Dustin Bird has won plenty of go-rounds himself in the Thomas & Mack, and he’s been at home in Wickenburg watching the Finals with his two boys and wife-to-be. Here’s what he sees in the team roping as we approach the halfway point of the week.
Round 4: 4.3
Round Winnings: $8,884.61
Total NFR Earnings: $45,115.38 each
World Standings Earnings: $195,627 (Smith) ; $153,753.31 (Corkill)
Average: 11
World Standings: 1; 1
Bird’s take: It’s pretty tough to bet against them. Jade roped a leg and Clay missed one, but they’re going to stay consistent and be under 4.3 every night.
Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira
Round 4: 4.7 +10
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $35,102.56 each
World Standings Earnings: $153,557.86 (Driggers); $150,877.22 (Nogueira)
Average: 3
World Standings: 2, 2
Bird’s take: I would think Driggers will come with a little more heat, trying to place a bit higher than he has been after having a slip-up last night.
Coleman Proctor and Ryan Motes
Round 4: 3.8
Round Winnings: $20,730.77
Total NFR Earnings: $30,730.77 each
World Standings Earnings: $135,049.11 (Proctor); $139,896.85 (Motes)
Average: 14
World Standings: 5, 4
Bird’s take: They have not much to lose. So Coleman will try to get it on them fast and they’ll be trying for the next six go-rounds. I didn’t think Coleman looked that comfortable the first three nights.
Clay Tryan and Jake Long
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $30,730.77 each
World Standings Earnings: $133,895.53 (Tryan); $137,627.26 (Long)
Average: 15
World Standings: 8, 5
Bird’s take: I think Clay will turn some more fast and they’ll win some money. Like they said on TV, if it were me, I’d be changing everything to get it turned around.
Ty Blasingame and Travis Graves
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $10,000 each
World Standings Earnings: $111,489.65 (Blasingame); $113,164.76 (Graves)
Average: 13
World Standings: 11, 12
Bird’s take: If Blaster can shorten it up and get it tighter on the horns and not get stuck in the wall, TG will heel them fast. Blaster’s being too cautious—he needs to do what Blaster does and hang it on them.
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $25,653.85 each
World Standings Earnings: $99,652.85 (Rogers); $124,383.68 (Lockett)
Average: 12
World Standings: 13, 9
Bird’s take: They started out great, and it looks like Rogers is the same old Rogers. Last night that steer was out there a little bit, and Kyle was a little late. They’ll have a lot better last six rounds than the first four. I would not bet against them.
Chad Masters and Joseph Harrison
Round 4: 3.7
Round Winnings: $26,230.77
Total NFR Earnings: $43,000.00 each
World Standings Earnings: $138,528.72 (Masters); $141,277.59 (Harrison)
Average: 4
World Standings: 3, 3
Bird’s take: Chad got on the yellow the last couple nights. He’s pretty rider friendly in that situation. He’s solid in the box and getting a good start. He isn’t taking anything away from him. But Joseph is inhaling those steers every opportunity he gets. They’ll keep going fast and win fourth in the average.
Riley and Brady Minor
Round 4: 4.3
Round Winnings: $8,884.61
Total NFR Earnings: $36,653.84 each
World Standings Earnings: $134,302.79 each
Average: 7
World Standings: 7
Bird’s take: They caught three and Riley is just doing what Riley does. He’s about a coil away and turning everything. Bob looks super good. Brady had that one bad throw but they’ll keep being consistent. They were a little more aggressive last night than they were they were the first three.
Cody Snow and Wesley Thorp
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $25,653.85 each
World Standings Earnings: $120,707.37 (Snow); $112,949.84 (Thorp)
Average: 8
World Standings: 9, 13
Bird’s take: Cody split the horns at first team out. They were fast and consistent the first three and it looked easy. Cody missed the barrier last night and rushed things and split them. They’ll settle back down and get back in their groove. They were one of my picks for the average.
Luke Brown and Paul Eaves
Round 4: 3.9
Round Winnings: $15,653.85
Total NFR Earnings: $27,769.23 each
World Standings Earnings: $112,708.42 (Brown); $117,215.77 (Eaves)
Average: 10
World Standings: 10, 11
Bird’s take: It was good to see them do good last night. I actually thought they were faster than they were. That’s Luke’s jackpot horse, and he really runs hard and he’s consistent. He’s been able to take another swing and be fast right there. The other horses he’s ridden in that building would duck right there. Paul couldn’t have heeled that one last night any faster.
Round 4: 4.4
Round Winnings: $4,230.77
Total NFR Earnings: $ 45,961.54each
World Standings Earnings: $134,888.11 (Hall); $132,306.63 (Tryan)
Average: 1
World Standings: 6, 8
Bird’s take: He’s taking a lot of chances and has nothing to lose and all to gain, so it’s easy to take a lot of chances. They have a lot of confidence together. Brenten is hanging himself out there every night and Chase has pulled off a couple good shots. He’s in a great position to win a lot of money, coming from a little ways back and doing good and winning the average and doing good in the rounds—the first four rounds of his NFR career couldn’t have went any better. He’ll have to get by a couple over the next six and keep winning on the ones he should win on, they’ll have a huge week. He looks very very confident and it’s been working.
Matt Sherwood and Hunter Koch
Round 4: 5.0
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $34,961.54 each
World Standings Earnings: $111,165.61 (Sherwood); $119,268.61 (Koch)
Average: 2
World Standings: 12, 10
Bird’s take: Sherwood got back on his horse last night, and it looks like Hunter has been doing a great job on the chances he’s gotten. They’re kind of in catch mode a little bit I think. They need to take a few more chances than they have been to have a big week. They can keep catching the next six and get a good average check or they can take a chance or two at big money.
Tate Kirchenschlager and Tyler Worley
Round 4: 4.7 +5
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $17,333.33
World Standings Earnings: $93,070.97 (Kirchenschlager); $88,523.54 (Worley)
Average: 5
World Standings: 14, 15
Bird’s take: Tate’s turned all four and is doing a great job for his first time there. They just need a chance on a good steer and that will really be big in the next couple rounds. They need to just place high in another round and that will get them on a roll by the end of the week.
Round 4: 4.1 +5
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $62,461.54 each
World Standings Earnings: $135,855.78 (Wade); $134,370.85 (Davison)
Average: 9
World Standings: 4, 6
Bird’s take: One thing I think is awesome about TWade—last year he had so much rope out there and he was overthrowing them. TWade is doing the best job and he’s the most confident there. it’s easy to get overconfident and try to be that fast on every steer. There will be a few that he’ll have to use his head and do his job and move his spot in the average. For Cole, it’s so easy to get behind when the header reaches. The header knows when he’s going to nod, the heeler doesn’t. If the heeler misses the start at all, and if the header out-throws you and you’re not there in time, it makes it tough.
Jake Cooper and Caleb Anderson
Round 4: 6.1
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $17,333.33 each
World Standings Earnings: $90,524.28 (Cooper); $89,722.93 (Anderson)
Average: 6
World Standings: 15, 14
Bird’s take: Jake was late last night, and he did a good job just knocking that steer down. It was a steer to win money on in the go-round. Caleb has pulled off some unreal shots so far. They’ll place on the better steers and catch the other ones.
