Sage Newman burst onto the scene last year, qualifying for his first career NFR and finishing in 11th place in the PRCA World Standings. Newman is currently in first place by $20,000 over 2021 World Champion Stetson Wright. Newman has been nothing short of dominant in 2022 with 15 Go-Round wins, nearly doubling his career total.
Here is a look at the current Top 20 saddle bronc riders and how they got to where they are.
1. Sage Newman, $124,266
Sage Newman continues to prove that this season is no fluke. In the final weekend of May Newman won four consecutive Go Rounds and earned over $12,000. It began at the Fallon County Xtreme Broncs where Newman went 85.5 points in Round 1 and followed that up with a rodeo-winning 88-point ride on Lunatic From Hell in the Finals. Two days later Newman traveled to Deadwood for the Back When They Bucked Rodeo where he went 90.5 points in round one and 90 points in the finals to win the rodeo. Overall, Newman is averaging 85 points per ride and has 15 Go-Round Wins on the season, both career highs.
2. Stetson Wright, $104,033
Stetson Wright is coming off his first career PRCA Saddle Bronc Riding World Championship in 2021 and has followed it up with a strong 2022 campaign. Wright is averaging over 85.5 points per ride and already has seven rides of 90 points or more. Wright’s most recent trip to the pay window came at the World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale Matched Xtreme Bronc Ride where he took Round One with an 88-point ride and placed third after an 88.5-point ride in the finals.
3. Brody Cress, $101,836
If you were to describe Brody Cress in one word, that word would likely be consistent. Cress has finished second or third in the PRCA World Standings in four of the last five years and that trend looks to be continuing in 2022 with Cress sitting in third place. Cress earned over $14,000 at the World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale Matched Xtreme Bronc Ride after an 88-point ride in Round 1 and an 89-point ride in Round 2.
4. Wyatt Casper, $78,488
Wyatt Casper is no stranger to the Top 10. He finished eighth in 2021 and second in 2020. Right now Casper is in fourth place with just under $80,000 in earnings. Casper’s best showing in May was at the Battle of the Best where he won over $12,000.
5. Ryder Wright, $69,092
If the season ended today, Ryder Wright would tie his worst career finish in the World Standings... in fifth place. That is how good the 24-year-old superstar has been. Wright has earned just under $70,000 on the season. May was a slow month for Wright with just four outs and only $1,200 in earnings.
6. Layton Green, $58,961
Layton Green had a strong finish to may, placing third at the Fallon County Xtreme Broncs and fourth at the Back When They Bucked Rodeo. On the season Green has matched his career total with three 90-point rides he has also tallied five Go Round wins.
7. Sterling Crawley, $49,674
Crawley is looking to make it back to the NFR after missing the finals in 2021 and is in a great place to do so. Crawley has earned just under $50,000 in 2022 and is in seventh place. His best showing came at the Redding Rodeo where he placed third and won $2,750.
8. Leon Fountain, $46,165
Fountain’s May got off to a great start, winning a round at the Battle of the Best and the $3,200 check that came along with it. That early May success would not translate into a big month, however. Fountain would cash only one more check during the month for $702.
9. Kolby Wanchuk, $45,599
Kolby Wanchuk is looking to make his second consecutive NFR after finishing 12th in the PRCA World Standings in 2021. Wanchuk had two paydays in May. His first check came after a fifth-place finish at the Redding Rodeo and his second check came at the Back When They Bucked Rodeo after his second-place finish.
10. Kole Ashbacher, $43,890
Kole Ashbacher is looking to qualify for his first career NFR and is in a great spot to do so. Ashbacher did not have much success in May, cashing just one check for $832.
11. Chase Brooks, $43,219
Brooks is in unfamiliar territory in 2022 in 11th place. He has finished inside the Top 10 each of the last four years. Brooks started off May with a nice showing in Guymon with a second-place finish. He had a fine finish to the month as well with a third-place finish at the Fallon County Xtreme Broncs.
12. CoBurn Bradshaw, $41,744
CoBurn Bradshaw is looking to get back to his early-career form. Between 2015 and 2018 he finished no worse than fourth in the world. In the three years since he hasn’t finished higher than 29th in the world. Bradshaw’s May was highlighted by his showing at the Battle of the Best where he finished first in the first round with an 86-point ride and followed that up with a third-place finish in the finals. In total Bradshaw won more than $8,000 at the rodeo.
13. Zeke Thurston, $36,269
The 2016 and 2019 World Champion is looking to get things going for the Summer Run after placing in just one rodeo in May. Thurston cashed just one check, which came at the Redding Rodeo last month.
14. Lefty Holman, $36,012
Lefty Holman’s May was highlighted by a round win at the Battle of the Best Rodeo where he went 86.5 points on Sure Thang and earned over $3,000.
15. Kade Bruno, $35,949
Bruno is in search of his first career NFR and will be living life on the bubble throughout the Summer Run. Bruno had his best showing at the Redding Rodeo where he won with an 85-point ride.
16. Spencer Wright, $35,200
Wright made a big jump in the standings after a strong showing at the World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale Matched Xtreme Bronc Ride where he placed third in the first round with an 86.5-point ride. Wright took home a $5,000 with the ride.
17. Lucas Macza, $31,884
Macza has already surpassed his 2021 earnings of $23,034. In May, Macza cashed one check at The End of the Trail Western Festival where he went 84 points and placed third.
18. Dawson Hay, $31,227
It has been a rough stretch for Hay, who hasn’t cashed a check since the Arcadia All-Flordia Championship Rodeo in March.
19. Jacobs Crawley, $30,391
The 2015 World Champion is looking to make his first NFR since 2019 and will need to continue to climb the standings to do so. Crawley had a strong finish to May where he placed second at the Will Rogers Stampede with an 85-point ride and won the Bandera Pro Rodeo after an 84.5-point ride.
20. Logan Cook, $29,022
Logan Cook is in search of his first career NFR but will need to pick things up as he cashed just two checks in May, totaling less than $1,000.