By Michael Snow @MichaelSnowTCC
If you have been following Bull Riding in the PRCA, you’ll notice the top three names have been battling back and forth for months. Since March 7, it has been Stetson Wright, Josh Frost, and Sage Kimzey going back and forth. In the last week, Josh Frost vaulted himself into second place, jumping Sage Kimzey.
Here is a look at the current top-20 and how each athlete got to where they are now.
1. Stetson Wright, $128,989
Stetson Wright remains at the top of the leaderboard, as he has since March 21. Wright is coming off a big showing at the San Angelo Rodeo where he took second place in the first round and won over $5,500. Wright’s 88-point ride continues a stretch of incredible Bull Riding. In March, Stetson was marked over 90 points four times.
2. Josh Frost, $97,409
Josh Frost has jumped Sage Kimzey and finds himself back in second place after spending a week in third place. Frost was able to jump Kimzey after winning the San Angelo Cinch Chute-Out with an 87.5-point ride. The win earned Frost $7,500 and moved him back into second place.
3. Sage Kimzey, $89,375
Kimzey is coming off a rough two weeks where he failed to earn a check, but because of his success in late March and early April, he is still comfortably within striking distance of both Josh Frost and Stetson Wright.
4. Roscoe Jarboe, $55,460
There is a sizable gap between third and fourth place, with Roscoe Jarboe more than $30,000 behind Kimzey. Jarboe has finished 9th or better four times in his career and will enter May in the top five. Jarboe found success in Austin, placing second and winning $10,000 at the rodeo. The big win came just days after winning over $13,000 at Rodeo Houston.
5. Jeff Askey, $50,120
Askey moved into the top-five last week, jumping Trey Kimzey, and has remained there. Askey’s most recent trip to the podium came at the Clark County Fair and Rodeo in early April where an 88-point ride won him the rodeo and nearly $6,000.
6. Trey Kimzey, $46,302
Trey Kimzey is two years removed from his only career NFR appearance and right now is in a great spot to make his second career NFR. He has struggled of late, failing to earn a check over $350 in his last 10 outs.
7. Lukasey Morris, $43,966
Lukasey Morris is just 19 years old, but his youth isn’t slowing him down as he currently sits in seventh place in the World Standings. Lukasey recently found success at the Cave Creek Rodeo Days where he took first place with an 85-point ride.
8. Bubba Greig, $43,608
Greig hasn’t seen any change in his standings or earnings over the last week, but the 21-year-old remains in a prime spot to qualify for his first career NFR thanks to a win at the Bulls in the Ballpark rodeo in November.
9. Scottie Knapp, $43,427
Scottie Knapp has been riding on the PRCA since 2010 but has made just one NFR (2016). He has a good chance to change that this year as the New Mexico cowboy is in 9th in the World Standings. Knapp’s most recent win came at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo XTreme Bulls event after an 88.5-point ride.
10. Ernie Courson, $42,923
Courson may not have moved up in the standings over the last week, but he certainly moved closer to his competitors, now sitting under $1,000 out of seventh place. Courson had a big showing at the San Angelo Cinch Chute-Out where he placed second and earned $3,000.
11. JR Stratford, $41,988
What a week for the 19-year-old cowboy out of Kansas. JR was the best Bull Rider in Red Bluff with a 90-point rodeo-winning ride on War Cry. it was the first 90-point ride of the season for Stratford, and it earned him over $7,000, jumping him from 12th place to 11th.
12. Grayson Cole, $37,003
Grayson Cole is looking to accomplish a difficult task, qualifying for your first NFR in your first full season. Cole is currently in 11th place in the world and is coming off a nice start to April where he placed second at the Cinch World’s Toughest Rodeo and third at the San Angelo XTreme Bulls.
13. Ky Hamilton, $35,530
It was only a matter of time until Ky Hamilton made his move in the World Standings. Hamilton was outside of the top-20 last week, but thanks to a big showing at the San Angelo Cinch Chute Out and the San Angelo Xtreme Bulls he now finds himself inside the top-15. Hamilton went 90.5 to win the Xtreme Bulls event and followed that up with a third-place finish at the Cinch Chute-Out.
14. Toby Collins, $33,704
Another fresh face inside the top-20 is Toby Collins who came out of nowhere to win the San Angelo Rodeo. Collins qualified for the finals in San Angelo with an 80.5-point ride and then followed that up with an 86-point ride in the finals to get the win. In total, Collins won just under $13,000 at the rodeo, catapulting him from 31st in the world to 14th.
15. Jordan Hansen, $32,359
28-year-old Jordan Hansen has been a bit of a boom or bust cowboy throughout his career. In 2017 he finished in 8th place and in 2019 he finished fifth. Only one other time in his career did he finish inside the top 35. This year is looking like a big year for Hansen who is in 15th place in the world and averaging 83 points per ride.
16. Cole Fischer, $31,517
Cole Fischer has never finished higher than 38th in his career, but 2022 may prove to be different. Fischer’s $30,000 in earnings are already close to a career-best. His best showing came in February where he went 88 points and placed second at the XTreme Bulls Tour Event in Grand Island, Nebraska.
17. Tyler Taylor, $30,801
Taylor had not earned more than $25,000 in a season, but that changed this year and he now finds himself with an outside shot at his first career NFR. Taylor is coming off a big payday after going 87.5 points and finished in second place at the Liberty National XTreme Bulls. The big ride earned him just under $5,000.
18. Trevor Kastner, $30,668
We have talked plenty about youth through this article, but Trevor Kastner represents the more experienced crowd. At 34 years old, the Oklahoma Cowboy sits in 18th place after the first week of April saw him earn over $6,000. Kastner won the San Angelo XTreme Bulls and placed third at the Liberty National XTreme Bulls, going 86.5 points at both rodeos.
19. Ruger Piva, $29,558
Ruger Piva made a big move in the standings thanks to an 87-point ride in Red Bluff that earned him a second-place finish and $4,869.
20. Tristen Hutchings, $29,455
22-year-old Hutchings is looking to make his first career NFR but has struggled to earn checks at the bigger rodeos this season.
STANDINGS CURRENT AS OF APRIL 20 ON PRORODEO.COM