Round 1 of the 2023 NFR saw some Vegas rookies prevail and some teams fall short that we didn’t expect. We tapped Manny Egusquiza for his analysis on Round 1.
Luke Brown & Hunter Koch
Round 1: 5.3+5
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: 0
World Standings Earnings: $107,752.47 each
Average: 11; 10.3/1
World Standings: 15; 14
Egusquiza’s take: Luke’s been there 14 times, and he knows the start. Luke knows leave with your nod, pretty much. He’s a veteran on that. I think just Hunter got a little bit out of whack, but I can see that team doing pretty good with the experience Luke’s had in that building and he’s had a lot of success; he’s won the average a few times. So, veteran move, being first out knowing what to do.
Marcus Theriot & Cole Curry
Round 1: NT
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: 0
World Standings Earnings: $112,163.55; $104,986.72
Average: 12/13/14/15; 0/1
World Standings: 14; 15
Egusquiza’s take: Marcus, there you go: young guy, never been there. He’s watched it enough and he’s ready for it, just a bad break. His first time, I’d say jitters, maybe. I would’ve thought from where I was sitting, behind the box, that he left before the steer. You have to go at the same time as a steer.
Clay Smith & Paden Bray
Round 1: 4.8
Round Winnings: $7,924
Total NFR Earnings: $7,924
World Standings Earnings: $121,078.54; $116,479.85
Average: 5; 4.8/1
World Standings: 13
Egusquiza’s take: Clay’s horses are so quick off the back of the box and sharp with his rope. Paden rode Brady Minor’s horse and blocked and tackled; he got him captured. Most of those guys in the first round, they’re just trying to get a feel of it. I don’t really rodeo as much as I used to, but you don’t hardly ever go to that setup. No matter how good you can get ready at the house, it’s different. So, it’s almost like in the first round, they don’t put the hammer down every time. They’re just trying to get steers caught, and that’s what it looked like that team did yesterday. Just trying to get something going.
Andrew Ward & Buddy Hawkins
Round 1: 5.1+5
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: 0
World Standings Earnings: $124,765.21 each
Average: 10; 10.1/1
World Standings: 12/11
Egusquiza’s take: That was a good steer and in their wheelhouse, pretty much. That team ropes a lot coming left. Everything there wants to be stepping to the left, and their run is always fading left. Buddy just got a leg, but the steers are hitting funny. They’re fresh enough still where they’re hitting funny. When they think it’s going to be good, they put it down there and something happens and that’s what it looks like. That steer just kind of beat him to the ground.
Erich Rogers & Paul Eaves
Round 1: NT
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: 0
World Standings Earnings: $129,653.63; $130,004.95
Average: 12/13/14/15
World Standings: 11; 9
Egusquiza’s take: There were two I was disappointed for, and that’s one of them. Rodeo Rog, man, he doesn’t mess that one up a lot. I think he just got behind and tried to push it, and that steer kind of was a little bit low-headed. It looked like he was just a skosh behind.
Rhen Richard & Jeremy Buhler
Round 1: 4.5+5
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: 0
World Standings Earnings: $133,483.95 each
Average: 9; 9.5/1
World Standings: 10;
Egusquiza’s take: Rhen got a sharp start, and that steer kept a pretty steady run. Those steers are hitting funny, and Jeremy just slipped that inside leg.
*Egusquiza was helping his brother, so he missed this run. These are just some notes.
Tanner Tomlinson & Patrick Smith
Round 1: 5.2
Round Winnings: $4,953
Total NFR Earnings: $4,953
World Standings Earnings: $133,658.63
Average: 6; 5.2/1
World Standings: 9/7
Egusquiza’s take: Shoot, them guys are on. I wouldn’t be surprised if they win the average this year again. They’ve just started off where they left off, pretty much. They’re making their run and not trying to run over each other and run over themselves. Just execute.
Jake Clay & Tyler Worley
Round 1: 4.3
Round Winnings: $24,268
Total NFR Earnings: $24,268
World Standings Earnings: $134,395.18; $128,251.14
Average: 2; 4.3/1
World Standings: 8; 10
Egusquiza’s take: Jake did a good job. He got a good start and that’s the main thing that’s important there. He’s gamey with his rope, so a setup like that is really easy for Jake Clay. Worley—he’s just doing Worley things.
Clint Summers & Jake Long
Round 1: 4.2 *Round 1 winners
Round Winnings: $30,706
Total NFR Earnings: $30,706
World Standings Earnings: $141,228.74; $154,729.98
Average: 1; 4.2/1
World Standings: 7; 4
Egusquiza’s take: Clint did a great job. That horse, he’s been there a bunch of times and obviously Clint’s headed there now to where he’s got a little bit of more confidence with his rope in there. Jake, that steer yesterday could have gone either way. He kind of went down as his loop was hitting him, but Jake just nailed him.
Coleman Proctor & Logan Medlin
Round 1: NT
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: 0
World Standings Earnings: $143,487.42 each
Average: 12/13/14/15; 0/1
World Standings: 6
Egusquiza’s take: Coleman and that horse, Heisman, they got it going on in there. He kind of had to reach a little bit, almost like he was behind, and he just made it up with his rope and got him a neck. Then just the same thing with Logan; steer came around there good, and right when he threw it, it looked like he just kind of didn’t take it on his ass-end and kind of went down. That’s the hard part.
Derrick Begay & Colter Todd
Round 1: 6.3
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: 0
World Standings Earnings: $148,115.41; $163,282.61
Average: 8; 6.3/1
World Standings: 5; 3
Egusquiza’s take: I see those guys doing good. They played smart. They’re the older guys, like Luke, that’ve been there. Obviously, this is Colter’s first time heading, but you’ll see the veterans will just kind of play the game. I know his rope ran a little bit yesterday, and his horse was a little weak, but they’ll tweak it. They’ll tweak some stuff, and I see them doing good. I think they’ll win a $100,000, at least.
Dustin Egusquiza & Levi Lord
Round 1: NT
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: 0
World Standings Earnings: $148,347.99; $148,347.99
Average: 12/13/14/15; 0/1
World Standings: 4; 5
Egusquiza’s take: My brother just backs off so much because he wants to use his rope, and he does it all year at the rodeos. I’m the guy back there saying just go; go break the barrier and catch the steer, because my theory is you’re going to get a good check even if you have two or three barriers. But you’ve got to go to make it easy and keep them on a short rope. I felt like he was behind and just shipped it over to the right too far, which normally makes that shot work. Those guys that were having a hard time getting behind, they have to get out of there.
Tyler Wade & Wesley Thorp
Round 1: 6.2
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: 0
World Standings Earnings: $164,925.69; $182,152.96
Average: 7; 6.2/1
World Standings: 3; 2
Egusquiza’s take: TWade, it shocked me. But he got a little hop and that steer left. If anything, from the years I’ve been back there, even from a director to the last three years helping my brother, it seemed like those steers were getting out of there faster, and they weren’t expecting it. I think that was one of the teams that maybe that steer didn’t start very good when they were roping him through, and he got a bad go. But he did a smart deal and just stayed down and went and did his deal like he normally does. He reached, but he was at the backend. I see that team winning a lot. Obviously I want my brother to win it, but I think it’s going to be between Driggers and TWade, and hopefully my brother.
Nelson Wyatt & Jonathan Torres
Round 1: 4.6
Round Winnings: $15,601
Total NFR Earnings: $15,601
World Standings Earnings: $170,684.04; $120,509.86
Average: 3/4; 4.6/1
World Standings: 2; 12
Egusquiza’s take: Nelson’s worked at it this winter. He’s been going to North Side, and he’s got with that horse and looks sharp. Jonathan, he’s stepped up his game in the last two or three years, and they’ve both worked at it. They’ve practiced at home, set the arenas up like everybody else. A lot of guys have backed off from doing that. They’ve been doing their due diligence of going to North Side in Fort Worth every week and getting the feel of roping in that building. It looked like they were at North Side just making some runs.
Kaleb Driggers & Junior Nogueira
Round 1: 4.6
Round Winnings: $15,601
Total NFR Earnings: $15,601
World Standings Earnings: $185,745.36 both
Average: 3/4; 4.6/1
World Standings: 1
Egusquiza’s take: I grew up with Kaleb, or he grew up with me because I’m the older one. I see a three-peat, honestly. The only thing that worried me a little bit about their run yesterday, that horse kind of let off with his shoulders a little bit and he switched that steer pretty hard. Which is fine, when they’re fresh like that you kind of have to hit them like that. I knew they had gotten the extra, something had happened to their steer they had drawn so they drew an extra, and he looked like one of the better steers for that pen. But Junior’s just an animal. I think he’s like a UFC fighter; if you can put a UFC fighter in a heeler—just doing whatever it takes. He gets all up over the top of his horse and he makes it happen. I see the three-peat.
