The world’s best saddle bronc riders have set the stage for an incredible 2023 season. Arena records have already been broken at some of the biggest rodeos of the winter and your No. 1 cowboy has a huge lead. Super Series I of RodeoHouston has just been completed with four more to go before someone receives the kind of pay day that could shake the standings up. Until then, here is a look at your Top 20 PRCA Saddle Bronc riders.
No. 1 Stetson Wright, $74,309
Wright’s season started at the Brad Gjermundson Extreme Broncs with a 92-point ride on J Bar J’s Painted J worth $5,157 before a successful Wilderness Circuit Finals added to it. Wright continues to capitalize no matter the rodeo picking up championship titles in Denver and San Antonio while splitting the championship in Fort Worth.
No. 2 Zeke Thurston, $47,497
As the reigning World Champion, Thurston has kept a lead foot on the gas. Just one week after the National Finals Rodeo was the Chase Hawks Memorial where Thurston rode Miss Chestnuts Legacy for 88-points and $17,255. He placed in every go-round but one in Fort Worth and finished inside the Top 4 of every go-round in San Antonio before winning it all in Tucson with another 88-point ride.
No. 3 Sage Newman, $36,240
After breaking the regular season earnings record in 2022, Newman continues to impress in 2023. Making a 90.5-point ride on Miss Valley to win the New Years Eve Buck & Ball, Newman added a total of over $6,000 to his earnings on Jan. 1. Since then, he capitalized in Fort Worth with a $2,495, 91-point ride on Cover Girl and again in San Antonio with 90 points on Zoaria Hills.
No. 4, Kade Bruno, $36,023
Bruno got it rolling for 2023 at the Columbia River Circuit Finals. Winning $8,722 put him on the board early and he added to it with impressive go-rounds in Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston. His highest marked ride of the season came aboard J Bar J’s Freckled At Night in Fort Worth for a third place check in the round.
No. 5 Shorty Garrett, $35,587
The Badlands Circuit Finals kickstarted Garrett’s season as he won all three rounds and the average bringing in over $9,000. From there, a second-place finish at the New Years Eve Buck & Ball added a total of $3,714 to his earnings before an 89.5-point ride on Sutton Pro Rodeo’s South Point earned him $4,625 and the win at Rodeo Rapid City.
No. 6 Jacobs Crawley, $30,355
Crawley got an early start taking advantage of more than just the Texas Circuit Finals. An 87.5-point ride on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Quality Control at the Cinch World’s Toughest Rodeo in Indianapolis added $2,794 to his earnings. He followed it up with a second-place, $3,150 finish at the Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo before cashing in two go-round checks in San Antonio.
No. 7 Brody Cress, $29,349
A huge check started Cress’ season after he made an 89-point ride on 2022 Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year The Black Tie to win the Chase Hawks Rough Stock Rodeo and cash in $8,445. A standout performance in San Antonio would also add $6,000 to his earnings before he would win the first Super Series in Houston.
No. 8 Ryder Wright, $28,529
It would be an 83-point ride on Lil Hawk that would kickstart Wright’s 2023 season in Brawley, California when it put him No. 2 on the board and added $2,233 to his earnings. His winnings in Fort Worth would be triple that after an 88.5-point ride on Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies. He continued to increase his earnings with an outstanding trip to San Antonio.
No. 9 Wyatt Casper, $27,611
Casper raked in a quick $2,437 at the New Years Eve Buck & Ball before Fort Worth and San Antonio really set the pace for the Texas cowboy. An 88-point ride on Andrews Rodeo’s American Hat Positive Times brought in $5,000 alone. Los Fresnos Rodeo and La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros would add another almost $5,000 to his earnings.
No. 10 Brody Wells, $27,194
Most of Wells’ earnings came during October and December. It was an 88.5 and 90-point ride at the Brad Gjermundson Extreme Broncs aboard Disco Inferno and Straight Moonshine added almost $10,000 to his season earnings. Another $4,789 would come his way at the New Years Eve Buck & Ball.
No. 11 Cash Wilson, $27,180
The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo along with San Antonio would bring in big checks for Wilson but not before he won over $3,000 in his home state at Rodeo Rapid City. He would also cash in $3,658 at the Cinch World’s Toughest in St. Paul, Minnesota.
No. 12 Chase Brooks, $26,625
Brooks would cinch a big win in January at the Rodeo Rapid Xtreme Broncs Match with an 84.5-point ride on Professional Lunatic. It would be worth $4,061 and jump start a hot streak for the Montana cowboy. He would bring in $14,250at San Antonio before winning the !50th Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee with an 88 on Resistol’s Wild Valley.
No. 13 Ryder Sanford, $25,155
The Southeastern Circuit Finals and Cinch World’s Toughest have been good to Sanford in 2023. He won $2,583 in Indianapolis before dominating at the circuit finals. Winning two out of three rounds and the average in Davie, Florida added $10,307 to the Florida cowboys season earnings.
No. 14 Ben Andersen, $23,828
Two big wins came Andersen’s way early on. It started at the Bucking Battle in Bismarck after an 84-point ride in Pulp Fiction proved to be worth $5,352 and the next came in Jackson, Mississippi. Aboard Ragin’ Lunatic of Brookman Rodeo’s, Andersen rode for 90 points to cinch another $5,725 and add to his already successful week in San Antonio.
No. 15 Dawson Hay, $23,734
After a terrific National Finals, Hay won $1,437 in Gillette, Wyoming before claiming co-champion at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Scoring no less than 88 points in any round in Fort Worth, it would be a 90.5-point ride on Canadian bucking horse Tokyo Bubbles that would earn him $21,080.
No. 16 Layton Green, $22,687
Green climbed on Burch Rodeo’s Lunatic From Hell to go 87.5 points in the Finals at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo to add $2,627 to his season earnings. Shortly after that, it would be an 85.5-point ride in San Antonio that would add another $5,000 to his winnings.
No. 17 Tanner Butner, $22,094
Butner had a successful trip to the National Western where he brought in over $5,000 to give him some momentum going into Fort Worth where he would break the arena record with a monster 94-point ride in Andrews Rodeo’s All Or Nothin’. The Wyoming cowboy would leave Fort Worth having added $9,760 to his 2023 earnings.
No. 18 Isaac Diaz, $21,729
Diaz’s 88-point ride on Daunting News in New Town, North Dakota would add a quick $2,922 to his season earnings before the Texas Circuit Finals. In Waco, it would be $7,478 that would be added to his earnings after placing in three of four rounds and finishing second in the average. An 83.5 at the Cinch World’s Toughest in North Carolina would bring in another $2,667.
No. 19 Logan Hay, $21,180
After qualifying for his first ever NFR, Hay went on to finish second in New Town, North Dakota and first Bismarck to start his 2023 season with $8,811 before he even left for Las Vegas. Since then, it’s been one go-round win in Fort Worth and one in San Antonio as well as a go-round and event win in Columbus, Ohio at the Cinch World’s Toughest.
No. 20 Damian Brennan, $18,332
The Australian saddle bronc rider would make an 87.5 point ride on J Bar J’s Straight Jacket in New Town, North Dakota to make $1,654 and start his season. Another $3,712 would come his way in Kalispell, Montana before his momentum took off in San Antonio and he added $5,500 to his earnings.
RodeoHouston is underway with Austin and San Angelo left with money left to win. It might still be early in the season but these are your current Top 20 in the PRCA World Standings.
