BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN
After five brackets of competition, the field at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo has been whittled down to 20 people per event.
There are two Semifinal rounds per event and each round will produce five finalists. Additionally, there will be one wild card competitor who qualifies for the Short Go. The cowboy with the most total money at the end of the rodeo, wins.
Here is a better look at the bareback riding field for the Semifinals and how each cowboy got here.
Leighton Berry, $6,500
Berry, who entered this season coming off a neck surgery, is 13-for-13 and averaging 83.35 points per ride in 2022. He won two of the three rounds in Bracket 5 with 87.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Yellowstone and 89.5 on Frontier’s Full Baggage. Berry’s 89.5 point ride is the highest of the rodeo so far.
Cole Reiner, $6,250
Reiner won the very first round of the rodeo in Bracket 1 and went on to win Bracket 3, Round 3 as well. His two winning rides were marked 87 and 88 points.
Garrett Shadbolt, $6,000
Shadbolt was the winner of Bracket 3 and made three rides marked between 80 and 85.5 points. The Nebraska cowboy, who is currently No. 5 in the world, won two of three rounds in the bracket.
Tim O’Connell, $5,500
Right behind Shadbolt in Bracket 3 was O’Connell. O’Connell won Round 2 and was in the Top 4 in all three rounds. O’Connell averaged 84.5 points on his three rides.
Clayton Biglow, $5,500
World No. 1 Clayton Biglow won Bracket 4, Round 1 before finishing third in the next two rounds. He was the top money earner in his bracket, which included Jess Pope and Kaycee Feild, the two cowboys who battled for a World Title in 2021.
Seth Hardwick, $5,250
Hardwick and Cole Reiner took the lion’s share of the money in Bracket 1. Hardwick placed second in Rounds 1 and 2 and split third in Round 3. He was marked between 81.5 and 85 points on all three rides.
Cole Franks, $5,000
The 2021 Resistol Rookie of the Year is not only within striking distance of Clayton Biglow in San Antonio, he is also within striking distance of his No. 1 rankings. Franks is ranked No. 2 in the world and about $1,500 behind. Franks was the champion of Bracket 2 after winning the first two rounds.
Richmond Champion, $4,500
The seven-time NFR qualifier was second to Leighton Berry in Bracket 5. He won Round 1 and was second in Round 3, both of those rides were 85 points.
Anthony Thomas, $4,500
Anthony Thomas placed in two rounds in Bracket 2, including winning Round 3 with 84 points on Championship Rodeo’s Cat Nap.
Jess Pope, $4,500
Last year’s Reserve World Champion placed second in Bracket 4, Round 2 and won Bracket 4, Round 3. His winning ride was 88 points on Macza Rodeo’s Steely Dan, which ties Cole Reiner for the second highest score of the rodeo so far.
Kaycee Feild, $4,000
The reigning World Champion is No. 4 in the world after winning Fort Worth earlier this month. In San Antonio, he was third in Bracket 4, Round 1 and the winner of Round 2.
Chad Rutherford, $4,000
Rutherford shared the third spot in Bracket 4 with Kaycee Feild, finishing behind Clayton Biglow and Jess Pope. Rutherford advanced on two second place finishes, one from an 83.5 point ride in Round 1 and the other from 84 points in Round 3.
Jamie Howlett, $3,750
Like Chad Rutherford, Jamie Howlett moved on thanks to two second place finishes. He was behind Garrett Shadbolt in Bracket 3, Round 1 and shared No. 2 with Trenten Montero in Round 2, which was won by Tim O’Connell.
Jayco Roper, $3,500
Jayco Roper was second with 86 points in Bracket 5, Round 2 andthird with 83 in Round 3. Roper finished third in San Antonio’s final bracket behind Leighton Berry and Richmond Champion.
Jacob Raine, $3,000
Jacob Raine placed third in two of the three rounds in Bracket 3, winning $1,500 each time. He rode for 82 points in Round 1 and 84.5 in Round 3.
Shane O’Connell, $2,750
Shane O’Connell won two checks in Bracket 2, $1,250 for a split of third in Round 2 and $1,500 for third outright in Round 3.
Tristan Hansen, $2,500
Tristan Hansen placed in just one round, but it was enough to advance him. He was the winner of Bracket 1, Round 2 with 82.5 points aboard Calgary Stampede’s Young Karma.
Mason Clements, $2,500
The three-time NFR qualifier placed third in Round 2 and fourth in Round 3 to snag the fourth and final Semifinal spot in Bracket 5.
Kody Lamb, $2,250
Kody Lamb had two rides in the 80s and placed on both of them. He was fourth in Bracket 1, Round 1 and tied for third in Round 3.
Tim Murphy, $2,000
Tim Murphy had one second place finish in Bracket 2, but it was good enough to advance. He was 84 points in Round 2, which was the third highest score in the bracket.
RELATED:
San Antonio Bracket 1: Recap, Highlights and Payouts
San Antonio Bracket 2: Recap, Highlights and Payouts
San Antonio Bracket 3: Recap, Highlights and Payouts
San Antonio Bracket 4: Recap, Highlights and Payouts
San Antonio Bracket 5: Recap, Highlights and Payouts
