BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
No steer wrestler has ever won more than Dalton Massey and he added to it over the weekend while Dakota Eldridge crashed the Top 5.
On the other end of the Top 20, No. 18 Travis Munro is making a late NFR push, and those ranked 16-20 in the World Standings are all within $10,000 of No. 15 Bridger Anderson with two weeks to go.
1. Dalton Massey, $185,888
Massey broke the PRCA steer wrestling regular season earnings record and showed no signs of slowing down by winning the Cinch Playoffs with a 3.5-second run in the Finals. He won nearly $16,000 at the rodeo and extended his lead over reigning World Champion Tyler Waguespack to $40,000.
5. Dakota Eldridge, $115,887
The nine-time NFR qualifier continued his steady summer-long climb in the World Standings over the weekend by finishing second at the Cinch Playoffs with a 3.9-second run in the Finals. He banked $12,000 there and has moved up five spots since the middle of August.
13. Don Payne, $81,412
Payne took fifth in the Average and the Finals in Ellensburg over Labor Day and this week, he’s in position for a round win at the West Texas Fair & Rodeo with a 3.4-second run in Round 2.
15. Bridger Anderson, $74,836
After winning $2,682 in Ellensburg, Anderson stayed steady by winning Round 2 of his bracket the Cinch Playoffs, which came with a payday of $3,350. Anderson is looking for his second NFR and leads his college rodeo coach, No. 16 Stockton Graves, by $5,000.
18. Travis Munro, $67,259
Munro is making late charge after sitting No. 21 last week. He placed on two of his runs at the Cinch Playoffs to win more than $3,000 there and added $2,300 for a win at the Tri-State Rodeo in Fort Madison, Iowa. He has already kept the momentum as well, placing second in Round 1 of Pendleton to cash nearly $4,000.
| 1. | Dalton Massey | $185,888 |
| 2. | Tyler Waguespack | $145,543 |
| 3. | Jesse Brown | $136,221 |
| 4. | Ty Erickson | $117,970 |
| 5. | Dakota Eldridge | $115,887 |
| 6. | Will Lummus | $113,655 |
| 7. | JD Struxness | $104,585 |
| 8. | Dirk Tavenner | $104,105 |
| 9. | Stephen Culling | $100,377 |
| 10. | Jacob Talley | $98,904 |
| 11. | Stan Branco | $96,132 |
| 12. | Cody Devers | $95,729 |
| 13. | Don Payne | $81,412 |
| 14. | Nick Guy | $79,186 |
| 15. | Bridger Anderson | $74,837 |
| 16. | Stockton Graves | $69,692 |
| 17. | Olin Hannum | $68,817 |
| 18. | Travis Munro | $67,259 |
| 19. | Tucker Allen | $67,066 |
| 20. | Cash Robb | $65,434 |
Standings current as of prorodeo.com on September 15, 2023 at 10:00 AM ET.
