BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
John Douch has been trending upward since the 2021 NFR. After qualifying for his first trip to Vegas in the No. 15 spot, he moved up to No. 10 by the season’s end thanks to placing in four rounds to win $77,492 at the Finals.
In 2022, he quickly became a fixture at the top of the standings and following his win at RodeoHouston in March, he was No. 1 in the world, a position he’d hold until the middle of the summer.
Douch enters the 2022 NFR the No. 2 man in the PRCA Tie-Down Roping World Standings with $166,729.
BIGGEST PAYDAYS
RodeoHouston, $57,250
Douch picked the right time for his only win of 2022 as RodeoHouston pays the champion a minimum of $50,000. Douch was 7.7 seconds in the Finals after winning the Semifinals with the same time earlier that day. Douch placed on all six of his runs inside NRG Stadium.
San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, $10,000
Douch won $6,000 in the last two rounds alone by turning in runs of 7.7 seconds in the Semifinals and 7.9 in the Finals. He also won Round 1 of his bracket with another 7.9-second run. All four of Douch’s qualified times in San Antonio were faster than 8.5 seconds.
FASTEST RUNS
Horse Heaven Roundup, 7.0 Seconds
After a no time on his first run, Douch was able to salvage the high-paying rodeo in Kennewick, Washington. His 7.0-second run was his fastest of the season and earned him more than $3,000.
The Calgary Stampede, 7.2 Seconds
It has been proven time and time again that if a tie-down roper gets hot in Calgary, they can put some very quick times on the board. While 7.2 seconds to win the Semifinals was Douch’s best run, he also had times of 7.7, 7.6 and 7.4 at the Stampede, the last of which won him the Wild Card and gave him an opportunity to register the aforementioned 7.2. He made a total of $12,500 at the Stampede.
The San Angelo Rodeo, 7.4 Seconds
Between the San Angelo Rodeo and the San Angelo Cinch Chute Out, Douch only had one qualified time, but it made the entire trip worthwhile. Douch was 7.4 seconds in Round 2 to take third and win $4,483.
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