Zeke Thurston was the first saddle bronc rider to breakthrough the 90-point barrier at this year’s Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo and it came at an opportune time.
Thanks to 90.5 points aboard Calgary Stampede’s Wild Cherry, Thurston was the champion of Semifinal B. It was also the second time a horse from that same bloodline was ridden for 90 or more this weekend, Rocker Steiner and Twin Cherry teamed up to win Semifinal A with a 90-pointer in the bareback riding.
“Man, that horse has just been an outstanding athlete, those horses like to buck just as much as we like to ride,” Thurston said.
Ryder Wright, Tanner Butner and Leon Fountain also advanced from Semifinal B, seven of the eight saddle bronc riders competing in Saturday’s Short Round made the 2022 NFR.