BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The tie-down roping had long been lead by RodeoHouston Champion John Douch, but that has changed as two past World Champions have made themselves clear factors in this year’s Gold Buckle race. Shad Mayfield, the 2020 World Champion, has taken over the No. 1 spot and three-time and reigning World Champion Caleb Smidt is now sitting No. 3.
1. Shad Mayfield, $135,155
Mayfield overtook longtime No. 1 John Douch after a Fourth of July Weekend that included two wins and over $10,000 banked. Mayfield also won the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo (Utah) on July 9 and placed in three rounds at The Calgary Stampede. Mayfield’s 17 Go-Round wins in 2022 are already a career high.
2. John Douch, $124,671
Douch opened up a big lead following his win at RodeoHouston, but he has officially been chased down by Mayfield. Recently, Douch advanced through the Wild Card to make the Semifinals of The Calgary Stampede and was also the champion of the Silver State Stampede (Nevada).
3. Caleb Smidt, $123,996
The reigning World Champion has drawn closer to the No. 1 spot after winning The Calgary Stampede, where he had four runs of 8 seconds or faster. Smidt’s move started before that though, when he won the Big Fork Summer Rodeo (Montana) with a 16.3 second aggregate time. Since July 6, Smidt has moved up five spots in the World Standings and earned about $40,000 in PRCA money.
4. Tuf Cooper, $100,328
Cooper didn’t have much success on Championship Sunday in Calgary, but he dominated his pool with three straight times of 7.3 seconds or faster to kick off the rodeo. The 13-time NFR qualifier has won seven checks of at least $2,000 in July.
5. Haven Meged, $96,228
Meged finished second in the Four-Man Showdown at The Calgary Stampede and had the second fastest time of the rodeo with a 6.7 second run in the Semifinals. The 2019 World Champion already has 28 runs of 8.5 seconds or faster this season.
6. Shane Hanchey, $90,462
On the Weekend of July 10, Hanchey won $4,662 for splitting the win at the Silver State Stampede with John Douch and $3,553 for a third place finish at the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo (Utah). He was unable to keep that momentum going as he went 0-for in Calgary in a pool that included the likes of Shad Mayfield, John Douch, Tuf Cooper, Marty Yates and Cory Solomon.
7. Tyler Milligan, $85,035
Since June 28, Milligan has won three checks on 23 runs, but has dropped just one spot in the World Standings.
8. Marty Yates, $82,214
Yates placed third in two rounds in Calgary. He also placed at two Fourth of July rodeos to give him four trips to the pay window in July and all of them have been worth at least $1,600. Yates has been to eight straight NFRs and already matched last year’s total in Go-Round wins with 11.
9. Zack Jongbloed, $80,708
Jonbloed, a great two-event cowboy, is getting closer and closer to his first NFR appearance. The 23-year-old was 7 seconds flat in the Semifinals on Showdown Sunday to make the Final Four in Calgary and has already added to his total since by winning Round 1 of the Ogden Pioneer Days (Utah), which concludes on July 25.
10. Ty Harris, $76,694
Harris is one of the few cowboys who has stayed in the exact same place in the PRCA World Standings this month. He remains No. 10 after advancing to the Semifinals of The Calgary Stampede.
11. Kincade Henry, $68,807
Since the Fourth of July run, Henry has made less than $2,000 and dropped two spots in the World Standings. The 20-year-old is in search of his first NFR after finishing No. 18 in 2021 and No. 31 in 2020.
12. Cory Solomon, $67,694
Solomon entered The Calgary Stampede as the reigning champion and it was good to him once again as he advanced to the Finals and ascended two spots in the World Standings. Solomon has also already cashed a $2,000 check for placing in Round 1 in Ogden.
13. Riley Webb, $65,281
The rookie did not compete at The Calgary Stampede or NFR Open, but did win the Second Round of the Sheridan Wyo Rodeo last weekend. Webb has won just three checks in July, but all of them have been $2,000 or more.
14. Cooper Martin $62,288
After the Fourth of July run, Martin competed at The Calgary Stampede and Sheridan Wyo Rodeo and did not add to his earnings at either event.
15. Taylor Santos, $61,517
Santos went from No. 19 to inside the No. 15 in one weekend thanks to his $14,501 payday for winning the NFR Open. He had the fastest time of the rodeo and won both the Semifinals and Finals on Saturday night. He also won the Sheridan Wyo Rodeo on July 16.
16. Macon Murphy, $58,142
Like Santos, Murphy was also outside the Top 20 a week ago and made his move in Colorado Springs. He won close to $20,000, more than any other cowboys at the NFR Open, by winning the Long Round Average and finishing second in the Semifinals.
17. Quade Hiatt, $54,909
Hiatt placed in four rounds at his first Calgary Stampede after coming up empty over the Fourth of July run.
18. Lane Livingston, $50,867
Livingston was first in the Long Round and second in the Short Round to win the Average title at the Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo on July 16. The win earned him $11,775, his biggest payday from any rodeo this season.
19. Marcos Costa, $49,311
Costa won $2,517 for a fifth place finish at the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo after winning four checks of $1,000 or more during the Fourth of July rodeos. Costa made his fourth NFR and finished No. 9 in the World Standings last year after spending much of the summer on the bubble.
20. Riley Pruitt, $48,588
After picking up two wins during Cowboy Christmas, Pruitt won a round at the Rooftop Rodeo (Colorado) and won the one-head Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo (South Dakota) on July 17.
STANDINGS VIA PRORODEO.COM ARE ACCURATE AS OF 11 PM ET ON THURSDAY, JULY 20. ONLY A PERCENTAGE OF EARNINGS FROM THE CALGARY STAMPEDE COUNTED TOWARD THE PRCA WORLD STANDINGS.
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