No. 7 | $149,489
- Age: 35
- Hometown: Edmond, Oklahoma
- Career Earnings: $1,459,214
- Major Rodeos: NFR, RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo, The American Rodeo, RAM Prairie Circuit Finals, Calgary (Alberta) Stampede, Greeley (Colo.) Stampede, West of the Pecos (Texas) Rodeo, Farm-City Pro Rodeo (Hermiston, Ore.), Home of Champions Rodeo (Red Lodge, Mont.), Strawberry Days Rodeo (Pleasant Grove, Utah), North Dakota Roughrider Cup (Mandan, N.D.), Reno (Nev.) Rodeo, Fort Worth (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo, Snake River Stampede (Nampa, Idaho)
- Major Ropings: The COJO Open, Lone Star Shootout, USTRC National Finals of Team Roping Open, Resistol Reno Open
- NFR Qualifications: 6 (2020-25)
- NFR Average Titles: 1 (2021)
- Star Horsepower: Cole E Man (Biscuit)
- Rope Choice: Cactus Xplosion S
At 35, six-time National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifier Andrew Ward has created a reputation for consistency on the ProRodeo trail.
The Edmond, Oklahoma, native has had a rope in his hand from the start, growing up near the legendary Lazy E Arena where the sport’s greats have won millions. He and his brother — BFI Champion Regan Ward — hit the road during their first few years ProRodeoing, starting in 2012 with Andrew on his permit. After six years of hauling together, the brothers won the 2018 RAM National Circuit Finals.
Those early seasons built the foundation for Ward’s go-and-catch style before he ever reached Las Vegas.
“Me and Reagan were in the Northeast and Great Lakes,” Ward told The Team Roping Journal’s Chelsea Shaffer in 2021. “The rodeos were simpler and the barriers weren’t real long. [We] developed a run that way six years ago. I could use my feet and get to the steers. But you get around the best guys and they push you to go fast.”
In 2019, Ward made a key partner change, joining forces with his then-new brother-in-law Buddy Hawkins II. The pair kicked off their ProRodeo run at Hempstead, Texas, marking the start of what became a four-year streak of NFR appearances.
Their first year together saw them win the 2020 RAM National Circuit Finals — Ward’s second at that time — after first claiming the Prairie Circuit Finals. That inaugural NFR ended with the team fifth in the world standings with $160,180 earned and $98,308 taken home from Las Vegas.
2021 was a special year.
Heading into Round 9 at the Thomas & Mack, Ward and Hawkins had a shot at breaking the then-average record of 59.1 seconds on 10 head, previously set by Jake Barnes and Clay Cooper in 1994. When the dust settled, the team stopped the clock at 54.7 seconds on 10 steers — a new record and the 2021 NFR average championship.
“Buddy said, ‘I think we can go out there, catch 10 cows, win the average and set the record,’” Ward said after the win. “I said, ‘I agree. Let’s go out there and catch 10 of them.’ We’re a catching team, but we can go fast when things line out right.”
The win added $115,811 to their Las Vegas haul after placing in four rounds.
In 2022, Ward and Hawkins were at it again. Before qualifying for their third NFR, they grabbed wins in Greeley, Colorado; Nampa, Idaho; Clovis, California; and Tremonton, Utah. At the 2022 NFR, they finished fourth in the world and placed in four rounds, taking home $102,104 in earnings. They also added a win at The American Rodeo to their résumé.
“When we started roping together, whether we were naïve or not, we believed that we were going to be a good team,” Ward said after The American win. “I couldn’t name these ropings we’d win before we did, but I believed we’d have success. I believed we’d click good and catch a lot of cows. It’s kind of boring, really. That’s what we thought, and I think just having confidence in ourselves brought us wins we’re not even deserving of having.”
Their victory at the 2023 RAM Prairie Circuit Finals in Duncan, Oklahoma, put a bow on their dominant run. After another successful 2023 NFR — where they finished fourth in the average — the two closed their four-year partnership.
Ward teamed up with 2015 world champion Kollin VonAhn for the 2024 season and continued his NFR streak. That year, they picked up wins in Reno, Nevada, and Kennewick, Washington, and wrapped their season by placing in five NFR rounds and winning Round 10 at the 2024 NFR.
Now heading to his sixth NFR, Ward has teamed with fellow NFR average champion Jake Long on the heel side. The pair have stacked major 2025 wins at Greeley, Pecos, Hermiston, Calgary and Mandan, building momentum through the summer. Ward enters Las Vegas seventh in the world standings with $149,489 earned so far.
