BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
On the heel side, the cowboys ranked No. 2-5 are all separated by less than $7,000. However, No. 1 Junior Nogueira, the reigning World Champion, leads them all by at least $58,000.
1. Junior Nogueria, $137,869
Nogueira and partner Kaleb Driggers kept their winning ways into the middle of July. They won the Big Fork Summer Pro Rodeo (Montana) on July 8 and Laramie Jubilee Days (Wyoming) on July 10. The pair also won a round at the Rooftop Rodeo (Colorado) on July 11 and a round at The Calgary Stampede Team Roping on July 12.
2. Buddy Hawkins, $79,507
Hawkins and partner Andrew Ward made more than $2,000 at both the Heart of the North Rodeo (Wisconsin) and Hamel Rodeo (Minnesota) over the Weekend of July 10. The next weekend, the pair finished second in Round 1 and fourth in the Average at the Sheridan Wyo Rodeo.
3. Jake Long, $77,805
Long and partner Brady Tryan already lined their pockets for this upcoming weekend after cashing a $3,519 for a second place finish at the Snake River Stampede (Idaho). The weekend prior, Long finished fourth at the Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo with Clayton Hass. Long won more than half of his money for the season by winning RodeoHouston in March with Clay Tryan.
4. Jeremy Buhler, $76,765
Buhler and partner Rhen Richard made the Finals of The Calgary Stampede Team Roping and finished third in a round at the NFR Open over the Weekend of July 17 to jump two spots in the World Standings.
5. Jade Corkill, $72,652
Corkill teamed up with Clay Tryan about a month ago after Clay Smith broke his leg and the new team of Corkill/Tryan won the Average at the Sheridan Wyo Rodeo on July 16 and finished second at the Big Fork Summer Pro Rodeo on July 8. The decorated new pair has combined six Gold Buckles and 31 NFR qualifications.
6. Logan Medlin, $65,827
Over the Weekend of July 10, Medlin and partner Coleman Proctor turned in four straight runs of 4.7 seconds or faster to cash checks at three rodeos in three states, including a win at the Rooftop Rodeo (Colorado), where they earned more than $5,000 total.
7. Travis Graves, $63,991
Graves and partner Dustin Egusquiza won $5,630 for their Round 2 at the NFR Open last weekend. The pair finished fourth at the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo (Utah) the weekend prior.
8. Jonathan Torres, $62,725
Torres has dropped four spots in the World Standings in the last two weeks and has won one check since Fourth of July Weekend.
9. Brady Minor, $62,535
Minor and his partner and brother Riley swept both rounds at the Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo to earn almost $10,000 at the event. The pair also won $2,700 for getting the title at the Cheney Rodeo (Washington) on July 10. Minor has jumped three spots in the World Standings in the last two weeks.
10. Wesley Thorp, $59,354
Thorp and partner Cody Snow already cashed a check of more than $4,000 at the Snake River Stampede, which concludes on July 23. It was Thorp’s ninth Go-Round win of the season, putting him one off the career high of 10, a mark he has on the number four times in the last five seasons.
11. Levi Lord, $53,950
Alongside Jr. Dees, Levi Lord has won eight checks of more than $1,000 in July. The pair recently captured a Round 1 at California Rodeo Salinas, which lasts until July 24. Lord is up two spots in the World Standings in the last two weeks.
12. Brye Crites, $52,354
After winning the Livingston Roundup Rodeo (Montana) and the Killdeer Mountain Roundup Rodeo (North Dakota) over the Fourth of July, Crites and partner Jake Orman also won the Hamel Rodeo on July 10. All of three of those July wins paid $2,500 or more.
13. Jake Minor, $51,762
Minor and partner Jeff Flenniken finished second at the Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo on July 16. They also finished second at the Elgin Stampede (Oregon) on July 9. Minor has risen three spots in the World Standings since July 6.
14. Joesph Harrison, $49,933
Harrison has won two checks on 13 runs in July. He has dropped three spots in the last two weeks.
15. Ross Ashford, $47,822
Ashford is a newcomer to the Top 20 checking in all the way at No. 15 after he and Clint Summers won $12,500 for taking the title at The Calgary Stampede Team Roping. The pair also won the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo (South Dakota) on July 17.
16. Patrick Smith, $46,289
Smith and partner Tanner Tomlinson have cashed five checks of $2,500 or more in July and are coming off a win at Cattlemen’s Days (Colorado) with a 4.0 second run. Smith, a 12-time NFR qualifier, has eight times of 4.5 seconds or faster this season, his most since 2015.
17. Coleby Payne, $46,238
Payne has won about $5,000 since the Fourth of July with half coming from The Calgary Stampede Team Roping and half coming from a fourth place finish at the Silver State Stampede.
18. Cole Curry, $45,345
Curry and partner Marcus Theriot had a very good trip to the NFR Open as they won Round and the Semifinals before placing third in the Four-Team Finals on July 16. The $24,396 made in Colorado Springs likely eases the pain of going all of Fourth of July weekend without a check.
19. Paul Eaves, $44,485
The 2020 World Champion has quietly entered the NFR picture once again. He has won three checks of $1,000 or more in July.
20. Lane Mitchell, $40,680
Between the Greeley Stampede and Sheridan Wyo Rodeo, Mitchell won a check on 3-of-26 runs, but his fortune will likely turn this weekend as he is in position to cash at the Spanish Fork Fiesta Days (Utah) and Snake River Stampede (Idaho)
STANDINGS VIA PRORODEO.COM ARE ACCURATE AS OF 9 AM ET ON FRIDAY, JULY 21. ONLY A PERCENTAGE OF EARNINGS FROM THE CALGARY STAMPEDE COUNTED TOWARD THE PRCA WORLD STANDINGS.
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