Rodeo Recap: March 4 - 10

Texas-Sized Payouts Continue in the Lone Star State with Three Mega-Rodeos Underway

Author

Sydney Butler
March 12, 2024

This past weekend at Globe Life Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the baseball field was replaced with arena floors and bucking chutes for The American Rodeo. The American is an unsanctioned rodeo with a unique format and a grand prize of $1 million. While this newsletter specifically focuses on PRCA rodeos, we’d be remiss to not mention one of the most infamous rodeos of the year!

Congratulations to this year’s champions, and a special congratulations to Brandon Cullins, the first male barrel racer to win the event in The American’s 10 year history and the winner of the million dollar cash prize.

Let’s take a look at more semifinals qualifiers from Super Series 3 and 4 from RODEOHOUSTON!

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RODEOHOUSTON Super Series

Nearly two weeks of rodeo are complete inside the NRG Stadium at RODEOHOUSTON with just a handful of final performances left to go. And 20 days of competition in Houston will inevitably shift the standings; this year’s RODEOHOUSTON boasts a payout of roughly $2 million.

Fun Fact

Last year, RODEOHOUSTON had the highest payout of any rodeo in the PRCA’s regular season.

Super Series Three and Four are now complete at RODEOHOUSTON. Let’s take a look at some of the semifinals qualifiers:.

Bareback

  • NFR qualifier Jacob Lees; finished 2023 11th in the standings

  • 2022 World Champion and 4x NFR qualifier, Jesse Pope; finished 2023 2nd in the world

  • 3x NFR qualifier, Leighton Berry; finished 2023 6th

  • Cooper Cooke; currently 3rd in the ’24 world standings and winner of the 2024

Wilderness Circuit Finals Rodeo Bareback

  • 10x NFR qualifier, Caleb Bennett

Steer Wrestling

  • Walt Arnold; currently 8th in the ’24 standings

  • NFR qualifier Dalton Massey; finished 2023 2nd in the world and is currently 2nd in the 2024 world standings after winning the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

  • 6x NFR qualifier and 2021 NFR Average Champion, Will Lummus; finished ’23 10th in the world and is currently leading the ’24 world standings

  • 5x NFR qualifier, Jacob Talley; finished ’23 14th and is currently 4th in the ’24 standings

  • 5x NFR qualifier, Blake Knowles

Team Roping

  • NFR qualifier, header Marcus Theriot is currently ranked 6th in the world; his heeler NFR qualifier, Cole Curry is currently 5th . Both finished 2023 ranked 15th in the world.

  • 7x NFR qualifier, header Cody Snow is currently 5th in the ’24 standings; 3x NFR qualifier, heeler Hunter Koch is currently 4 th in the heeler world standings

  • 2x World Champion, 3x NFR Average Champion and 15x NFR qualifier, header Chad Masters with heeler Wyatt Cox

Saddle Bronc

  • NFR qualifier, Damian Brennan; finished 2023 5th in the world and is currently 2nd in the ’24 standings

  • 4x NFR qualifier, Logan Medlin; finished ’23 11th

  • 4x World Champion, 3x NFR Average Champion and 9x NFR qualifier, Zeke Thurston; Thurston is the reigning World Champion and is currently 12th in the standings

  • 2x NFR qualifier, Ben Andersen; finished 2023 13th

  • 2014 World Champion and NFR Average Champion, 4x NFR qualifier, Spencer Wright

Tie Down

  • NFR qualifier, Macon Murphy; currently 10th in the world

  • 9x NFR qualifier, Marty Yates Oklahoma cowboy, Chance Thiessen is currently 6th after winning the Tie Down at the 2024 Wilderness Circuit Finals Rodeo

  • 5x NFR qualifier, Ty Harris; finished 2023 13th and is currently 9th

  • 2017 World Champion and 4x NFR qualifier, Marcos Costa

Barrel Racing

  • 4x NFR qualifier, Kassie Mowry; finished 2023 6th and is currently 4th in the ’24 standings

  • Sara Winkelman is currently leading the 2024 world standings

  • 4x World Champion, NFR Average Champion and 7x NFR qualifier, Hailey Kinsel; Kinsel finished 13th in 2023 and is currently 3rd

  • 4x NFR qualifier, Shelley Morgan; currently 14th in the ’24 standings

  • 2x NFR qualifier, Sissy Winn; ended 2023 11th in the world and is now 11th in 2024

Bull Riding

  • NFR qualifier, Trevor Reiste

  • 3x NFR qualifier, Creek Young; finished 6th in 2023 and is currently 2nd in the ’24 standings

  • 3x NFR qualifier, Tyler Bingham

  • 3x NFR qualifier, Trey Kimzey; ended 2023 5th in the world

  • Louisiana cowboy, Jace Trosclair is currently 9th in the world

Breakaway

  • NFBR qualifier, Kendal Pierson; finished 2023 12th

  • NFBR qualifier, Martha Angelone; finished 2023 3rd and is currently 13th in the world

  • NFBR qualifier, Hali Williams; finished 2nd in the world in ’23

  • 3x NFBR qualifier, Taylor Munsell; ended 7th in the 2023 world standings and is currently 10th

  • Wyoming cowgirl, Willow Wilson sits 12th in the ’24 world standings

Super Series Five finishes this week at RODEOHOUSTON, followed by the Wildcard round, the semifinals and Championship Saturday.

Bronc Riders Head South to Arcadia, Florida for More Success Amid RODEOHOUSTON!

Bareback rider, Nick Pelke qualified for the semifinals at RODEOHOUSTON during the first Super Series. While he awaits his chance at a share of over $2 million in added money during the semifinals in Texas, Pelke competed at the 96th Annual Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo over the weekend. He scored 87.5 to win the rodeo and another check just shy of $5,000.

Pelke is currently 13th in the Bareback World Standings.

Saddle Bronc rider, Damian Brennan also qualified for the RODEOHOUSTON semifinals during the third Super Series. He, too, nodded his head in Arcadia, FL and covered his bronc for 85.5, enough to pick him up the win.

Brennan finished 5th last year after his first NFR and is currently 2nd in the Saddle Bronc standings.

Both bronc riders are having a knock-out start to 2024! As they head back to NRG Stadium for the semifinals, a qualifying ride to the Championships is looking promising for both riders!

Rodeo Austin – Next Up in Texas’ Winter Rodeo Run

From San Antonio to Fort Worth then to Houston, now it’s Austin’s turn to rodeo in Texas. The two-week rodeo may not boast the million dollar payouts of the formers, however $350,000 in added money plus its proximity to Houston puts Rodeo Austin on the map for many of the PRCA and WPRA’s best.

Already, 2x NFR qualifier, Cole Franks leads the Bareback after an 89 point ride on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s, Amped Up. Three sets of team ropers are tied for the lead with a 4.2 second run. 5x NFR qualifier, Rusty Wright heads up the Saddle Bronc and your 7th ranked Barrel Racer, Taylor Carver leads both rounds after a 15.41 and 15.44 second run.

With RODEOHOUSTON drawing to a conclusion this week, big names and even bigger talent are set to arrive on the day sheets in Austin.

Check back next week and each week thereafter for all the highlights on your favorite contestants as they work their way down the 2024 rodeo road!

- Richard S.

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