Montana, Wyoming competitors in position to bring home gold at 2022 National Finals Rodeo

LAS VEGAS — The Tremendous Bowl of Rodeo is again, and as ordinary, Montana and Wyoming are nicely represented.

Eight Montanans certified for the 2022 Nationwide Finals Rodeo, together with six within the prime three of their respective occasions, whereas one other three from Wyoming will cowboy up when Spherical 1 of the NFR kicks off Thursday on the Thomas & Mack Heart in Las Vegas. You’ll be able to watch every efficiency reside on The Cowboy Channel at 6:45 p.m. MDT from Dec. 1-10.

Listed below are the 11 rivals we’ll be monitoring all through the ten nights as they vie for a chunk of the report $10.9 million prize payout:

BAREBACK

Cole Reiner – Buffalo, WY
Rank: No. 1 ($160,970.51)
Cole Reiner is a rising star in bareback driving. The 23-year-old from Buffalo, Wyoming certified for his third straight NFR this yr, after ending fifth on this planet standings in 2020 and seventh in 2021. He comes into 2022 with a slim world lead of $1,711.

Caleb Bennett – Corvallis, MT
Rank: No. 3 ($147,290.19)
Initially from Utah, Caleb Bennett relocated to the Bitterroot Valley after marrying his spouse Savannah. The 34-year-old is not any stranger to the NFR — this shall be his tenth journey in 11 years. His finest yr on this planet bareback standings got here in 2016, when he completed 4th. He enters this yr in third, about $13,700 behind World No. 1 Reiner.

STEER WRESTLING

Ty Erickson – Helena, MT
Rank: No. 6 ($107,784.30)
The 2019 steer wrestling world champion is again on the NFR after a two-year hiatus. Ty Erickson is now 32 years outdated, cemented as probably the greatest on this planet over the past decade. The Helena native and Montana State College alum is making his seventh look on the Nationwide Finals. He’ll start in sixth, about $27,000 behind the world chief.

Timmy Sparing – Helena, MT
Rank: No. 14 ($81,312.40)
You do not usually make your NFR debut at 33 years outdated. Helena Capital grad Timmy Sparing could have numerous followers in Las Vegas. He gained the 2022 Montana Circuit Finals to kick off a profession yr, getting into the NFR 14th on this planet. He earlier finest end was thirty sixth in 2017. Not unhealthy for somebody who did not begin steer wrestling till he was 17.

TEAM ROPING – HEADERS

Clay Tryan – Billings, MT
Rank: No. 2 ($144,663.14)
One of many best headers in historical past continues to be going robust. 2022 marks Clay Tryan’s twentieth NFR look – he made his debut as a 22-year-old in 2001. Now 43, the three-time world champion enters the Finals in second. He is $83,214.71 behind world chief Kaleb Driggers, however nobody ought to ever rely the Billings native out.

SADDLE BRONC

Sage Newman – Melstone, MT
Rank: No. 1 ($253,190.84)
Sage Newman has rapidly grow to be probably the greatest saddle bronc riders on this planet. The 24-year-old from Melstone made his NFR debut in 2021, ending eleventh on this planet. Then he made a large leap this yr, getting into the 2022 Nationwide Finals with a $60,000 world lead. The Montana State alum has an enormous alternative forward of him.

Brody Cress – Hillsdale, WY
Rank: No. 3 ($182,645)
Brody Cress is aware of all about early success. He is making his sixth straight NFR look on the ripe outdated age of 26. Cress has been agonizingly near profitable a world title for years, ending 2nd in 2017 and 2019 after profitable the NFR common every year. He gained the typical once more in 2021, tying him for the second-most saddle bronc common wins in Nationwide Finals historical past. He is completed third on this planet every of the final two years.

Chase Brooks – Deer Lodge, MT
Rank: No. 13 ($113,991.70)
Chase Brooks appears to be getting higher yearly. The 28-year-old is making his fifth straight journey to the NFR and recorded his highest world end ever (4th) in 2021, together with putting second in final yr’s NFR Common race. Brooks is a Montanan by way of and thru — he graduated from Powell County Excessive Faculty in Deer Lodge and attended Montana State.

Tanner Butner – Daniel, WY
Rank: No. 15 ($103,739.32)
Tanner Butner shall be an NFR rookie in 2022. The 25-year-old doubled his 2021 earnings after profitable 9 completely different rodeos this yr.

TIE-DOWN ROPING

Haven Meged – Miles Metropolis, MT
Rank: No. 3 ($156,027.42)
If you win a world title in your NFR debut at 21 years outdated, it is exhausting to maintain getting higher, however Haven Meged is making an attempt. Now 24, the Miles Metropolis cowboy is making his 4th straight NFR begin after ending second on this planet and within the NFR Common in 2021.

BARREL RACING

Lisa Lockhart – Oelrichs, SD
Rank: No. 14 ($84,870.91)
Loss of life. Taxes. Lisa Lockhart on the Nationwide Finals Rodeo. Some issues are ensures. The Circle, MT native is again for her sixteenth straight NFR, simply three weeks after her 57th birthday. It doesn’t matter what place she enters in, Lockhart all the time appears to shine when the lights are brightest. She gained the NFR Common in 2014 and ’16 and has completed as excessive as second on this planet standings twice (2014-15).