BY MICHAEL SNOW @MICHAELSNOWTCC
Heading into the 2022 NFR it looks like a two-man race for the Gold Buckle between Stetson Wright and Josh Frost. Wright currently owns a $45,000 lead over Frost and is over $100,000 ahead of Jeff Askey in third place.
1. Stetson Wright, $260,991
Stetson Wright has been dominant in both Saddle Bronc Riding and Bull Riding. He currently has a massive lead of nearly $45,000 over Josh Frost in second place. Wright was named The Cowboy Channel Athlete of the Week after a win at the Colorado State Fair and Rodeo where he went 87 points on Out Cold.
2. Josh Frost, $216,221
If anyone is going to spoil Wright’s 2022 Bull Riding season it will likely be Josh Frost. Frost is more than $70,000 ahead of Jeff Askey in third place. Frost most recently visited the pay window at the Kitsap Stampede Xtreme Bulls where he went 87 points for the win and earned over $6,000.
3. Jeff Askey, $144,908
Askey had two big paydays in the second half of the month. In Caldwell, he rode on the right night earning over $2,500 with just a 74-point ride. Later in the month, Askey had a more traditional visit to the pay window after an 84-point ride earned him a second-place finish in round one at the Horse Heaven Roundup.
4. Garrett Smith, $128,313
Smith had a pair of checks over $3,000 after a second-place finish at the Gooding Pro Rodeo thanks to an 86-point ride. He followed that up with another second-place finish at the Kitsap Stampede following an 86.5-point ride.
5. Sage Kimzey, $115,633
Kimzey will miss the 2022 NFR after a season-ending injury early this summer.
6. Trey Kimzey, $103,900
Although Sage will not be at the NFR, the Kimzey family will be represented in Las Vegas come December. Trey placed fourth at the Kitsap Stampede with an 85-point ride.
7. JR Stratford, $101,755
Stratford had a big run to begin August with a second-place finish at Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo after an 86-point ride. He followed that up with back-to-back wins at the Inter-State Rodeo and the Linn County Fair and Rodeo.
8. Creek Young, $100,670
Young will be back in Las Vegas for the second-consecutive season to start his career. August ended with a bang for Young who took the Horse Heaven Roundup and earned over $8,000.
9. Trey Holston, $94,226
Holston will be a 2022 NFR rookie and continues to climb in the standings. He had two wins at the end of the month, one at the Great Plains Stampede Rodeo and another at the Colorado State Fair and Rodeo. The two wins earned Holston over $4,000.
10. Lukasey Morris, $92,617
Morris is another fresh face we should see in Las Vegas after what has been a great season. Morris recently won the Great Plains Stampede Rodeo with an 88-point ride.
11. Trevor Kastner, $92,509
Kastner flew up the leaderboard to end August thanks to a massive win at the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo. He went 91 points on High Rise to win the rodeo and over $6,000. The 90-point ride was the first of his season and the 14th ride was over 85 points.
12. Jared Parsonage, $90,889
Parsonage has been a member of the PRCA since 2013 but is still in search of his first career NFR. He has a qualify this year as he is inside the bubble, but his work is not done. His biggest win in August came at the Moses Lake Round-Up Rodeo where he went 87.5 points to win the rodeo and over $6,000.
13. Maverick Potter, $88,184
Potter only earned four checks over the month of August and has failed to cash a check in nine outs.
14. Ky Hamilton, $83,470
Hamilton placed third at the Cassia County Fair and Rodeo and the first round of the Horse Heaven Roundup to earn over $3,000 collectively.
15. Shane Proctor, $80,007
Proctor is technically the man on the bubble, but with Kimzey out for the NFR he is currently two spots inside the cut line. He will need to improve on a rough stretch of riding he had at the end of August to ensure he makes the NFR. Proctor failed to cash a check over $600 in his last eight rides.
16. Brady Portenier, $79,031
Things were looking bleak for Portenier in mid-August, but a strong finish to the month has him less than $100 out of the Top 15, but again, with Kimzey out, Portenier is technically the man on the bubble. He finished in fourth at the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo and took second at the Kitsap Stampede Xtreme Bulls to earn over $5,500 and jump him to No. 16 in the world.
17. Roscoe Jarboe, $78,449
Jarboe took second place at the Meridian Lions rodeo to earn just over $1,000.
18. Tristen Hutchings, $76,649
Hutchings ended August with a win at the Gem State Stampede where he went 86.5 points to take home a check of $2,200.
19. Jordan Hansen, $71,573
Hansen earned a nice check at the Kitsap Stampede Xtreme Bulls after a second-place finish. The 86.5-point ride earned him over $3,000.
20. Colton Byram, $71,071
Byram was the champion at the Will Rogers Memorial after an 87.5-point ride and earned over $2,500.
