the header world standings with $155,448 and Buhler is 11th in the heeler standings with $156,386.

Bull rider Trey Holston tops Round 9

NFR newcomer Trey Holston got to experience the glory of being a round winner.

Holston recorded an 89.5-point ride on Salt River Rodeo’s Belly Dump to win Round 9.

“It’s one thing to come in feeling fresh and how we want to with all this time to prepare,” Holston said. “What they don’t teach you is when you’re in Round 8, 9, 10 and you’re sore. It’s about clearing your stuff out and giving your best effort. To come out and get a go-round win, I’m feeling blessed.”

Surviving the marathon – known as the NFR – has been quite the experience for Holston.

“I feel like I’ve been an example of the test this week puts you through,” Holston said. “It’s been tough, it’s a long week. I felt the best I could coming in here and there’s just some things you can’t experience without being out here in Las Vegas at the NFR. Being this far and healthy, I’m happy. I have my family here, my friends here and now with a go-round win and a little money in my pocket. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Holston is ninth in the world standings with $164,362.

Barrel racer Hailey Kinsel wins Round 9, takes standings lead

Hailey Kinsel is on pace to win her fourth world title in five years.

The Texas cowgirl moved into first place in the world standings with – $266,263 – after winning Round 9 at 13.34 seconds. That was the fastest run of the 2022 NFR and it also set the new Round 9 record. It was held by Kinsel at 13.40 seconds in 2018.

“My horse (Sister) was just feeling it tonight,” Kinsel said. “She was kind of doing everything fast; we even warmed-up fast. She was shaking her head in the alley thinking, ‘just let me at them.’ She nailed her first barrel and that was something we’ve been working on so once we got through that, we were flying.”

Kinsel welcomes the atmosphere of competing in the Thomas & Mack Center.

“Knowing that when you get into the arena, you hear so much,” Kinsel said. “It becomes sensory overload. It’s kind of strange that she knows when it’s coming so we’re always aware of that. Of course, when you’re at the NFR, you have to appreciate your time here. It’s about feeling appreciative and grateful for the opportunity because you’re never sure when you’re going to be back.

“Winning definitely never gets old. It’s exciting, it’s truly an honor. That’s the best way I can describe it. I’m thankful for a great horse in Sister that gives me the opportunity to win as much as I do.”

Courtesy of the PRCA

Add another line to the ever-growing impressive resume of Stetson Wright.

Wright, with his 88-point winning bull ride on Dakota Rodeo’s Pookie Holler, became the youngest cowboy in PRCA history to surpass the $2 million dollar mark in career earnings.

Wright, who is 23 years-old and 240 days, upped his unofficial career earnings to $2,050,520.

“Every goal to me is just as important. To cross that $2 million dollar mark, it’s special,” Wright said. “I’m speechless. When I hear something like that, it makes me emotional. I’m the luckiest guy on the planet and I can’t be thankful enough for how these last four years have gone.”

Wright, who joined the PRCA in 2018, has won five world titles – three in all-around (2019-21) and one in bull riding (2020) and one in saddle bronc riding (2021).

Wright earned $49,666 with his bull riding victory and $7,462 by placing fifth in saddle bronc riding with his 85-point ride on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Cancun Moon.

“He’s a good bull, he’s an awkward build and bucking bull so you have to ride him really funky,” Wright said. “I’ve never had to ride a bull the way I rode him.”

“It gives you a lot of momentum and the confidence is everything. This was the eliminator pen for us. For Ky (Hamilton, who had a 77-point ride) and me to ride these top-ranked bulls, it gives you the thought that ‘you should be able to ride all of the bulls.’ Right now, I feel 10-feet tall and bulletproof. I’m sure Ky feels the same way.”

Tie-down roper Caleb Smidt makes it two in a row

Tie-down roper Caleb Smidt keeps on winning. After capturing Round 1 with a 7.5-second run he added the Round 2 victory with an even quicker 7.2-second run.

In two nights, Smidt has earned $57,827 and is second in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $217,343. He trails leader Shad Mayfield by $19,016.

“There’s truly no words to describe it, there’s no other feeling like it,” said Smidt about his winning ways.

After winning Round 1, Smidt was able to slow everything down.

“I just came back tonight and did my job, I tried not to think too much about it,” said Smidt, 33.

Smidt was to the point when talking about his game plan for the remainder of the NFR.

“I’m going to do the same thing I did the last two nights,” he said. “As long as I keep having fun and keep my steps simple, it’ll be a lot of fun here.”

Bareback rider Leighton Berry gets first career NFR round win

At the 2020 Wrangler NFR, Leighton Berry was on the cusp of a round win placing second three times.

Berry doesn’t have to wait any longer for NFR glory.

The Weatherford, Texas, cowboy had an 86.5-point ride on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Top Egyptian to win Round 2.

“Man, it feels like a weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Berry, 23. “I won second in Round 2, 3 and 4 in Arlington (Texas, at the 2020 Wrangler NFR) and I have just been craving to get one of those buckles and to finally have one means the world to me. It feels great to win (a round in Las Vegas). I have been dreaming of this since I was a little kid.”

Berry was no stranger to Top Egyptian.

“What’s funny is I was first out on the San Angelo (Texas) Chute-Out (in April) on that horse, and I thought I made an even better ride then and I was only 86,” Berry said. “That horse is phenomenal. Cullen Pickett, I can’t say enough about him, he raises such great bucking horses and takes time with them. Every time I have one by my name, I get full of jitters. I love getting on Cullen Pickett bucking horses.”

Veteran steer wrestler Hunter Cure grabs Round 2 victory

Steer wrestler Hunter Cure is no stranger to NFR success as he has walked away with PRCA World Championships in 2013 and 2015.

Cure, of Holliday, Texas, returned to the Wrangler NFR for the first time since 2019 and was taking a victory lap after Round 2 with a 3.7-second time.

“I got such an aggressive start, I felt like I broke out and at most rodeos, I would have,” said Cure, a six-time NFR qualifier in 2009, 2013, 2015, 2018-19. “The steer got out fast and really didn’t have a chance to build up a lot of speed, so he didn’t handle it as well as some of the others, but it worked and first is first and now on to the next one.”

Cure, a savvy veteran, believes he now has his emotions in check.

“The first round always seems to get to me, not sure what it is but otherwise, nerves aren’t an issue,” Cure said.

Saddle bronc rider Lefty Holman captures first career round win

The charismatic Lefty Holman couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.

The Visalia, Calif., cowboy was grinning ear-to-ear after winning Round 2 with an 87-point ride on Four Star Rodeo’s Wall Street.

“It truly is the best feeling in the world,” Holman said. “When you work so hard to get here and then you are able to succeed here, it’s the best. I’m blessed with a great support system and super grateful for it.”

Holman was riding Wall Street for the third time which helped his cause.

“Yeah, that’s a California buckin’ horse. It’s a cool deal that is going on and definitely a win I will never forget,” Holman said.

Holman made his NFR debut in 2022 in Arlington, Texas, and he was thrilled to be in the yellow bucking chutes in Vegas.

“Everything is just right on top of you. The energy in there is something that I’ve never felt,” Holman said. “My heart was pounding when I got off. I looked up and my parents were hollering. It just feels like there’s people breathing down your neck. It’s the craziest feeling in the world.”

Team ropers Smith/Long top Round 2

Team roping header Clay Smith broke his right leg on June 28, but he was bound and determined to qualify for the Wrangler NFR with his then recently acquired partner Jake Long.

That mission was accomplished and on Thursday the duo added a Round 2 win to their accolades.

“It’s good. Good to catch one. There’s enough money to where every round means something so it’s good to get it started,” Smith said.

Long is thrilled to be teamed up with Smith, a two-time world champ in 2018 and 2019.

“Well, I think a great header like him (Clay Smith) isn’t going to miss very often,” Long said. “I was as shocked as anybody when that first one (rope) didn’t stay on (in Round 1). I wasn’t very worried about it happening too often.”

After an injury-riddled regular season, Smith pointed out the reasons to his late-season surge.

“I had a horse that really helped and Jake that didn’t mess up so that was the key,” Smith said.

Long, a 12-time NFR qualifier, is excited to be roping in the Thomas & Mack Center.

“Well, I think it’s always fit me because I like to be aggressive,” he said. “As a heeler, it’s about getting out there and getting to your spot fast enough. To get into a spot where you can do it fast enough without affecting the steer, that’s the challenge.”

Smith has mapped out a strategy moving forward.

“That’s something we’ve talked about. I’m going to try my best to give him something to win on the 10th round because since I’ve been here, it’s always come down to the last steer,” Smith said. “We’re going to have to be pretty aggressive from here on out. I’m just hoping I set him up.”

Barrel racer Hailey Kinsel takes Round 2 victory

Barrel racer Hailey Kinsel flexed her muscles with a 13.61-second run to take the Round 2 crown.

“It’s always a great crowd on a Friday night at the Thomas & Mack. I just changed a couple of things about my approach into the first barrel and everything else stayed just about the same. We got in the flow, and it felt good.”

The margins in barrel racing are razor thin so she made adjustments for Round 2.

“It does just a tiny bit. It feels enough out-of-whack that you have to jump over an additional hump. Luckily, we smoothed that out tonight. My horse (Sister) is so fast and she allowed me not to make many mistakes. She pushes me to be better every night.

“It’s special, it’s tiny, and it’s a lot of energy packed into one little place. It’s a rush like you’d never feel anywhere else.”

Bull rider Reid Oftedahl suffers injury in Round 2

Bull rider Reid Oftedahl was injured during Round 2 while aboard Rafter H Rodeo Livestock’s Under the Influence. Oftedahl, who is Raymond, Minn., was thrown forward and hit the bull’s head and tossed to the arena dirt.

Oftedahl, who was wearing a helmet, was diagnosed with a closed head injury by the Justin Sports Medicine Team and was transported for further evaluation.

Courtesy of PRCA