BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN, @PRORODEOBRETT
After winning RodeoHouston, two-time World Champion Hunter Cure is still the bulldogger to beat, but he has some notable challengers.
In second in the PRCA World Standings is reigning and three-time World Champion Tyler Waguespack and the Top 8 features a total of six cowboys with three or more NFR qualifications.
Right now, the steer wrestling is the closest at the top of any of the events.
1. Hunter Cure, $63,662
Cure won a majority of his money this year from one run, a 4 flat to win the Finals of RodeoHouston, which earned him $50,000. Cure placed a total of five rounds in Houston as well as in two in Fort Worth and one in San Antonio.
2. Tyler Waguespack, $58,859
Waguespack finished the Texas Tour by winning $7,500 at the San Angelo Cinch Chute Out. Between the Chute Out and the PRCA rodeo, Waguespack made five straight runs between 3.7 and 4.1 seconds in San Angelo. Waguespack finished second in the Finals of San Antonio and third in the Finals of Denver earlier in 2022.
3. Tristan Martin, $49,043
Martin was the champion in Fort Worth, where he won $24,260 and followed it up making the Finals of San Antonio and banking $7,500. Martin also finished second in the Cinch Chute Out on April 16.
4. J.D. Struxness, $46,137
Struxness was the champion of San Antonio and placed in four of five rounds there. Struxness also placed in five consecutive rounds in Houston.
5. Payden McIntyre, $34,607
McIntyre made three straight runs of 4.2 seconds or faster in San Angelo en route to winning nearly $7,000. McIntyre started his Texas Tour off strong by finishing second in Fort Worth.
6. Dakota Eldridge, $31,031
Eldridge finished the Texas Tour by putting together three consecutive runs of 3.9 or faster to win San Angelo. Eldridge also finished second in three straight rounds in San Antonio to win $6,000 there.
7. Stetson Jorgensen, $30,410
Jorgensen finished second in both the Long Round and the Short Round in San Angelo with runs of 3.5 and 4.1 seconds respectively. He also placed in a round in Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston.
8. Tanner Brunner, $30,368
Brunner won more than two-thirds of his money on a single run, $20,000 for a 4.6 in the Finals of RodeoHouston.
9. Talon Roseland, $29,452
Roseland swept the Semifinals and the Finals in Austin with 3.4 and 3.7 second runs. Roseland won more than $18,000 at the rodeo.
10. Rowdy Parrott, $29,297
Parrott placed in rounds in San Angelo, Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Fort Worth. Fort Worth and San Antonio were the most lucrative as he won about $7,000 in Fort Worth and over $10,000 in San Antonio.
11. Taz Olson, $28,616
Olson made the Finals of both Austin and Fort Worth and combined to win nearly $22,000 at those two rodeos.
12. Timmy Sparing, $28,428
Sparing won over $7,000 in Austin and also won a round in Clovis last week. His best finish, however, was in Houston, where he won $10,000 for a third place finish in the Finals.
13. Dalton Massey, $27,774
At the most recent NFR Playoff rodeo, in Red Bluff, Dalton Massey was the champion after a 3.7 second run in the Finals. During the Texas Tour, his best performance was the $5,000 he won in San Antonio.
14. Dirk Tavenner, $27,315
Tavenner was very consistent at two of the last three Texas Tour rodeos. Between San Angelo and Houston, he placed in seven of eight rounds in which he competed and made about $12,000 combined.
15. Ty Erickson, $27,225
Erickson is coming off a second place finish in the Finals of the Red Bluff Round-Up and is also in position to win a check in Clovis. During the Texas Tour, he won $9,000 in San Antonio and $5,500 in Houston.
16. Kyle Irwin, $26,348
Irwin finished fourth in the Long Round in San Angelo and also won modest checks in Houston, San Antonio and Fort Worth.
17. Will Lummus, $26,255
Lummus was impressive in Houston by winning two rounds and placing second in two more. He made over $10,000 throughout the rodeo.
18. Jesse Brown, $24,311
Brown made close to half of his money for 2022 in San Antonio by making the Finals and bringing in $11,250.
19. Bridger Anderson, $22,281
Anderson was productive at multiple Texas Tour rodeos. He placed second in a round in Austin, made the Finals in San Antonio and won a round in Fort Worth.
20. Nick Guy, $21,806
Guy placed in multiple rounds in Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston.
STANDINGS CURRENT AS OF APRIL 20 ON PRORODEO.COM
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