BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The Texas Swing kept rolling in San Antonio, Mississippi’s only Playoff Rodeo, the Dixie National, produced bigger bull riding scores than ever and Cord McCoy’s Bullnanza reshaped the PRCA’s Top 25.
We’re digging into all of it in this week’s Monday Notebook.
- Statler Wright is the new No. 1 in the PRCA Saddle Bronc Riding World Standings. The youngest Wright brother has made a habit of winning Go-Rounds this year an his most recent Texas Swing stop was no different. He took 2-of-3 rounds in Bracket 2 in San Antone to bring his total to eight already, the most in the PRCA and four off of his total for the entire 2023 season. Wright’s $37,478 overall pushed him ahead of Wyatt Casper and Brody Cress over the weekend. It’s the first time he has ever held the top spot in the World Standings.
- Bull rider Trey Benton III went from having no money into the Top 25 after Bullnanza win a the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Entering the weekend, the seven-time NFR qualifier was 2-for-10 on the season with $0 to his name. He changed that in emphatic fashion by covering Riding Solo for 92 points to win the event and the payday of nearly $15,000 that came with it. Benton III now sits No. 23 in the PRCA World Standings and will likely climb even higher soon as he was also 88 points to be sitting second at the Dixie National.
- Barrel racer Shelley Morgan is the winningest cowgirl through two brackets in San Antonio with $7,000. Morgan and her mount Kiss raced to two Go-Round wins and finished second in another in a loaded bracket that saw her, Dona Kay Rule, Ashley Castleberry and Emily Beisel advance. Morgan not only won the most of the barrel racers, but she tied for the most of any athlete not including ground money.
- Bull rider Brody Yeary went 90 to lead the Dixie National Rodeo after the first weekend. It was Yeary’s first ride of 90+ Points since he won the Dixie National in 2020 with 92 points. This time it came on Harper & Morgan’s Rondo. Yeary sits No. 8 in the PRCA World Standings and will likely move up several spots if his score in Jackson holds until Feb. 17.
- The last two PRCA Bareback Riding World Champions were the Top 2 in Bracket 2 in San Antonio. Jess Pope and Keenan Hayes walked away with $5,000 and $4,500 respectively after battling with Brayze Schill and Mason Stuller, who both won rounds and are currently two of the Top 3 rookies in the World. Hayes is the No. 1 man in the World right now while Pope, who dueled with him all the way to Round 10 of the 2023 NFR, is No. 27.
- Clayton Sellars won the last two rounds of Bracket 2 to earn more than $8,500 already in San Antonio. The Florida native has made a seamless transition back to ProRodeo after a few years riding in the PBR. In his return to San Antonio, he rode three straight bulls and all of them were marked between 81.5 and 85.5 points. Sellars made the Finals the last time he rode in San Antonio which was in 2021.
- Two NFR pairs placed Top 2 in the 79th Annual Yuma Silver Spur Rodeo. The Turquoise Circuit rodeo paid $74,000 total but attracted some big names in the team roping. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves were first with a 5.3-second run and Derrick Begay/Colter Todd were right behind them at 5.4. Those four cowboys have combined to make 36 NFRs.
- Bull rider Tristan Mize made his first 90+ Point Ride since Sept. 2, 2017 at this weekend’s Bullnanza. Like Yeary, Mize is another bull rider who has found a spark in his career in 2024. Mize, 27, won more than $11,000 for a 90.5-point ride on Tulsa Time in Guthrie. He is 4-for-8 since Jan. 13 and all four rides have been 85.5 points or more. He is now No. 11 in the World.
