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Kaycee Feild left the 2021 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo after becoming the PRCA’s all-time leader in bareback riding world titles with six.

A year later, he shows no signs of slowing down.

Feild had an 87.5-point ride on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’ Bronc Riding Nation to win Round 1 of the 2022 Wrangler NFR presented by Teton Ridge before 16,929 spectators Thursday at the Thomas & Mack Center.

“I don’t care who you are or how good you are when you come to this NFR the first round you always have the jitters, you always have that little buzz and butterflies in your gut,” Field said. “I don’t think you question your preparation but when you get here, and you rode the horse to your expectations it makes the week way more fun. It gives you a lot more confidence.”

Feild, who has won the last two world championships, increased his PRCA record to 28 NFR bareback riding wins.

“It’s weird coming here as many times as I have, and you are focusing on being strong and doing everything perfect,” Feild said, “You have to ride each horse for what they are and wow the judges. They are human and the crowd also plays into it. I’m just going to keep on doing my job each and every round.”

Dating back to the 2021 Wrangler NFR Feild has won five of the last 11 rounds.

Saddle bronc rider Sage Newman keeps rolling into NFR

Saddle bronc rider Sage Newman had a dream regular season earning a PRCA record $253,191.

Well, that definitely wasn’t a fluke.

Newman had an 89-point ride on Big Stone Rodeo Inc.’s Rubels to win Round 1.

“It’s great. There’s nothing better than this place here,” Newman said. “It makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up and it’s a lot of fun. You can’t beat it.”

With the target on his back as the world standings leader, Newman is keeping things in perspective.

“Oh, yeah for sure. There’s a lot of money to be won here and a lot of good guys behind me so I’m just going out there doing my job, let the chips fall where they may, and keep my steps simple,” Newman said. “I look up to all of these guys. Even though some of them are my same age, the group of talent here this year is unreal. There’s a lot of young guns coming up and it definitely lights a fire in your gut.”

Bull rider Tristen Hutchings makes splash in NFR debut

No matter what bull rider Tristen Hutchings does the rest of his ProRodeo career he will never forget Dec. 1, 2022.

In Round 1 of his Wrangler NFR debut, Hutchings won with a 90.5-point ride on Stockyards ProRodeo’s Party Animal.

“Well, it was only about five minutes ago so I’m still worked up about it,” Hutchings said. “But I’ve been having a blast riding at the Thomas & Mack. It’s crazy here and when you dream about it as a little kid, it’s everything and that.”

Hutchings, 22, acknowledged everything seemed like a blur to him.

“When I climb down in there, it’s just me,” he said. “There isn’t anything that happened before me and there isn’t anything going to happen after me. Another thing here is it’s rolling so fast. I mean, you are in the bucking chutes two (rides) before and they are rolling through it, so I didn’t get a chance to see anyone ride before me. I knew I had to do my job, ride my bull, and you can re-watch it afterwards.

“I never got a good seat on him. If you’re 90 points, it should be pretty wild. It felt like I was getting bucked off right out of there and I just kept cutting him off. It felt good. It felt wild and I guess it looked pretty decent. I never got the chance to see it so I’m excited to go back to the locker room and watch it.”

Steer wrestler Nick Guy returns to NFR with a bang with Round 1 win

Steer wrestler Nick Guy was making his first trip back to the Wrangler NFR in four years and made up for lost time.

NEWS: 2022 NFR 1st Go-Round Results

“Honestly, I’ve been looking forward to this run for a long time,” said Guy, 38. “Missing it (the NFR) for a few years after you’ve made it quite a few times is a hard pill to swallow. To come back here, the first night, and take the opportunity and try to start the week hot is what my plan was. I talked to a few people today and told them to be ready to go to the South Point (Casino). I had this in my mind, and it all came together. Steer wrestling, you think about, put a plan together, and act. It happens so fast that if you try to make it happen, things go awry.”

Guy, who came in No. 15 in the PRCA | RAM World Standings, said it was to get this confidence boost.

“It’s huge. I’ve been here on both sides of the spectrum,” Guy said. “I’ve been here and won the first round before, won 2nd the second round and just kept rolling. And I’ve been here where the first round hasn’t gone well. You just have to take one run at a time. If you’re looking back at the last one, you’re already in your way for the next one. You have to roll with the punches a little bit. You’re not going to win every night, but you have to take advantage when you can and have fun. More than anything, I’m here this year to have fun.”

Team ropers Dees/Lord cash in for Round 1 victory
It didn’t take long for team ropers Jr. Dees/Levi Lord to cash in at the 2022 Wrangler NFR.

The duo recorded a 4.3-second run to capture the Round 1 win.

“It was awesome. I was a little nervous back there,” Dees said. “When you first do it, you don’t really believe it’s happening until it actually comes to you. I wanted to start off this year just trying to turn the steers and not be too aggressive with too much rope out. I aim to give Levi a good shot at it every time.

“I’m pumped about it. I’m just going to keep doing the same thing for ten days. I’m going to show up, on time and be ready.”

Lord also took a moment to talk about his NFR mindset.

“That’s what I said earlier. Everybody just wants to win a check and to win the first-place check is just that much sweeter,” Lord said. “It gets everything on track for the rounds ahead. You come out here with such high hopes and to win X-amount of dollars. To knock out a go-round win like this and to get started like that, can’t beat it.”

Tie-down roper Caleb Smidt keeps on winning at NFR

The Wrangler NFR has basically been a personal playground for tie-down roper Caleb Smidt.

The Bellville, Texas, cowboy has won world championships and NFR average crowns three times each in 2015, 2018 and 2021.

Smidt was back in Vegas Thursday and was as good as ever, clocking a 7.5-second run to take the Round 1 title.

“It felt really good to get this win and start off the NFR this way,” Smidt said. “I was riding Pockets like have been the last seven years here. I have a great horse.”

Being an eight-time NFR qualifier and three-time world champ Smidt knows how to control his emotions on this big stage.

“It is just another rodeo; I try and stay thinking like that. I just keep trying to make good runs and I have a great support team with my family behind me,” Smidt said.

Barrel racer Wenda Johnson grabs Round 1 glory

Barrel racer Wenda Johnson seems to have a liking to Thomas & Mack Center and that was evident Thursday.

Johnson clocked a 13.57-second run to win the Round 1 title.

“Absolutely. I love being everywhere,” she said. “It doesn’t matter the size, the shape. I just enjoy riding horses; I enjoy going fast and Moe did that for me tonight.”

When Johnson prepares to compete at the NFR she aims to focus on the job at hand.

“I’ve learned to block that out a long time ago (the crowd),” Johnson said. “So, that’s not something that is a factor for me. I do believe the horses feel it and now that I’ve developed both of my horses, they both love a crowd. I have definitely noticed this big improvement in front of a crowd that both of them feel that energy, look forward to it, and I think it does feed how quick they run.

“Moe is really easy to ride. He is really quick so if I do have to make any adjustments, it has to be really quick, and I give it back to him quick. That was a nice, smooth run for him. The last runs I made on him over a month ago were an NFR mock race and it felt very similar to those practice runs that I made. Soft, to his points. It’s my job as a jockey to get him all the way around his spots.”

Courtesy of PRCA

For the first time, The Cowboy Channel will feature a series of Rodeo Deep Dive Panel discussions during its NFR Tailgate Party on the Ariat Rodeo Live Stage. The daily panels will start at 1:55 p.m. daily at The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas and feature a variety of current and former Wrangler National Finals Rodeo® champions, legends in the sport, industry leaders and many more.

The NFR Tailgate Party, which runs from 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. each day, will focus on the Rodeo Deep Panels starting at 1:55 p.m. Hosted by Fanchon Stinger and Katy Lucas, the panels will delve into the personalities and behind-the-scenes stories and experiences that shape the world of rodeo.

The Rodeo Deep Dive Panel discussions will include the following themes and special guests:
Thursday, Dec. 1 – Theme: Bull Riding Kingpins
Featuring Josh Frost, Tuff Hedeman and Sage Kimzey

Friday, Dec. 2 – Theme: Three Generations of Steiner Family Tradition
Featuring Rocker Steiner, Sid Steiner and Bobby Steiner

Saturday, Dec. 3 – Theme: Keepers of the Rodeo Records Flame
Featuring Trevor Brazile, Ty Murray and Stetson Wright

Sunday, Dec. 4 – Theme: Rodeo Committee Roundup
Featuring Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo (David Petty of Claremore, Oklahoma), Pendleton Round-Up (Nick Sirovatka of Pendleton, Oregon) and Days of ’76 Rodeo (Ted Thompson of Deadwood, South Dakota)

Monday, Dec. 5 – Theme: Living Legends of Barrel Racing
Featuring Lisa Lockhart, Sherry Cervi and Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi

Tuesday, Dec. 6 – Theme: Bullfighting GOATS
Featuring Rob Smets, Joe Baumgartner and Dusty Tuckness

Wednesday, Dec. 7 – Theme: Rodeo Royals Talk Rodeo Business, Then, Now and Into the Future
Featuring Donnie Gay, Kirsten Vold and Reno Rosser

Thursday, Dec. 8 – Theme: Rodeo’s Big Men Bulldoggers
Featuring Ote Berry, Luke Branquinho and Tyler Waguespack

Friday, Dec. 9 – Theme: Rodeo Family Ties
Featuring Dakota Eldridge, Lefty Holman and Dawson Hay

Saturday, Dec. 10 – Thank God for Magnificent Mentors
Featuring Marty Yates, JJ Hampton and Kincade Henry

Each day, the Ariat Rodeo Live Stage also will feature additional programming (all times PT and subject to change):

• RMEF Calcutta – starting at 10 a.m.
• Cowboy Revival with hosts Shane Minor and Alecia Davis – starting at 11 a.m.
• Outside the Barrel with Flint Rasmussen – starting at 12:15 p.m.

Free to the public, Cowboy Christmas is open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (PT) daily at the Las Vegas Convention Center, South Halls and features more than 350 exhibitors and interactive elements for rodeo fans.

Sold out for more than 340 consecutive performances in Las Vegas, the Wrangler NFR attracts the top 15 contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding (there will be 16 contestants in bull riding in 2022). Under the new contract with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association that runs through 2025, the purse in 2022 is more than $10.9 million. Qualification is based on the 2022 PRCA World Standings.

For more information on the Wrangler NFR and The Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas, please visit NFRexperience.com or through social media at /LasVegasNFR and use #WranglerNFR. For the latest Pro Rodeo news and Wrangler NFR coverage, please visit watchnfr.com or through social media at @PRCA_ProRodeo.

Las Vegas Events announced today that Tim Keener will become the new president of the organization, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Keener currently serves as the vice president of event and ticket operations for LVE.

Keener will replace its long-tenured president Pat Christenson who will transition to a consultant role to the Las Vegas Events Board of Trustees through 2023.

“Tim brings a wealth of experience, leadership skills and institutional knowledge to the position,” said LVE Board of Trustees Chairman Bill McBeath. “For more than 21 years, Las Vegas Events has enjoyed tremendous continuity and success under the direction of Pat Christenson. Our expectation is that Tim will continue to build on the core tenets of the organization and lead it into the future.”

Keener, a native of West Virginia and a graduate from West Virginia University with both an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Sports Administration, has extensive experience in the development, operation and management of special events.

In 1988, Keener began his career in sports management in Charlotte, where he spent the next six years working at Raycom Sports and GNI Sports. While at Raycom Sports and GNI Sports, he served in a variety of roles overseeing the operation and execution of numerous collegiate football and basketball events.

In 1994, Keener moved across town to ESPN Regional Television where he worked for nearly eight years in the management and operations of various special events, including collegiate basketball, football and golf events. During his time at ERT, he developed extensive experience in the television production of special events.

While at ERT, Keener was responsible for coordinating the Las Vegas Showdown, a collegiate basketball event which included UNLV as the anchor team. It was during this time that Keener developed a relationship with Christenson and UNLV, as well as the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. This relationship led Keener to Las Vegas after being hired by Christenson at LVE in 2001.

For more than 21 years at LVE, Keener has been responsible for the administration and operation of all company-related events pertaining to operational planning, event ticketing, sponsor fulfillment and sales and game day-execution. Most notably, Keener has overseen the planning and execution of a variety of events, including the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo®, the Cowboy Channel Cowboy Christmas, FEI World Cup Jumping and Dressage Finals, SCORE Off-Road Racing, USA Men’s Basketball Training Camp and Exhibition, the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Championship and several NCAA Championship events (2008 USA Olympic Wrestling and Judo Trials).

In particular, Keener’s role with the Wrangler NFR has allowed him to work closely with General Manager Allen Rheinheimer, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Thomas & Mack Center senior staff on many aspects of the production and operation of the event. During his tenure, he has coordinated the front of house setup, shuttle bus operations, the outside interactive plaza, installation of on-site branding and the management of both the Cowboy Corral and Ace’s High Saloon & Exhibit. Keener’s department also oversees all aspects of event ticketing for the NFR.

In addition, Keener has led LVE’s coordination of the America’s Party citywide pyrotechnic display on New Year’s Eve and currently oversees the NCAA Championship bid process that takes place every four years. Through this relationship with the NCAA, Keener will manage the 2026 NCAA Frozen Four Hockey Finals that was awarded to the destination.

Tim makes his home in Las Vegas with his wife, Bridget. Their son, Tim, Jr., is a teacher in the Clark County School District.

Courtesy of NFR Experience

Cody Ohl made a name for himself in the ProRodeo ranks in 1994 by winning the PRCA Rookie of the Year and punching his ticket to his first National Finals Rodeo.

It would take Ohl a few years to win his first gold buckle. He edged out Fred Whitfield to capture the 1997 PRCA Tie-Down Roping World Championship by a mere $5,031. To prove that first win was no fluke, Ohl roared through 1998 and captured a second title.

His illustrious career continued for almost two more decades and saw him get inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 2020. His sixth and final PRCA gold buckle came back in 2006. Riding his star-studded horse, Luke, he put together a dominant performance at the NFR.

That year in Las Vegas, Ohl would place in nine out of the 10 rounds, which included winning four of them outright. He wrapped up the 2006 season with $298,112 in season earnings, he added $132,652 to his name at the Thomas & Mack Center alone.

Ohl still holds the NFR arena record with Trevor Brazile. He clocked a 6.5-second run in Round 10 of the Finals in 2003 and went on to win the world the same season.

He entered into an elite group of cowboys in 2012, when he passed the $3 million earnings mark. He is tied for second all-time with Fred Whitefield for the most NFR qualifications in the tie-down roping with 20.

Courtesy of PRCA

The competitiveness that Tim O’Connell has in his soul is one reason why he’s a three-time world champion and is always a contender to add more gold buckles to his collection.

It’s what drives him and makes him push himself beyond the limits. It’s why he will return to the National Finals Rodeo for the ninth consecutive year. He will be in the mix for another bareback riding title when he arrives for the 10-day rodeo, set for Dec. 1-10 in Las Vegas.

His nature, though, tends to add an element that takes away from the enjoyment of the occasion. It’s the richest rodeo in the world with a payout of $1.4 million. Go-round winners will collect nearly $29,000 each night. With that comes a bit of a burden to excel.

“Until you get into a world-title race, it’s hard to describe the pressure you feel and that you put on yourself,” said O’Connell, 31, originally from Zwingle but now living in Marshall, Missouri, with his wife and two sons, Hazen and Stratten. “It’s one thing to make the NFR, but it’s another thing to be in a world-title race.

“I put an exceptional amount of pressure on me to be perfect, so that makes those 10 days very stressful.”

That changed with the sudden thump at last year’s finale. Big Stone Rodeo’s Mayhem bucked O’Connell off during Night 7 of the 2021 NFR, officially ending his hopes of walking away with another Montana Silversmiths gold buckle.

“One of the best things that ever happened to me in my career to this point was getting bucked off in Round 7,” said O’Connell, who credits a great deal of his success to his sponsors, Treetop Ranches, Frontier Rodeo Coffee, 12 Gauge Ranch, Polaris, Panhandle Rock and Roll Clothing, Justin Boots, Veach’s Custom Leather, Ingram Quarter Horses, MRT Racing Tires, Capri Campers, Twin Cities Featherlight, American Hat Co., Windmill Ceiling Fans, Farm Girl Marketing Solutions, Kleinschmidt Western Wear and Ranch Interior Designs.

“I had built up a lot of anger from what happened in 2020. When that horse put me on the ground, the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders. I really enjoyed the last three go-rounds of the NFR. I didn’t have anything to lose. There was nothing that made me anxious about the draws. I joked a lot more in the locker room, and I really seemed to enjoy the finals for the first time.”

That episode did more than change his behavior last year. It carried over into the 2022 regular season, and he’s expecting it to ride with him when he arrives in Las Vegas.

“I’m looking forward to coming into this finals and remembering what it was like to have enjoyment at the finals,” he said. “I expect to show up there and get myself into a world-title picture again, hoping I can get off to a hotter start than I normally do. This time, I don’t have the other 14 guys looking at me as the target. I’m the hunter.

“We have an outstanding group of bareback riders going to the finals. It’s fun rodeoing with these guys.”

O’Connell had another fantastic year. It started off a bit weak, and an injury he sustained a year ago in which his tailbone was removed was a cause of that. He was able to turn things around during the lucrative Fourth of July run, and he steamrolled through the next month and a half.

“I was back to riding how I expect to ride on a daily basis,” he said. “I was drawing great. The summer couldn’t have gone any better. It was close to 90 days where I felt like I could do no wrong. I had a great Calgary and finished third there. I went back-to-back in Cheyenne (Wyoming) to get my third Cheyenne saddle. I think I was placing wherever I went.”

He was in the middle of a race to see which bareback rider would lead the world standings with his traveling partner, Jess Pope, and Cole Reiner as they rolled through August.

“It was fun,” said O’Connell, who attended Iowa Central Community College before becoming an intercollegiate champion at Missouri Valley College. “It was really fun when we were within $300 of each other. It just made for a fun little race. It doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of it, but you are jockeying to see who’s going to be called No. 1 the next week. We just kept banging heads.”

He was on top of the world when he suffered a freak injury during a ride Aug. 23 in Kennewick, Washington. He suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb and underwent surgery two days later. In an injury called “skier’s thumb,” he had a Grade 3 tear, and surgery was the best choice. That ended his regular season, and he fell from atop the bareback riding mountain to to No. 4 with $137,760.

Now on the injured reserve for the second straight year, he watched as other cowboys passed him in the standings. Stress never entered the equation. He found the positives in what many would consider a negative situation. He and his wife, Sami, had welcomed baby Stratten into their family in April, and time at home meant time spent with his bride and their sons.

“Every time I left in the heart of the summer, Sami was left home with a 4-year-old and a newborn that didn’t want to sleep,” O’Connell said. “It was nice to be able to come home and give her some relief.

“Stratten might be the most chill child. The only time he fusses is when he’s hungry. We’re sleep-training now, but he didn’t sleep through the night for a while. Hazen loves him. Hazen took on the big-brother role as perfect as you could ask of a big brother.”

After weeks of rehabilitation and therapy, O’Connell got on his first horse in 11 weeks during an early November practice session. By the time he arrives in Las Vegas for opening night, he will have tried his repaired thumb at four horses and will have confidence in the digit’s reconstruction.

“I’m back on my spur board, I’m back in the gym again and I’m back on the bucking machine,” he said “Everything’s going ahead as planned … actually a little ahead of what I’d planned. I consult a lot with Shawn Scott (with the Justin Sportsmedicine team), and we’re very pleased. I got on that practice horse to see if my hand would hold together. Everything we wanted to do was a huge success.”

Through all the challenges he’s faced this year, O’Connell has found the blessings. Having surgery so quickly helped his rehab time, and getting to enjoy so much time with his family was good for his heart and soul.

But being away from the game he loves has served as another form of motivation for the three-time champ. He has his mind focused and is enjoying the game of rodeo. He’s ready to see what will happen during those magical 10 nights in the Nevada desert.

“The world title is anyone’s ballgame,” O’Connell said. “There’s not a single weak link in this group of 15 guys going to the finals. In my head, I see it being a 10-round war with five or six guys in it at the end.” He expects to be one of them.

Courtesy of twisTEDrodeo.com