Cheat Sheet: Round 7
Eight-time World Champion Heeler Rich Skelton might be at home in Texas, but he's watching the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo carefully, preparing fo a trip himself next year.

Rich Skelton might be at home watching the Finals this year, but he’s watching closely so he can kick of his 2019 campaign with young-gun all-around hand Tanner Green. Here’s what he sees going into Round 7. 

Corkill stopped the clock in 4.2 seconds for a second-place go round check. Hubbell Rodeo Photos

Clay Smith and Jade Corkill

Round 6: 4.2

Round Winnings: $20,730.77

Total NFR Earnings: $84,038.46 each

World Standings Earnings: $234,550.68 (Smith) ; $192,676.39 (Corkill)

Average: 3

World Standings: 1; 1

Skelton’s take: To me, these two are in the best position. I know they had one that they missed, but that Jade is roping very good. He had a couple steers that things didn’t just go off too good, they just hit a little funky. And he’s heeled them all good. They’re making good runs. It’s still just a toss up, but they’re roping good and they have gold buckles and a lot of confidence. You’ve got to have them way in the driver’s seat. Nowadays, with the average paying what it does, you still don’t know, but man, Clay’s $70,000 lead is pretty good. 

Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira

Round 6: NT

Round Winnings:

Total NFR Earnings: $35,102.56 each

World Standings Earnings: $153,557.86 (Driggers); $150,877.22 (Nogueira)

Average: 10

World Standings: 4, 6

Skelton’s take: I’m a Driggers fan. I text him before it all started and told him it’s time to get it on. It hasn’t worked out for him yet, but it will before it’s over. To me, he started out roping exactly like he needs to. But the way it needs to is different than Driggers is used to, day in and day out, when he’s rodeoing. When you get out of your game plan, and you’re doing stuff different than you do all year, that’s one thing he’s struggling with. He’s just a little different. It seems like he needs to rope the way he started out in Vegas, but it’s still not working. He’s getting better every year. I really believe in the end it will work out for him, because him and Junior are both way too handy. 

Coleman Proctor and Ryan Motes

Round 6: NT

Round Winnings: $18,192.31

Total NFR Earnings: $48,923.08 each

World Standings Earnings: $153,241.42 (Proctor); $158,089.16 (Motes)

Average: 15

World Standings: 5, 4

Skelton’s take: Coleman, to me, anytime you’re having trouble, he knows he has to go fast. The first two or three rounds of the NFR is so huge. If you get behind the eight-ball, you can get to pressing. Then it can go the direction Chad and Joseph were going and you get on a roll, or else it doesn’t work out. It happens so fast it can go either way. He could start over tomorrow night and turn every steer. It just hasn’t worked out yet. 

Tryan and Long got redemption in Round 7 with a 4.3-second run. Hubbell Rodeo Photos

Clay Tryan and Jake Long

Round 6: 4.3

Round Winnings: $13,326.92

Total NFR Earnings: $44,057.69 each

World Standings Earnings: $147,222.45 (Tryan); $150,954.18 (Long)

Average: 14

World Standings: 6, 5

Skelton’s take: I’m a huge Jake Long fan, I mean he came to my school when he was 14 years old. He’s made a mistake or two. Clay, when you’re roping out there, it’s the same deal as Coleman. He could start over tomorrow night and turn every steer. One thing about it, it’s gotten faster over the years. I don’t care who you are, you back in there and try to go that fast every time, you’ll miss two or three in a row and there’s no rhyme or reason to it. They could go win the next four rounds. 

Blasingame got one caught in Round 6, hoping to turn their momentum around for the following four rounds. Hubbell Rodeo Photos

Ty Blasingame and Travis Graves

Round 6: 5.6

Round Winnings:

Total NFR Earnings: $10,000 each

World Standings Earnings: $111,489.65 (Blasingame); $113,164.76 (Graves)

Average: 13

World Standings: 13, 13

Skelton’s take: To me, what I see—it’s really huge to hit the barrier. And he’s been a little bit later and wanting to reach. It’s almost like hitting the barrier and getting it on them where he can stay in there and push them up. They’re on a little bit more rope, and they step left and it throws them right in the wall. If you hit the barrier, you’re not very far away from it. If you miss it just enough, they’re getting away and you’re changing horses and you’re playing catch up instead of just being ahead of them at the barrier. 

Rogers and Lockett got one down in 4.3 seconds in Round 6. Hubbell Rodeo Photos

Erich Rogers and Kyle Lockett

Round 6: 4.3

Round Winnings: $13,326.92

Total NFR Earnings: $38,980.77 each

World Standings Earnings: $112,979.77 (Rogers); $137,710.60 (Lockett)

Average: 11

World Standings: 12, 7

Skelton’s take: I mean, Erich Rogers has turned a lot of good steers. Kyle hasn’t quite got close enough on a couple of them. He has a lot of range, so normally that doesn’t bother him. If he could have been a little closer in the turn, he’d have caught them. But Erich is going to give him a lot of good chances. 

Masters and Harrison had a heartbreaking NT in Round 6. Hubbell Rodeo Photos

Chad Masters and Joseph Harrison

Round 6: NT

Round Winnings:

Total NFR Earnings: $69,230.77 each

World Standings Earnings: $164,759.49 (Masters); $167,508.36 (Harrison)

Average: 7

World Standings: 2, 2

Skelton’s take: I think Joseph missed last night because, to me, that steer ran and got away from him. Chad did an outstanding job staying hooked and catching and turning the steer, and then—it’s just like the bull dogging and calf roping—they got down to the other end where bad things happen. It’s hard to see in that corner. He threw where he thought the steer was, but that steer wasn’t where he thought he was. If he’d have taken another swing, it could have got ugly coming up that fence. Joseph is one of the best going, and he has a lot of confidence. When he threw, he had no visions of missing, and it just didn’t work out. He didn’t second-guess that shot.  

The Minors got to take the Round 6 victory lap. Jamie Arviso Photo

Riley and Brady Minor

Round 6: 4.0

Round Winnings: $26,230.77

Total NFR Earnings: $62,884.61 each

World Standings Earnings: $160, 533.56 each

Average: 4

World Standings: 3, 3

Skelton’s take: Riley has learned to get it on them, without a lot of rope out there. He can handle them, and Brady is roping where they’re going. They had bad luck the night before, and they didn’t quite get the time they were supposed to. You could tell it last night that Brady had it on his mind. You could see it in his face. He was really trying to make up for the night, and they made an outstanding run. Riley is doing such a good job. He’s got nice horses, he hits the barrier and isn’t getting a lot of rope out. He gives Brady the same chances over and over. 

Snow and Thorp won last hole in Round 6. Hubbell Rodeo Photos

Cody Snow and Wesley Thorp

Round 6: 4.9

Round Winnings: $4,230.77

Total NFR Earnings: $36,653.85 each

World Standings Earnings: $131,707.37 (Snow); $123,949.84 (Thorp)

Average: 2

World Standings: 9, 12

Skelton’s take: Their timing has been just a little bit off this week. For some reason or another, Wesley is thrown to the inside more than he normally does. When he heeled him, it was taking a little bit longer for everything to come tight. They’re just one steer out of the average so they’re making sure to catch two. If Wesley could get around them a little bit more, something is just a little bit off right there.

Brown and Eaves had a plus-five in Round 6. Hubbell Rodeo Photos

Luke Brown and Paul Eaves

Round 6: 4.5 +5

Round Winnings:

Total NFR Earnings: $38,769.23 each

World Standings Earnings: $123,708.42 (Brown); $128,215.77 (Eaves)

Average: 6

World Standings: 10, 10

Skelton’s take: Paul has roped a couple legs, and normally that doesn’t occur. I think they can start over and he wouldn’t miss one. That just happens. It happens fast when you’re trying to be fast, and it’s hard to keep your fundamentals and make sure and catch. They’ve won some but they could start over and win everything. That’s just part of the NFR. 

Even with a bobble at the barrier in Round 6, Hall and Tryan remain the only team to have roped all six steers. Hubbell Rodeo Photos

Brenten Hall and Chase Tryan

Round 6: 4.4 +10

Round Winnings:

Total NFR Earnings: $50,192.31 each

World Standings Earnings: $139,118.88 (Hall); $136,537.40 (Tryan)

Average: 1

World Standings: 7, 8

Skelton’s take: They’ve done outstanding. Brenten is outstanding and Chase has heeled them all good. Brenten is setting his shots up for Chase, and he’s done such a good job being there the first time. He keeps them out in the middle and keeps them moving so Chase can rope where they’re going. They’ve done really good. Even when they’re throwing fast, Chase is riding around the end of it and heeling. 

Sherwood got back on Zorro for a smooth run in Round 6. Hubbell Rodeo Photos

Matt Sherwood and Hunter Koch

Round 6: 4.6

Round Winnings: $6,769.23

Total NFR Earnings: $41,730.77 each

World Standings Earnings: $117,934.84 (Sherwood); $126,037.84 (Koch)

Average: 5

World Standings: 11, 11

Skelton’s take: I think to me last night, Sherwood missed the barrier just a little bit. The key is hitting the barrier, and that steer got in front of him. Thedifference between 4.6 and 4.1 is when they get in front of you like that. Hunter has heeled a lot of steers and helped Sherwood get faced. Hunter has done really good for being his first year. 

Kirchenschlager and Worley got their first NT in Round 6. Hubbell Rodeo Photos

Tate Kirchenschlager and Tyler Worley

Round 6: NT

Round Winnings:

Total NFR Earnings: $17,333.33

World Standings Earnings: $93,070.97 (Kirchenschlager); $88,523.54 (Worley)

Average: 8

World Standings: 14, 15

Skelton’s take: To me, they’re struggling because they didn’t get to rope together all year. Starting at the NFR is a big deal. It’s the first time here for both of them, too. That puts a lot into the equation. Never making it, and two of you starting out roping together there is hard. They hadn’t quite got tapped off right. Tate has got it on them fast but didn’t quite handle great, and Tyler hasn’t quite been where he wants to be. They just haven’t had a chance to capitalize yet. 

Wade reached at another steer in Round 6. Hubbell Rodeo Photos

Tyler Wade and Cole Davison

Round 6: NT

Round Winnings:

Total NFR Earnings: $62,461.54 each

World Standings Earnings: $135,855.78 (Wade); $134,370.85 (Davison)

Average: 9

World Standings: 8, 9

Skelton’s take: Tyler Wade has roped outstanding. He’s getting it on them and really giving Cole some good chances. Cole’s horse isn’t quite seeing the spot. The ones he’s gotten in right, he’s roped them really good. His horse stays out too far, and he hasn’t gotten in close enough to get the swing over one. TWade’s given Cole a lot of chances, and that’s what it takes out there. 

Jake Cooper and Caleb Anderson

Round 6: NT

Round Winnings:

Total NFR Earnings: $17,333.33 each

World Standings Earnings: $90,524.28 (Cooper); $89,722.93 (Anderson)

Average: 12

World Standings: 15, 14

Skelton’s take: Last night Jake’s horse got him a little bit, like he’s running with his brakes on. I think he popped it off because that horse was hanging back just enough. Earlier in the week, Caleb has roped every steer just as fast as you can. He’s done really good for it being his first year. He roped like he’s been there for 10 years when he’s had a chance. TRJ

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