Round 5 will see the second run on the second pen of steers. In Round 2, the last time these steers ran, Clay Smith and Paul Eaves won the rodeo with a 4.0 followed by Cody Snow and Wesley Thorp’s 4.1. Times jumped to a 4.6 from there. Here’s what to expect in the round that will mark the halfway point of the rodeo, according to two-time world champion, Matt Sherwood.
Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira
Round 4: 4.3, 4/5
Round Winnings: $8,884.61 each
Total NFR Earnings: $53,012.81 each
World Standings Earnings: $167,964.48 (Driggers); $168,948.33 (Nogueira)
Average: 1, 17.70/4
World Standings: 1
Sherwood’s take: What I think will make the difference in a world championship: Round 2 when Kaleb threw a bad loop and stayed with it and got it on. Kaleb looks like he has the best horse there. That horse gives him a great go every time. He’s strong to the horn, keeps these big steers moving and finishes good. If they end up with gold buckles, that will make the difference.
Clay Smith and Paul Eaves
Round 4: 5.3
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $39,897.43 each
World Standings Earnings: $155,241.98
Average: 6, 13.60/3
World Standings: 2
Sherwood’s take: Clay’s grey horse is also phenomenal. He messed up in the first round but he’s turned three steers really good. They have a great chance. They were my pick to win a world championship. If Paul can heel them fast enough for the rest of the week, they’re in the same boat as last year. Paul can get them heeled fast enough to place in every go round.
Dustin Egusquiza and Kory Koontz
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $10,000 each
World Standings Earnings: $116,396.03
Average: 13, 18.80/2
World Standings: 10
Sherwood’s take: Man, I thought they’d do so good. Part of the NFR, it’s crazy, because you can go there and catch a bunch of steers and catch on the wrong nights and miss on the right nights. They’ll still do good. Dustin is so talented, he sometimes thinks he can do anything, and he’s had a couple of tough shots. One of the nights their leg wouldn’t have placed, and one wouldn’t have. You’ve got to turn more than 50 percent. You have to turn seven or eight. If he’ll just slow down a tiny bit, he’s so talented, they can still win so much there.
Chad Masters and Joseph Harrison
Round 4: 4.3, 2/3
Round Winnings: $18,192.31 each
Total NFR Earnings: $28,192.31 each
World Standings Earnings: $113,534.45 (Masters); $132,707.35 (Harrison)
Average: 11, 28.00/3
World Standings: 11 (Masters); 4 (Harrison)
Sherwood’s take: Man, Chad is doing a great Jon in his role of scoring, getting on them, and getting them legal. That’s what they’ve done except for one night. They’ll catch six more. Joseph will heel at least four out of six fast and they’ll still be real close to win the average and an outside chance to win the world. They’ll place on every steer Chad turns and Joseph catches by two feet. It depends on what happens at the average but they still have a chance at a top hole.
Aaron Tsinigine and Trey Yates
Round 4: 4.8, 6
Round Winnings: $4,230.77 each
Total NFR Earnings: $39,192.31 each
World Standings Earnings: $123,236.80 (Tsinigine); $137,631.25 (Yates)
Average: 2, 23.70/4
World Standings: 6 (Tsinigine); 3 (Yates
Sherwood’s take: Aaron has been the best header there through four rounds. he’s been on the barrier, he’s given Trey good looks. I’d like to see Trey have a little more separation in the corner, and I think he can heel those steers one jump sooner. Trey needs just a little bit more separation in the corner. Aaron is so good in that building. His head loops, he doesn’t have tough shots. They’re tight, he gives good handles. He’s so good in that building.
Clay Tryan and Travis Graves
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $25,794.87 each
World Standings Earnings: $122,784.90 (Tryan); $118,927.76 (Graves)
Average: 9, 23.80/3
World Standings: 7 (Tryan); 8 (Graves)
Sherwood’s take: Oh dang it. It seemed to me like Clay Tryan has got out of his element just a tiny bit of being tight on the barrier with a tight head loop and squaring the steers. He can be 4.1 all year long because ehe had a tight head loop and his horses finish. I felt so bad for them last night. What ends up being the difference in Clay Tryan and Erich Rogers: Off the barrier, took a little harder shot. Clay Tryan has so much rope out there, gets the front leg. He’s got to get on the barrier, and throw that best head loop in the world he throws. He needs to let his horses duck, face, and Travis Graves will heel them.
Cody Snow and Wesley Thorp
Round 4: 6.5
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $41,730.77 each
World Standings Earnings: $133,593.50 (Snow); $129,904.17 (Thorp)
Average: 7, 14.80/3
World Standings: 3 (Snow); 6 (Thorp)
Sherwood’s take: Man, Cody did just the same thing. He missed it last night and did a good job of fishing it on. They’ve got three caught, and Cody just needs to make sure he covers the horns. They’ve got bigger horns than what we rope all year long. he’s got to just stay on the barrier and let Wesley heel them. They have a phenomenal run because his horses come back up and finish good.
Derrick Begay and Cory Petska
Round 4: 5.0
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $36,230.77
World Standings Earnings: $121,067 (Begay); $127,524.80 (Petska)
Average: 3, 33.30/4
World Standings: 8 (Begay); 7 (Petska)
Sherwood’s take: Derrick has turned all four steers and broke one barrier. Cory heels so fast. You never ever can count those guys out with the two of them. Derrick got faced a little early last night. Those steers are so big, it’s hard to pull up that wall and finish every single time. Derrick will turn five or six for good money and they’ll win good money in the average. The last several years, I got to rope with Cory there once, he’s really heeled good in that building. He’s got where he can heel fast and consistent in that building. He’s got a great chance still.
Bubba Buckaloo and Chase Tryan
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $39,121.79 each
World Standings Earnings: $127,989.78 (Buckaloo); $107,405.60 (Tryan)
Average: 12, 9.2/2
World Standings: 5 (Buckaloo); 11 (Tryan)
Sherwood’s take: I thought Bubba started so good. He turned both his first steers never being there before. People underestimate him. He heads so good, his horses are sharp. He’ll get back and turn the rest of his steers. Chase is fast and consistent. They’ll have a good last half.
Luke Brown and Jake Long
Round 4: 4.3, 2/3
Round Winnings: $18,192.31
Total NFR Earnings: $47,653.84 each
World Standings Earnings: $130,756.01 each
Average: 5, 13.10/3
World Standings: 4 (Brown); 5 (Long)
Sherwood’s take: Jake Long is heeling so good. I said Aaron Tsinigine is heading the best here, and I’ll say Jake Long has heeled the best three steers in the Thomas & Mack. With Luke’s yellow horse looking a little tight, Jake hasn’t had the easiest shots, and he’s heeled the best steers so far. I’ve been so impressed with how good he’s heeled three steers.
Riley and Brady Minor
Round 4: 4.3
Round Winnings: $8,884.61 each
Total NFR Earnings: $37,076.92 each
World Standings Earnings: $118,630.05 (Riley); $117,438.05 (Brady)
Average: 8, 18.10/3
World Standings: 9
Sherwood’s take: It seems like all their steers, Brady is leaving them really straight. Riley is doing a good job with getting the steers legal and finishing good. Brady’s letting them run such a good pattern. I know Brady got a leg on one, but they’re being short 4s really easily. If they keep doing that, they could be 4.2 six more times.
Erich Rogers and Clint Summers
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $16,769.23 each
World Standings Earnings: $85,123.45 (Rogers); $96,236.20 (Summers)
Average: 10, 27.00/3
World Standings: 14 (Rogers); 13 (Summers)
Sherwood’s take: It seems to me like Erich is just a little bit off the barrier and making his shots a little harder. He split the horns last night, and his horse was widening so he wasn’t able to fish it on. That’s the difference in having all 10 down at the end of the week. Throwing a bad loop and still getting a time is what makes the difference. Clint is riding good position and heeling good, so if Erich can get back up on the barrier they’ll catch the rest of them and have a really good chance.
Tyler Wade and Cole Davison
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $10,000
World Standings Earnings: $83,145.02 (Wade); $76,251.57 (Davison)
Average: 15, 9.40/1
World Standings: 15
Sherwood’s take: Bad luck so far. Tyler Wade has been too late on a couple shots. He’s so talented and can rope steers so far away, but in that building you can’t be late. Even if you think you can reach them, you’ve got to be on the barrier so you can catch more and give better handles. He gets his swing up fast, he has a big open catch loop, but they’re just too far away for him with too big of horns.
Lane Ivy and Buddy Hawkins
Round 4: 4.1
Round Winnings: $26,230.77 each
Total NFR Earnings: $36,230.77 each
World Standings Earnings: $103,688.38 (Ivy); $100,681.78 (Hawkins)
Average: 14, 4.1/2
World Standings: 12
Sherwood’s take: I thought Lane Ivy did a phenomenal job last night. The first three he was stopping his delivery and trying to be so fast with his hands. He wasn’t roping the horns before he was pulling his slack. That was the first time we really got to see his horse, and he looked strong up the wall and finished good and kept that steer moving. If he can just slow down a tiny bit, he’s super talented. Sometimes, practicing to get ready for here, it’s easy. So you get here and you get a little bit ahead of yourself. He slowed down and was fast last night.
Rhen Richard and Quinn Kesler
Round 4: 14.20
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $27,557.69 each
World Standings Earnings: $92,789.71 (Richard); $88,906.45 (Kesler)
Average: 4, 33.70/4
World Standings: 13 (Richard); 14 (Kesler
Sherwood’s take: Rhen Richard. We’re big Rhen Richard fans around here. I have a boy who just loves him. I got to rope with both of these guys, Rhen for one year and Quinn for two. Rhen has done a phenomenal job. He broke it last night, but he’s done a great job of being on the barrier and turning them on a short rope. I look for them to win way up in the standings and give Rhen a chance to win the all-around. Rhen is fourth in the average in the team roping, and if he can maintain that in both events, that will be the difference in how far behind he is. If he can keep winning as much in the go-rounds in two events as those guys are winning in one, he has a real chance at the all-around. We’re all pulling for him. That buckskin horse has been to the Canadian Finals so he’s been in the small buildings. I just love how aggressive he’s being at the barrier.
