BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
As the dust settles on the Texas Swing, the rodeo world turns its attention to California, but first let’s take a look at the tie-down ropers who best weathered the action at the biggest rodeos in the Lone Star State.
With five of the highest-paying rodeos in the world now behind them, every athlete in the Top 20 is in position to make a push for NFR.
Riley Webb, the 20-year-old reigning Resistol Rookie of the Year, currently holds a significant lead in the PRCA World Standings. With almost $47,000 more in earnings than his closest competitor (Hunter Herrin), Webb’s lead is the largest of any event in ProRodeo.
1. Riley Webb, $107,437
Webb benefited greatly from winning Houston, but even if you took away the $50,000 check from the Championship Shootout, he’d still be No. 2 in the world. He has has won a total of five rodeos this season, including the aforementioned RodeoHouston, the High Desert Stampede (Oregon) and the National Western (Colorado). Webb also finished second in Rodeo Austin and the San Angelo Cinch Chute-Out.
2. Hunter Herrin, $60,749
The 12-time NFR qualifier was runner-up to Webb in Houston and then beat him the very next weekend to win Rodeo Austin. In addition to his Texas Swing success, Herrin has also swept both rounds at the Oakdale Saddle Club Rodeo (California) and finished third at La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros, an NFR Playoff Rodeo in Arizona.
3. Westyn Hughes, $52,170
Hughes reached the No. 1 spot in the World Standings following his win in Fort Worth in early February. Since Feb. 9, the two-time NFR qualifier has added eight checks worth $2,000 or more to his season earnings. That included round wins in San Antonio, Oakdale and Logandale, Nevada for the Clark County Fair and Rodeo.
4. Trevor Hale, $40,565
The 20-year-old cowboy is coming off an impressive fourth place showing at the San Angelo Rodeo that paid him more than $7,000. Hale started the Texas Swing even better than he finished it, though, as he was third in Fort Worth to bank a total of $12,760 there.
5. Michael Otero, $40,292
Otero notched a win at the Texas Circuit Finals last October as well as two wins in Florida in February and March. Between the Cinch Chute-Out and the rodeo, he also left San Angelo with more than $5,000.
6. Shad Mayfield, $39,376
The 2020 World Champion won a majority of his money for the season at three rodeos - Denver, San Antonio and Houston. At the National Western, he won about $5,800 for winning the second Semifinal and finishing third in the Finals. In San Antonio, he won $17,500 much thanks to a second place finish in the Short Round. And in Houston, he made $11,000 by advancing to Championship Sunday.
7. Cory Solomon, $39,284
The nine-time NFR qualifier has charged up the standings in his last three rodeos. After starting March outside the Top 20, Solomon won about $5,500 at Rodeo Austin, $4,700 in San Angelo and $7,700 at the Clark County Fair and Rodeo.
8. Brushton Minton, $37,813
Minton has been racking up all-around titles as he works three events well, but tie-down roping is where he’s done the most damage in the 2023 season. The California native won the Circuit Finals in his home state back on Dec. 31 and has also finished fourth in Fort Worth and sixth in San Angelo during the Texas Swing.
9. Tuf Cooper, $37,324
The three-time World Champion has kept the schedule light so far this season, making 23 runs at eight total rodeos. His biggest payday of the year has been $14,920 for second in Fort Worth, but he also made $8,250 in Houston and $7,285 in Austin.
10. Riley Pruitt, $36,224
Pruitt has not made the NFR since 2019, but the $22,500 he got for winning San Antonio may be what sets him over the edge in 2023. The Nebraska native also recently added $7,500 to his earnings for winning the San Angelo Cinch Chute-Out, he made runs of 7.4 and 7.5 seconds there.
11. Haven Meged, $27,172
The 2019 World Champion has made 11 runs worth $1,000 or more so far in 2023, the highest paying of which was $5,000 for a 7.7-second run to win a Semifinal in San Antonio.
12. Matt Shiozawa, $26,764
The 11-time NFR qualifier is looking to return for the first time since 2018. Shiozawa made about $12,000 toward the 2023 season before January and since then, his best performance was RodeoHouston, where he made $10,000.
13. Justin Smith, $25,917
Smith is coming off of a huge payday at the San Angelo Rodeo where he won almost $19,000, which is about three-quarters of his money all season.
14. Cash Enderli, $25,269
The 22-year-old won the Mountain States Circuit Finals and also got big paydays for second place finishes in both the Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo (Texas) and the Roping Futurities of America (Texas).
15. Marcos Costa, $24,177
The 2017 World Champion made more than $2,000 at the Roping Fiesta (Texas), the National Western, Fort Worth and Houston so far this year.
16. Blane Cox, $22,214
The first two weeks of the 2023 season, Cox made nearly $7,500 at three different rodeos. In the calendar year 2023, he made more than $2,400 at the National Western, Rodeo Austin and the Rio Grande Valley Rodeo (Texas).
17. John Douch, $22,710
The two-time NFR qualifier is heating up as of late. Since March 17, he has won a check on 5-of-9 runs and three of those have been worth more than $1,200.
18. Joel Harris, $22,438
Harris did a lot of damage in the 2023 in the Fall of 2022, racking up close to $12,000 before the January. On the Texas Swing, his breakout performance was in San Antonio, where he won $9,000 and placed on his first four runs.
19. J.T. Adamson, $22,148
The Nebraska native has combined to make about 95 percent of his season earnings at the Prairie Circuit Finals and San Angelo, which he finished first and second in respectively.
20. Lane Livington, $21,680
Livingston made the Finals in San Antonio and also won more than $3,000 in Houston and the Rio Grande Valley Rodeo in March.
Standings via ProRodeo.Com are accurate as of 12 PM ET on April 20, 2023.
