As the payout continues to rise, the NFR Average becomes a more critical piece of the Gold Buckle race with each passing year. In 2023, winners at the NFR cashed in nearly $80,000.
BAREBACK RIDING
In all three roughstock events, the NFR Average winner was also the World Champion. Rookie sensation Keenan Hayes knocked Jess Pope off the top of the mountain in Round 10 with a 90-point ride. Pope had won the previous three NFR Average titles in the bareback riding.
| 1. | Keenan Hayes | 850/10 | $78,747 |
| 2. | Jess Pope | 845.5/10 | $63,889 |
| T3. | Cole Reiner | 843/10 | $43,831 |
| T3. | Kade Sonnier | 843/140 | $43,831 |
| 5. | Leighton Berry | 841/10 | $26,744 |
| 6. | Tanner Aus | 837/10 | $19,315 |
| 7. | Mason Clements | 836/10 | $13,372 |
| 8. | Jacob Lees | 830/10 | $7,249 |
| 9. | Richmond Champion | 829/10 | $0 |
| 10. | Clayton Biglow | 828.5/10 | $0 |
| 11. | Tim O’Connell | 826/10 | $0 |
| 12. | Rocker Steiner | 823.5/10 | $0 |
| 13. | Jayco Roper | 749/9 | $0 |
| 14. | Orin Larsen | 720/9 | $0 |
| 15. | Dean Thompson | 653.5/8 | $0 |
STEER WRESTLING
Don Payne was perhaps the most unlikely NFR Average winner in 2023 as he not only entered the NFR No. 15, he stayed there until after Round 10, because he won the Average without finishing better than fourth in a round. Every one of his times was between 4.2 and 5.5 seconds and when it was all said and done, Payne found himself No. 6 in the final PRCA Steer Wrestling World Standings.
| 1. | Don Payne | 44.9/10 | $78,747 |
| 2. | Jesse Brown | 46.2/10 | $63,889 |
| 3. | Tyler Waguespack | 50.3/10 | $50,517 |
| 4. | Stephen Culling | 53/10 | $37,145 |
| 5. | Stan Branco | 62.4/10 | $26,744 |
| 6. | Dalton Massey | 68.6/10 | $19,315 |
| 7. | Dakota Eldridge | 40.9/9 | $13,372 |
| 8. | Nick Guy | 43.5/9 | $7,429 |
| 9. | JD Struxness | 46.7/9 | $0 |
| 10. | Ty Erickson | 58.2/9 | $0 |
| 11. | Dirk Tavenner | 43.2/8 | $0 |
| 12. | Jacob Talley | 54.1/8 | $0 |
| 13. | Bridger Anderson | 28.6/7 | $0 |
| 14. | Cody Devers | 36.3/7 | $0 |
| 15. | Will Lummus | 51/7 | $0 |
TEAM ROPING (HEADERS)
Derrick Begay/Colter Todd were the only ones to catch all 10 and it allowed Begay to finish with $269,125, the most money he has ever earned in a season.
| 1. | Derrick Begay | 69/10 | $78,747 |
| 2. | Luke Brown | 51.9/9 | $63,889 |
| 3. | Tyler Wade | 58.9/9 | $50,517 |
| 4. | Andrew Ward | 59/9 | $37,145 |
| 5. | Clint Summers | 41.5/8 | $26,744 |
| 6. | Nelson Wyatt | 62.8/8 | $19,315 |
| 7. | Rhen Richard | 68.8/8 | $13,372 |
| 8. | Erich Rogers | 39.7/7 | $7,429 |
| 9. | Marcus Theriot | 47.3/7 | $0 |
| 10. | Tanner Tomlinson | 49.8/7 | $0 |
| 11. | Clay Smith | 30/6 | $0 |
| 12. | Kaleb Driggers | 35.3/6 | $0 |
| 13. | Jake Clay | 35.4/5 | $0 |
| 14. | Coleman Proctor | 49.1/5 | $0 |
| 15. | Dustin Egusquiza | 26.3/4 | $0 |
TEAM ROPING (HEELERS)
In his first NFR since 2008, Colter Todd showed no rust as he left the Average champion. He finished No. 3 in the PRCA World Standings.
| 1. | Colter Todd | 69/10 | $78,747 |
| 2. | Hunter Koch | 51.9/9 | $63,889 |
| 3. | Wesley Thorp | 58.9/9 | $50,517 |
| 4. | Buddy Hawkins | 59/9 | $37,145 |
| 5. | Jake Long | 41.5/8 | $26,744 |
| 6. | Jonathan Torres | 62.8/8 | $19,315 |
| 7. | Jeremy Buhler | 68.8/8 | $13,372 |
| 8. | Paul Eaves | 39.7/7 | $7,429 |
| 9. | Cole Curry | 47.3/7 | $0 |
| 10. | Patrick Smith | 49.8/7 | $0 |
| 11. | Paden Bray | 30/6 | $0 |
| 12. | Junior Nogueira | 35.3/6 | $0 |
| 13. | Tyler Worley | 35.4/5 | $0 |
| 14. | Logan Medlin | 49.1/5 | $0 |
| 15. | Levi Lord | 26.3/4 | $0 |
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
Zeke Thurston became the first saddle bronc rider ever to win the World Championship and NFR Average in consecutive years. Over the last two seasons, Thurston is averaging 87 points at the NFR and dating back to 2021, he has ridden 30 straight broncs in Las Vegas. In 2023, his NFR Average check helped break the saddle bronc riding single season earnings record with $456,356. He now has four Gold Buckles and three NFR Average titles since 2016.
| 1. | Zeke Thurston | 863/10 | $78,747 |
| 2. | Brody Cress | 856/10 | $63,889 |
| 3. | Lefty Holman | 852.5/10 | $50,517 |
| 4. | Damian Brennan | 851/10 | $37,145 |
| T5. | Tanner Butner | 844.5/10 | $23,030 |
| T5. | Sage Newman | 844.5/10 | $23,030 |
| 7. | Kade Bruno | 764/9 | $13,372 |
| 8. | Ryder Wright | 761.5/9 | $7,429 |
| 9. | Wyatt Casper | 751/9 | $0 |
| 10. | Layton Green | 717/9 | $0 |
| 11. | Ryder Sanford | 666/8 | $0 |
| 12. | Dawson Hay | 665.5/8 | $0 |
| 13. | Chase Brooks | 662.5/8 | $0 |
| 14. | Ben Andersen | 566.5/7 | $0 |
| 15. | Stetson Wright | INJ | $0 |
TIE-DOWN ROPING
Haven Meged was the only cowboy to set an NFR Average record in 2023 as he was 77.4 on 10. Along the way, Meged also broke the Thomas & Mack arena record with a 6.4-second run in Round 7 and placed in eight rounds total. He finished the year No. 2 in the world with $411,263.
| 1. | Haven Meged | 77.4/10 | $78,747 |
| 2. | Riley Webb | 82.9/10 | $63,889 |
| 3. | Caleb Smidt | 92.6/10 | $50,517 |
| 4. | Kincade Henry | 93.3/10 | $37,145 |
| 5. | Shane Hanchey | 94.9/10 | $26,744 |
| 6. | John Douch | 95.8/10 | $19,315 |
| 7. | Cory Solomon | 109.1/10 | $13,372 |
| 8. | Blane Cox | 115.3/10 | $7,429 |
| 9. | Westyn Hughes | 119.6/10 | $0 |
| 10. | Tuf Cooper | 69.8/9 | $0 |
| 11. | Hunter Herrin | 95.1/9 | $0 |
| 12. | Brushton Minton | 104.4/9 | $0 |
| 13. | Ty Harris | 116.1/9 | $0 |
| 14. | Shad Mayfield | 57.3/7 | $0 |
| 15. | Beau Cooper | 58.4/5 | $0 |
BARREL RACING
In her 17th NFR, Lisa Lockhart won the NFR Average title for the third time since 2014. She won the second-most of any barrel racer at the NFR and broke Sherry Cervi’s all-time WPRA earnings record in the process.
| 1. | Lisa Lockhart | 137.18/10 | $78,747 |
| 2. | Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi | 141.18/10 | $63,889 |
| 3. | Kassie Mowry | 141.20/10 | $50,517 |
| 4. | Paige Jones | 142.21/10 | $37,145 |
| 5. | Jordon Briggs | 142.43/10 | $26,744 |
| 6. | Jessica Routier | 142.76/10 | $19,315 |
| 7. | Ilyssa Riley | 144.54/10 | $13,372 |
| 8. | Hailey Kinsel | 148.67/10 | $7,429 |
| 9. | Sue Smith | 149.00/10 | $0 |
| 10. | Summer Kosel | 152.66/10 | $0 |
| 11. | Sissy Winn | 156.64/10 | $0 |
| 12. | Stevi Hillman | 158.09/10 | $0 |
| 13. | Emily Beisel | 161.48/10 | $0 |
| 14. | Wenda Johnson | 163.64/10 | $0 |
| 15. | Tayce Matthews | 154.88/9 | $0 |
BULL RIDING
Ky Hamilton’s toughness was on display throughout the NFR as he battled through a concussion, a broken rib and a lung injury to still be the only cowboy to ride six bulls. The NFR Average is ultimately what pushed him to break Stetson Wright’s single season earnings record by about $3,000.
| 1. | Ky Hamilton | 514.5/6 | $78,747 |
| 2. | Sage Kimzey | 437/5 | $63,889 |
| 3. | Josh Frost | 429.5/5 | $50,517 |
| 4. | Jared Parsonage | 421/5 | $37,145 |
| 5. | Trey Kimzey | 412/5 | $26,744 |
| 6. | Creek Young | 344.5/4 | $19,315 |
| 7. | Jeff Askey | 260/3 | $13,372 |
| 8. | Jordan Hansen | 258/3 | $7,429 |
| 9. | T Parker | 239.5/3 | $0 |
| 10. | Hayes Weight | 177/2 | $0 |
| 11. | Tristen Hutchings | 169.5/2 | $0 |
| 12. | Cody Teel | 167.5/2 | $0 |
| 13. | Trey Holston | 166/2 | $0 |
| 14. | Cullen Telfer | 0/0 | $0 |
| 15. | Stetson Wright | INJ | $0 |
