Ky Hamilton returned and placed second in Round 6 after a scary wreck in Round 5. To the crowd’s surprise, Ky Hamilton returned to action in this morning’s performance. He didn’t miss a beat, going 85.5 points which was good for second place. Sage Kimzey and Josh Frost split the win with 86.5-point rides. Kimzey has moved into fourth place after earning over $125,000 in his last three rounds.
Saddle Bronc Riding is turning into a three-man race. Sage Newman leads the way but he has Zeke Thurston and Kade Bruno chasing him down. Thurston is just $6,000 back and Bruno is $13,000 back. Bruno took won Round 6 with an 88.5-point ride. Newman placed second and Thurston failed to place in the round.
Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi passes Hailey Kinsel’s season earnings record. Tonozzi has earned over $372,000 this season and is leading the average. She failed to place in Round 6, but didn’t knock a barrel and is still comfortably leading the World Title race.
Caleb Smidt makes it three round wins on Wednesday morning. Smidt has been on a tear at the 2023 NFR after his first round stumble. He has now won three rounds and his earnings have crept over the $100,000 mark at the NFR. His season earnings have topped $235,000 and he has jumped into fourth place in the PRCA World Standings.
Dalton Massey broke the barrier in Round 6 and has opened the door for his challengers. Massey was penalized after breaking the barrier and posted a 15.2 second time in Round 6. He is still in the average race and the projected World Champ, but his lead is shrinking. Jesse Brown and JD Struxness are hot on his heels as we head into Round No. 7.
NFR Round 7 Records:
Bareback Riding: 91.5 Points, Bobby Mote-2008, Clayton Biglow-2019
Saddle Bronc Riding: 92.5 Points, Zeke Thurston-2019
Bull Riding: 94.5 Points, J.W. Harris-2010
Steer Wrestling: 3.1 Seconds, Matt Reeves-2013
Team Roping: 3.6 Seconds, Derrick Begay & Cesar de la Cruz-2009, Clay Tryan & Travis Graves-2012, Trevor Brazile & Patrick Smith-2015, Cody Snow & Wesley Thorp-2019
Tie-Down Roping: 6.7 Seconds, Trevor Brazile-2007, Cody Ohl-2013, Matt Shiozawa-2015
Barrel Racing: 13.40 Seconds, Tillar Murray-2017
