The larger winter rodeos are cash cows for those fortunate cowboys and cowgirls who finish in the money as they attempt to qualify for the December National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
It is expected to take between $55,000 to $65,000 in regular-season earnings to snare an NFR competition number, depending on the event. If a competitor wins a major competition such as the Fort Worth Stock Show or Denver's National Western Stock Show, they could earn between $7,500 and $15,000 in a single event, a leap toward earning an NFR berth.One cowboy who could get a big jump on earning an NFR berth after strong finishes at winter rodeos is two-time world champion saddle bronc rider Cody Wright.During the past weekend, Wright earned $8,542 after winning the saddle bronc riding title in Denver. He's ranked No. 1 in the world title race with regular-season earnings of $16,052 in the standings released Monday night.Wright also has an opportunity to make another big stride as he attempts to earn his 11th NFR berth. He is ranked No. 1 in the saddle bronc title race at the Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo after competing Thursday and Friday.When the Stock Show Rodeo concluded its eighth performance Monday night at Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum, Wright was ranked first in the title race with a two-ride score of 156. He also is ranked first in the second round with an 80.If Wright finishes in the money at the Fort Worth Rodeo as expected, he will get paid on the weekend of Feb. 9 when the Stock Show concludes the preliminary rounds and conducts the final round.Hypothetically thinking, Wright currently has earned more than $16,000 this season. And if he wins another $9,000 to $12,000 in Fort Worth, his earnings would swell to between $25,000 and $30,000.Last year, it took about $52,000 to qualify for the NFR in saddle bronc riding when the 2012 regular season concluded on Sept. 30. And so if Wright comes away from the Fort Worth rodeo with $25,000 to $30,000, he's halfway to Vegas.PBR updateThough he was bucked off in all of the preliminary rounds at last weekend's Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series tour stop in Oklahoma City, Silvano Alves, a Brazilian who lives in Decatur, still is ranked No. 1 in the world title race.The Oklahoma City show was the fifth of 25 tour stops scheduled during the regular season. Alves, who has finished in the money at the first four shows in 2013, leads the title race with 2,154.66 points. Shane Proctor is ranked No. 2 with 1,853.12, and J.B. Mauney is No. 3 with 1,698.Sean Willingham, who finished No. 1 at the Oklahoma City show, is ranked sixth with 1,415.25.This weekend, the tour stops in Sacramento, Calif. The tour also stops at Arlington's Cowboys Stadium on March 2.In the moneyMarty Yates of Stephenville earned $4,097 after tying for second place in tie-down roping with a time of 8.1 at the Fort Worth Stock Show Rodeo. Four-time NFR qualifier Clint Robinson won the round with a 7.6 and pocketed $6,080.In steer wrestling, former National Finals qualifier Jule Hazen of Ashland, Kan., won the first round with a 3.8 and earned $5,256.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
