The PRCA's Four Most Improved Cowboys Ahead Of 2017 NFR

The PRCA's Four Most Improved Cowboys Ahead Of 2017 NFR

Ty Erickson, Ryder Wright, Garrett Smith, and Ty Wallace are FloRodeo's most improved cowboys ahead of the 2017 National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

Oct 23, 2017 by Hunter Sharpless
The PRCA's Four Most Improved Cowboys Ahead Of 2017 NFR

By Lincoln Shryack

The 2017 PRCA standings are dotted with big individual improvements: cowboys returning from injury, rookies continuing their upward trajectories, and stars soaring higher than ever imagined. The National Finals Rodeo is less than two months away, held December 7-16 in the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Check out our list of the four most improved cowboys from the rodeo regular season:

1. Ty Erickson | Steer Wrestling

Montana bulldogger Ty Erickson’s owns the top spot in the steer wrestling standings like he did a year ago, but the 27-year-old has been even better in 2017. That fact is reflected in his earnings total entering NFR, which sits at $163,152 — a whopping $70,210 more than he brought to Vegas in 2016. Erickson ended up tumbling to seventh last December, but this time he’ll arrive with a solid $52,000 lead that makes him the gold buckle favorite in his fourth career NFR appearance. He’s in search of his first world title.

2. Ryder Wright | Saddle Bronc Riding

Teenager Ryder Wright became a rodeo star last season in Las Vegas when he won four straight rounds to kick off NFR, matching the world record. He ultimately set a rookie record with five round wins at Vegas, catapulting him to a fourth-place finish on the season and some family bragging rights, as Wright bested his world champion father Cody (sixth), older brother Rusty (ninth), and uncle Jesse Wright (10th). The 19-year-old may be hard-pressed to repeat his stunning NFR debut, but he’ll arrive in Vegas six spots higher in the standings and $29,000 richer than he was at this point last year.


3. Garrett Smith | Bull Riding

The 22-year-old bull rider qualified for NFR for the first time last season, and a year later he has a great shot to become the first Idaho cowboy to win a world title in the event. Smith has already surpassed all of his earnings from 2016 — his $204,239 ranks him second in 2017 — with his regular season total up by nearly $110,000. Smith won round 10 at NFR last year and that momentum has propelled him to a career season.

4. Ty Wallace | Bull Riding

After coming up short of NFR qualification a year ago, Ty Wallace has been a totally different cowboy this season. The 23-year-old is the third-ranked PRCA bull rider in the world in 2017 after finishing an injury-plagued 2016 in 20th. The rejuvenated Wallace picked up a big early season win at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Xtreme Bulls event, racking up $25,000 in earnings, which proved to be a stepping stone to his career season. At least part of Wallace’s success this year can be credited to time spent in the gym, which the Colorado cowboy has finally embraced this season.