Now that the 2019 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is in full swing we have started to see a unique pattern beginning to develop here inside of the Thomas & Mack with a slew of contestants showing consistent effort night in and night out. Over the first three performances records were broken and great displays of athleticism have been displayed down on the arena floor in front of nightly sold-out crowds. Not only have we seen great effort on the cowboy and cowgirl side of things but the level of animal superiority had again been top-notch in which we will continue to see throughout the rest of the week here in Las Vegas. that being said, when these contestants compete for ten straight days the injuries have began piling up but each of them are fighting through the pain in search of a world championship title of their own.
One thing that we have not touched on too much this year or even years in the past is the huge demand that the top rodeo athletes in the world have each day outside of the arena even before they make their way to the Thomas & Mack each night. Many may not know but the competing may be the easiest time each day that those competing have as many will be pulled many different directions from sun up to sun down for the ten straight days they are in Las Vegas. They have obligations to appearances, autograph signings, television interviews, Justin Sports Medicine visits and numerous other things. The schedule that these cowboys and cowgirls are required to keep would be enough to make any of us throw in the towel early on and hope and pray for a short breather at any point in time.
Rusty Wright Wins Round Four In The Saddle Bronc Riding
Photo Credit: PRCA Media
During the first three rounds of action, we have watched a select few of the athletes have a start to the 2019 Wrangle National Finals Rodeo that one could only dream of and as the fourth round progressed it looked like we would continue to see much more of the same. Not many times in recent memory can we think about having the amount of multi go-round wins by the same person that we have seen so far here in 2019. A majority of the seven events have already seen one contestant earn two or more go-round wins which gives each of them a legitimate shot at taking home a beautiful Dodge RAM pick-up truck for earning the RAM Top Gun Award. That trend would continue as round four played out Sunday night inside the Thomas & Mack that would earn each event winner a trip to South Point Hotel and Casino later in the evening.
Tonight we would see exactly what we just talked about above three times out of the seven chances as tie-down roper Shane Hanchey, barrel racer Emily Miller and bull rider Stetson Wright would each earn their second go-round win throughout the first four performances. Making this even more special, two Wrangler National Finals Rodeo rookies are part of those honors as Miller and Wright re each competing for the first time here in Las Vegas. Tonight, however, Rusty Wright would make memories after earning a go-round win in the saddle bronc riding after having his dad, Cody Wright, behind the bucking chutes with him giving him some words of encouragement. Those words must have worked as Rusty would ride his horse to the tune of 89.50 points on Sunday night.
ROUND FOUR WINNERS IN EACH EVENT
Bareback: Orin Larsen (90.00)
Steer Wrestling: Bridger Chambers (3.60 Seconds)
Team Roping: Chad Masters & Joseph Harrison (3.70 Seconds)
Saddle Bronc Riding: Rusty Wright (89.50)
Tie-Down Roping: Shane Hanchey (7.50 Seconds)
Barrel Racing: Emily Miller (13.64 Seconds)
Bull Riding: Stetson Wright (91.00)
Tyson Durfey Competes In Round Five
Photo Credit: Rodeo News
Coming into the fifth round of the 2019 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo we are seeing the WNFR rookies perform like we have not seen in many years here inside of the Thomas & Mack on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Before the round started we saw two of these rookies holding down not only the number one spot in the WNFR average race but with the efforts that they have put in here they also were holding down the number one position in the world standings race as well. If they can keep up their actions here over the last half of the event we will see not only a new world champion but we will also send them home with a huge pocket full of cash and a brand new Dodge RAM truck for winning the RAM Top Gun Award for the 2019 season at the conclusion of Saturday night’s tenth and final round.
Every year, night number five of Wrangler National Finals Rodeo takes on a whole new meaning for every contestant competing as well as thousands of professional rodeo fans watching live or from home as the Thomas & Mack turn pink. The annual Tough Enough To Wear Pink night supports and remembers all those lost, battling or surviving breast cancer. There are a few contestants that come into the fifth round with even more passion after having family members that have a history of this disease. One of the most notable is tie-down roper Tyson Durfey who has worn a pink shirt all season long for many seasons due to his own family dealing with breast cancer and he wears it proudly to represent all those having to deal with the terrible diagnosis. That being said, this is why the spotlight has been on him tonight in our round five segment but you can see the complete list of event go-round winners below.
ROUND FIVE WINNERS IN EACH EVENT
Bareback: Clayton Biglow (92.50)
Steer Wrestling: Kyle Irwin (3.70 Seconds)
Team Roping: Chad Masters & Joseph Harrison (4.20 Seconds)
Saddle Bronc Riding: Jake Watson (92.00)
Tie-Down Roping: Ty Harris (7.40 Seconds)
Barrel Racing: Dona Kay Rule (13.56 Seconds)
Bull Riding: Daylon Swearingen (92.00)
Boudreaux Campbell Brings Home The Bull Riding Go-Round Win In Round Six Of The 2019 WNFR
Photo Credit: PRCA Media/Todd Brewer
Following a very exciting and dramatic round five last night it is time to turn towards the home stretch as the back half of the 2019 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo takes center stage which should be another fantastic time to be a professional rodeo fan. Throughout the first five rounds, the WNFR rookies have proven to have what it takes to compete inside of the Thomas & Mack Arena as many of them make big moves up the world standings leaderboards and are poised to receive a huge payday on Saturday night for placing well within the event average race as well. Tonight, the sold-out crowd was once again treated to another hard-fought round of professional rodeo action as the top fifteen contestants in each of the traditional seven pro rodeo events brought their talents to the arena floor.
Tonight we finally get to focus on the favorite event of many fans, the sport of professional bull riding as the pen of buckers that the bull riders consider “rider-friendly” make their way to the Thomas & Mack floor. That being said, there really is no such thing as a rider-friendly bucking bull when it comes to the livestock that is featured here at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. In tonight’s round six, ten of the fifteen riders managed to make it to the eight-second buzzer that left the crowd in awe of what they just witnessed on a Tuesday night in Las Vegas. After all was said and done, it was Boudreaux Campbell who would come out atop of the rest of the field earning him a go-round win and a cool $26,000 and a trip to the South Point Hotel and Casino to go along with it.
ROUND SIX WINNERS IN EACH EVENT
Bareback: Caleb Bennett/Tilden Hooper/Clayton Biglow (88.50)
Steer Wrestling: Tyler Waguespack (3.70 Seconds)
Team Roping: Riley Minor & Brady Minor (4.00 Seconds)
Saddle Bronc Riding: Dawson Hay (88.50)
Tie-Down Roping: Ty Harris (7.10 Seconds)
Barrel Racing: Amberleigh Moore (13.55 Seconds)
Bull Riding: Boudreaux Campbell (92.50)
2019 World Championship Leaders Through Six Rounds
Bareback: Clayton Biglow
Steer Wrestling: Tyler Waguespack
Team Roping: Clay Smith & Jade Corkill
Saddle Bronc Riding: Zeke Thurston
Tie-Down Roping: Shane Hanchey
Barrel Racing: Hailey Kinsel
Bull Riding: Sage Steele Kimzey
All-Around: Stetson Wright
2019 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Average Race Through Round Six
Bareback: Clayton Biglow
Steer Wrestling: Tyler Waguespack
Team Roping: Brenten Hall & Chase Tryan
Saddle Bronc Riding: Rusty Wright
Tie-Down Roping: Haven Meged
Barrel Racing: Emily Miller
Bull Riding: Sage Steele Kimzey
All-Around: Stetson Wright
RAM Top Gun Award: Amberleigh Moore
Things are surely heating up in Las Vegas as the rounds begin to wind down and the time for advancing up the world standings leaderboards are drawing to a close. That being said, the average race here at the 2019 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo begins to play a big role in that and we will see how it all begins to play out in our next segment following round nine on Friday night. This will bring us all to our last feature following the conclusion of round ten when we crown our new 2019 professional rodeo world champions to end a spectacular 2019 professional rodeo season that will be remembered for years to come!
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