BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Several recognizable bareback riders took time off in April and May to rest, but don’t expect that to be the case anymore as the summer run gets going.
While new blood in the NFR is expected every year, if winter was any indicator, that may not be the case in the bareback riding. The current Top 15 has 14 cowboys with NFR experience and 12 who have been multiple times.
Here is a full look at the PRCA Bareback Riding World Standings.
1. Jess Pope, $105,333
Pope has been nothing but dominant so far this season. After winning his second consecutive NFR Average buckle in December, he has won RodeoHouston, the High Desert Stampede, the All-Florida Championship Rodeo, Guymon Pioneer Days, and the Redding Rodeo. In May, he won nearly $11,000 on just four outs and won three rodeos.
2. Clayton Biglow, 60,899
Biglow has not been rodeoing much recently but when he does, he’s making it worthwhile. Since April 21, he has entered just four rodeos, but he won a check at all of them, winning one and finishing second at two others. So far, 22 of Biglow’s 45 qualified rides have gone for 85 or more points.
3. Cole Reiner, $57,889
Going through all of Reiner’s rides in 2022 makes it no secret why he is No. 3 in the World Standings, since RodeoHouston began on Feb. 28, he has had just one score less than 80 and six of 87 or better. In total, he has won checks on 14-of-18 outs since Houston.
4. Tanner Aus, $56,184
Aus was very active during Memorial Day Weekend. He went 5-for-5 and all three were marked 83.5 points or higher. Aus was the champion of the Will Rogers Stampede on May 29 and Back When They Bucked on May 30. Aus has won four rodeos in the month of May and has moved up five spots since in the World Standings since April 29.
5. Cole Franks, $55,727
Franks competed at just one rodeo in May and has not won a check since Clovis on April 24. He did, however, win the National Western and make the Short Round in both Austin and Fort Worth earlier in the year. Franks is averaging a 83.5 points per ride and has been bucked off just once in 2022.
6. Kaycee Feild, $51,110
Kaycee Feild believes in taking time off to limit the wear and tear on his body, so he has not rodeoed since Houston, which concluded in the middle of March. Feild set himself up for the summer run by winning San Antonio and Fort Worth.
7. Chad Rutherford, $50,828
Rutherford’s last seven outs, which date back to April 9 at the Riggin’ Rally, have all been 80.5 points or better and four have been marked 87 points or higher. In that timeframe, he has won more than $10,000.
8. Tim O’Connell, $48,786
In May, O’Connell only competed at Guymon Pioneer Days, where he finished fifth with an 85.5 point ride. Since March 10, O’Connell has 10 straight rides of 83.5 points or more.
9. Garrett Shadbolt, $45,565
Shadbolt has hit a bit of a rough patch as his last four rides have included three marked in the 70s and one buckoff. He did, however, win checks of at least $1,000 at three straight rodeos prior to his 70s streak.
10. Leighton Berry, $39,084
After injuries kept him out at the end of 2021, Berry looks poised to return to the NFR and is peaking at the right time. His last four outs, have all been marked 83.5 points or higher leading to a second place finish in Guymon, a third placed finish in Redding and w in at the Hood County Stampede in Grandbury, Texas. Berry is currently averaging 82.2 points per qualified ride.
11. Caleb Bennett, $38,923
Bennett has not competed since April 16 at the San Angelo Cinch Chute Out, but he is currently riding a streak of 13 straight rides in the 80s.
12. Mason Clements, $38,568
Clements has also not competed since the San Angelo Cinch Chute Out, but one of his most recent rides was a 90 at the Riggin’ Rally to win the Short Round and $10,000 in prize money. Bennett is averaging 82.6 points per qualified rides, which would be a career-high if he can keep up the pace.
13. Orin Larsen, $33,678
Larsen has looked really good since returning from a PCL injury suffered San Angelo at the beginning of April. In his first ride back, he finished second in Redding on May 21 to bank over $4,000 and then placed in both rounds at Back When They Bucked over Memorial Day Weekend. Despite being missing most of April and May, Larsen actually gained a spot in the World Standings as he was No. 14 at the time of his injury.
14. Rocker Steiner, $32,474
After a blazing hot start to his rookie season, Steiner has cooled down just a bit while on a limited schedule because of a knee injury suffered in the Championship Round of RodeoHouston. Since coming back in Clovis, he is 3-for-5 to win three checks totaling about $1,600.
15. R.C. Landingham, $30,933
Landingham entered three rodeos in May and placed in all of them, but unfortunately, his prize money for each was less than $1,000. Landingham likely won’t complain, because the money was enough to move him out of the dreaded No. 16 spot, which is where he started the month.
16. Wyatt Denny, $30,684
After winning just $553 at the first four rodeos he entered in May, Denny had a huge weekend at Back When They Bucked. He won over $3,500 thanks to a win in the Long Round and a third place finish in the Finals.
17. Ty Breuer, $28,026
Since April 1, Breuer has entered just four rodeos, but they’ve all been good to him. He pulled in checks at all four including $2,746 for a second place finish at The End of Trail Western Festival in Nebraska and $3,722 for a win at the MSU-Northern PRCA Xtreme Bares and Broncs Challenge.
18. Lane McGeehee, $27,543
McGeehee was 5-for-9 in May had one ride marked 80 points or higher. He has been able to keep pace in the standings having dropped just one spot since the beginning of May.
19. Jayco Roper, $26,161
Since May 20, Roper has entered five rodeos and won two of them, the Southern Indiana River City Rodeo on May 21 and the Beef Empire Days Rodeo in Kansas on May 29. Overall, he won close to $4,000 the last 10 days of May.
20. Jacob Lees, $25,545
Between May 19-21, Lees placed in the Top 4 in two rodeos and took home checks of more than $1,000 from both.
STANDINGS ARE ACCURATE AS OF JUNE 1, 2022 ON PRORODEO.COM