Curtis Cassidy snuck into his eighth Wrangler National Finals Rodeo this year after being on the bubble at the end of the season. The No. 15 cowboy is no stranger to the bright lights of Las Vegas and neither is his horse, Tyson. Tyson was the Nutrena Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year and is Cassidy’s No. 1 horse going into the NFR.
This year, Cassidy brought in $66,943 and it started at Rodeo Rapid City. Cassidy was a 4.0 to pull his first check of the season before heading to Florida for the 93rd Annual Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo he was a 4.3 and cashed in $2,068.
At Lake Havasu Stampede, Cassidy walked away with the win after laying down a 3.8 second run. In Round 2 of the ABC Pro Rodeo (Texas), a 3.9 would get Cassidy third. He’d follow it up with a 4.3 to be fourth in Mineral Wells, Texas and a 3.8 to be fourth in Woodward, Oklahoma.
Cassidy would get another win at the Coleman PRCA Rodeo with a 3.9 second run. At the Greeley Stampede, a 3.7 was good enough for sixth and $1,786. But in Cassidy’s home place of Alberta during the Calgary Stampede, Cassidy raked in $11,500. He was a 4.4 in the first round to be third, a 4.2 to win Round 3 and a 4.7 to be fourth in the Round 4 of his pool.
After running a 3.9 and a 4.0 at the Snake River Stampede (Idaho), Cassidy kept adding to his earnings. He also brought home $2,745 from Cheyenne Frontier Days after placing in two rounds. He was a 3.6 to be second in Round 2 of the Farm-City Pro Rodeo (Oregon) and he followed it up with a 4.0 to win the Final Round of the Caldwell Night Rodeo (Idaho).
When it came to the end of the season, it was crunch time for Cassidy. He was on the bubble, but he didn’t give up. He was a 4.3 at Walla Walla Frontier Days to be third and he was a 4.0 at Evanston Cowboy Days to be fourth. Cassidy ended up third in Round 1 of the Pendleton Roundup and that added $3,073 to his earnings. He rounded out the season with a big win in Round 1 of California Rodeo Salinas when he stopped the clock at 5.3 second.
Cassidy waited until the end to cinch his spot at his eighth NFR but he got the job done. He’s coming in the No. 15 cowboy, but Cassidy has been here before. He knows the set up and he has the best horse underneath him. We can expect big things from Cassidy in Las Vegas.