BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The past week in professional rodeo saw an arena record fall, more sweeps in San Antone, and a rodeo legend continue to find his form again.
With San Antonio in full swing and two rodeos that paid $100,00+ in the Southeast - the Silver Spurs in Florida and Dixie National in Mississippi - finishing up over the weekend, there’s plenty of notes to get through.
- Breakaway roper Kelsie Domer set the arena record in San Antonio. The Los Fresnos, Texas native was 1.6 in Round 3 of Bracket 4 to win $2,000 and advance to the Semifinals. She also made the Finals in Fort Worth. The previous arena record was 1.7.
- 2021 World Champions Kaycee Feild and Jordon Briggs dominated San Antonio Bracket 4. In the bareback riding, Kaycee Feild won $7,250 for winning two rounds and splitting first in another. The defending San Antonio champion made three rides marked between 85 and 87 points. In barrel racing, Jordon Briggs won all three rounds outright with three straight runs faster than 14 seconds. Her fastest came in Round 3 and at 13.77 seconds, it was the second-fastest of the rodeo so far.
- JB Mauney won two rodeos over the weekend. After getting on just 18 bulls in 2022 and riding only three of them, JB Mauney looks much more like the guy who made the 2021 NFR in 2023. Mauney was 87 tie for the top spot at the Dixie National Rodeo and won the Silver Spurs Rodeo with 90.5. Those two wins paid him a combined $8,517. Mauney is 5-for-12 with an average score of 86.6.
- Keenan Hayes also won two rodeos over the weekend. Hayes has been a fixture in the Top 5 of the PRCA Bareback Riding World Standings this year and is up to No. 3 after winning a pair of Florida rodeos, the Silver Spurs and the Brighton Field Day. Hayes is 26-for-26 this season and 22 of those rides have been 80 points or better.
- Bracket 4, Round 2 of team roping was the fastest of the 12 performances so far in San Antonio. The team roping has been good throughout San Antonio, but Bracket 4, Round 2 was the best yet. The winning time was 3.7 seconds (by Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord), which was the second-fastest of the rodeo, and it required a 4.3 or better to get paid, which made for the fastest fourth place time in any round. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, Shay Carroll/Evan Arnold, Tanner James/Billie Jack Saebens and Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord advanced out of Bracket 4.
- Ben Andersen banked $11,750 on four rides last week. Andersen made three straight rides of 82 points or better to register two first place finishes and a third place finish in Bracket 4 in San Antonio. He also went 90 on Ragin’ Lunatic to win the Dixie National Rodeo, which paid $5,750. Andersen is now No. 11 in the PRCA Saddle Bronc Riding World Standings.
- Brandon Harrison was 4.0 or faster on all three of his runs in Bracket 4. The 33-year-old is looking to make his first NFR after moving to No. 12 in the PRCA Steer Wrestling World Standings by winning $7,250 already in San Antone. In addition to runs of 3.7, 3.8 and 4.0 in San Antonio, Harrison has also made runs of 3.4 and 3.6 seconds this season.
- Sage Newman has made nine consecutive rides of 85 points or more. After entering the NFR No. 1 in 2022, the Montana saddle bronc rider looks poised for another big year. Every single ride he has made since the National Western Semifinals has been 85+ and in that timeframe, he has made more than $12,000 and made his way up to No. 6 in the world.