2018 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo

Top 15 Solidified: See Who Has Punched Their Ticket To Vegas

Top 15 Solidified: See Who Has Punched Their Ticket To Vegas

Hundreds of rodeos, millions of dollars, and it's all come down to this. The top 15 have unofficially punched their ticket to the 2018 WNFR.

Oct 2, 2018 by Katy Lucas
Top 15 Solidified: See Who Has Punched Their Ticket To Vegas

Hundreds of rodeos, millions of dollars, and it’s all come down to this. 

The 2018 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association season came to a close on Sunday, September 30—sealing the fate of the top 15 competitors in the world who can now prepare for ten grueling rounds in Las Vegas. 

This season saw Sage Kimzey once again being a dominating force in the PRCA. The four-time back-to-back world champion will enter the 2018 WNFR more than $100,000 ahead of his closest competition. 

Each round pays $26,000—so it’s like Kimzey is entering the finals with four round wins already under his belt. If history continues to repeat itself, we know there will be plenty more for this amazing athlete. 

Another back-to-back champion is making a run at his third consecutive title. Bareback rider Tim O’Connell is the No. 1 bareback rider in the world after the 2018 season—with a $15,000 lead on second place Caleb Bennett—and will be making his fifth trip to Las Vegas.

British Columbia barrel racer, Carman Pozzobon, will be making her very first trip to Las Vegas. The cool part about her qualification? 

She only went to about 15 rodeos in the U.S. to do it—she had a total of 53 rodeos in her count which included 37 CPRA rodeos, the Calgary Stampede and the rest in the United States.

This is a time of great celebration for those that were able to battle their way to WNFR, but we’d also like to keep bareback rider J.R. Vezain in our thoughts as he continues his own battle. Read more on his injury, unyielding spirit, and how you can support him HERE.

Vezain finished the season as the No. 14 man in the bareback riding, which will be his sixth qualification.

“Now some may ask if I am saddened by this, and I can honestly say no I’m not, I am at peace,” said Vezain on an Instagram post. “I feel blessed to be alive, and I am extremely excited for this new season that God has put me in! My grind for the NFR looks a little different this year and I can’t wait!” 

The positive cowboy has now been moved over to the rehabilitation wing of the hospital and promises his fellow competitors one thing by December:

“I will walk in and see you guys!”

BAREBACK RIDING


RankNameCityStateEarnings
1Tim O'ConnellZwingleIA$187,249.91
2Caleb BennettTremontonUT$172,428.19
3Clayton BiglowClementsCA$135,166.02
4Orin LarsenInglisMB$130,655.10
5Bill TutorHuntsvilleTX$119,835.05
6Richmond ChampionThe WoodlandsTX$119,818.86
7Kaycee FeildSpanish ForkUT$111,022.22
8Steven DentMullenNE$109,419.90
9Jake BrownClevelandTX$101,402.58
10Mason ClementsSpringvilleUT$99,535.81
11Tilden HooperCarthageTX$95,192.46
12Ty BreuerMandanND$91,558.39
13Shane O'ConnellRapid CitySD$80,162.66
14J.R. VezainCowleyWY$78,376.05
15Wyatt DennyMindenNV$77,496.86
16Will LoweCanyonTX$70,016.89

*Lowe will move in due to Vezain's injury





STEER WRESTLING


RankNameCityStateEarnings
1Curtis CassidyDonaldaAB$106,009.32
2Tyler PearsonLouisvilleMS$97,625.32
3Scott GuenthnerProvostAB$92,325.03
4Ty EricksonHelenaMT$89,661.75
5Will LummusWest PointMS$86,957.99
6Tanner BrunnerRamonaKS$84,526.66
7Hunter CureHollidayTX$83,710.50
8Bridger ChambersStevensvilleMT$81,178.35
9Jacob TalleykeatchieLA$80,717.33
10Tyler WaguespackGonzalesLA$79,478.91
11Blake MindemannBlanchardOK$78,091.87
12Riley DuvallChecotahOK$77,642.93
13Blake KnowlesHeppnerOR$75,457.72
14Kyle IrwinRobertsdaleAL$75,332.83
15Nick GuySpartaWI$74,706.00





TEAM ROPING HEADERS


RankNameCityStateEarnings
1Clay SmithBroken BowOK$115,344.56
2Kaleb DriggersHobokenGA$114,951.67
3Dustin EgusquizaMarianaFL$106,396.03
4Clay TryanBillingsMT$96,990.03
5Cody SnowLos OlivosCA$91,862.74
6Bubba BuckalooKingstonOK$88,868.00
7Chad MastersCedar HillTN$85,342.14
8Derrick BegaySeba DalkaiAZ$84,837.15
9Aaron TsinigineTuba CityAZ$84,044.49
10Luke BrownRock hillSC$83,102.17
11Riley MinorEllensburgWA$81,553.75
12Tyler WadeTerrellTX$70,443.71
13Erich RogersRound RockAZ$68,354.23
14Lane IvyDublinTX$67,457.61
15Rhen RichardRooseveltUT$65,232.02





TEAM ROPING HEELERS


RankNameCityStateEarnings
1Junior NogueiraBurlesonTX$115,935.52
2Paul EaveslonedellMO$115,344.56
3Kory KoontzStephenvilleTX$106,396.03
4Joseph HarrisonOverbrookOK$104,515.04
5Trey YatesPuebloCO$98,438.94
6Travis GravesJayOK$93,132.89
7Cory PetskaMaranaAZ$91,294.03
8Wesley ThorpThrockmortonTX$88,173.41
9Jake LongCoffeyvilleKS$83,102.17
10Brady MinorEllensburgWA$80,361.13
11Clint SummersLake CityFL$79,466.97
12Chase TryanHelenaMT$68,283.81
13Buddy Hawkins IIColumbusKS$64,451.01
14Cole DavisonStephenvilleTX$64,289.33
15Quinn KeslerHoldenUT$61,348.76





SADDLE BRONC RIDING


RankNameCityStateEarnings
1Jacobs CrawleyBoerneTX$168,100.71
2Ryder WrightBeaverUT$165,078.42
3Isaac DiazDesdemonaTX$124,739.55
4Rusty WrightMilfordUT$123,607.32
5Zeke ThurstonBig ValleyAB$112,636.79
6Brody CressHillsdaleWY$111,587.67
7Clay ElliottNantonAB$104,176.11
8Wade SundellBoxholmIA$103,309.36
9Cort ScheerElsmereNE$101,842.66
10Sterling CrawleyStephenvilleTX$98,747.76
11CoBurn BradshawBeaverUT$89,325.15
12Jake WrightMilfordUT$81,902.60
13Joey Sonnier IIINew IberiaLA$79,114.05
14Taos MuncyCoronaNM$78,790.22
15Chase BrooksDeer LodgeMT$76,141.28





TIE-DOWN ROPING


RankNameCityStateEarnings
1Shane HancheySulphurLA$136,577.32
2Tuf CooperDecaturTX$134,768.39
3Tyson DurfeyWeatherfordTX$126,517.86
4Jake PrattEllensburgWA$94,293.57
5Ryle SmithOakdaleCA$93,767.90
6Trevor BrazileDecaturTX$92,771.66
7Cooper MartinAlmaKS$91,938.14
8Caleb SmidtBellvilleTX$89,970.92
9Cory SolomonPrairie ViewTX$86,674.88
10Marty YatesStephenvilleTX$86,482.63
11Reese RiemerStinnettTX$85,428.41
12Matt ShiozawaChubbuckID$84,153.38
13Rhen RichardRooseveltUT$83,373.02
14Sterling SmithStephenvilleTX$79,083.07
15Ryan JarrettComancheOK$77,551.73





BARREL RACING


RankNameHometownStateMoney Won
1Hailey KinselCotullaTX$192,834.44
2Nellie MillerCottonwoodCA$146,825.96
3Brittany Pozzi TonozziVictoriaTX$137,266.54
4Lisa LockhartOelrichsSD$123,515.19
5Stevi HillmanWeatherfordTX$110,231.85
6Taci BettisRound TopTX$103,691.98
7Kylie WeastComancheOK$101,715.00
8Jessica RoutierBuffaloSD$98,704.23
9Ivy ConradoHudsonCO$98,385.47
10Tammy FischerLedbetterTX$91,276.75
11Kelly Bruner (G)MillsapTX$90,515.39
12Tracy NowlinNowataOK$90,495.80
13Amberleigh MooreSalemOR$89,126.63
14Jessica TelfordCaldwellID$88,341.95
15Carman PozzobonAldergroveBC$86,946.59





BULL RIDING


RankNameCityStateEarnings
1Sage KimzeyStrong CityOK$297,025.65
2Parker BredingEdgarMT$185,475.93
3Dustin BoquetBourgLA$114,203.52
4Roscoe JarboeNew PlymouthID$109,737.37
5Chase DoughertyCanbyOR$109,349.48
6Jeff AskeyAthensTX$107,295.08
7Boudreaux CampbellCrockettTX$106,430.78
8Garrett TribbleBristowOK$102,225.58
9Tyler BinghamHoneyvilleUT$101,583.48
10Trey Benton IIIRock IslandTX$100,931.60
11Cole MelanconLibertyTX$99,589.50
12Koby RadleyMontpelierLA$97,257.63
13Joe FrostRandlettUT$96,162.70
14Eli VastbinderUnion GroveNC$95,114.26
15Trevor KastnerRoffOK$94,395.88


*Top 15 lists courtesy of the PRCA & WPRA World Standings.