Round 7: 6.2 +5
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $84,038.46 each
World Standings Earnings: $234,550.68 (Smith) ; $192,676.39 (Corkill)
Average: 4
World Standings: 1; 1
Crawford’s take: That steer last night was tough. Anytime they step left that much, it’s so hard. Clay Smith hasn’t peaked out yet. He’s still been taking three swings. If he gets to throw at the line, they’ll be three. He hasn’t drawn enough to where that shot has presented itself. Now he’ll know exactly what these steers will do. Even if they have to stay in the average, that guy will stay fast. It’s theirs to lose, and I don’t think they’re going to. Clay is too much of a gamer. They’ll just get faster.
Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira
Round 7: 4.4 +5
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $35,102.56 each
World Standings Earnings: $153,557.86 (Driggers); $150,877.22 (Nogueira)
Average: 10
World Standings: 5, 6
Crawford’s take: Man, I tell you what, when they first started out it looked like they’d Jake and Clay them and make everyone have to beat them in the rounds. It looked like they’d place every night and win the average. And that’s just how hard it is to do that in that arena. One little mishap. Now he’ll go back to being fast on the horses he knows, and they’ll be lighting them up in the rounds pretty strong now. That’s what those two really know how to do—obviously Round 9 last year.
Coleman Proctor and Ryan Motes
Round 7: NT
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $48,923.08 each
World Standings Earnings: $153,241.42 (Proctor); $158,089.16 (Motes)
Average: 15
World Standings: 6, 4
Crawford’s take:Well if they get the right steer, they’ll be fast and Coleman will high-five everyone on the way out of the arena. He might even sign your hat before he gets his rope off in the back.
Ty Blasingame and Travis Graves
Round 7: 4.2
Round Winnings: $20,730.77
Total NFR Earnings: $30,730.77 each
World Standings Earnings: $132,220.42 (Blasingame); $133,895.53 (Graves)
Average: 13
World Standings: 11, 12
Crawford’s take: Blaster has done good, and they had a good steer last night. I thought they’d slow down and just go make their run at the start. If they did that 10 times in a row, they’d win a bunch. We all know Blaster can get it out of his hand. If he gets one in the middle of the arena, it will be fast. They can make that same run from last night three times. Blaster will get it on fast and TG will App around there and put the old half-wrap on the old App.
Round 7: 4.9 +5
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $38,980.77 each
World Standings Earnings: $112,979.77 (Rogers); $137,710.60 (Lockett)
Average: 11
World Standings: 13, 9
Crawford’s take: They’ve roped pretty good. Meat has had a couple tough ones back there. But Rogers gets it on them so good and so tight, and if they’ll check off for Meat, they’ll get a couple chances at a go-round. But Meat can dang sure get up around them and fire it off. It’s hard for me not to root for Meat because he’s been one of my favorite heelers since I was in high school.
Clay Tryan and Jake Long
Round 7: 9.5
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $44,057.69
World Standings Earnings: $147,222.45 (Tryan); $150,954.18
Average: 14
World Standings: 7,5
Crawford’s take: They want to be as fast as they can every night, which is so odd to see in Clay’s situation. It’s usually a world title or average situation. It’s gotten into a glitch the last two years. And that goes to show it can happen to anybody because I’ve never seen a better competitor than Clay Tryan. Jake Long will heel them as fast as they can.
Chad Masters and Joseph Harrison
Round 7: 4.0 +5
Round Winnings: $4,230.77
Total NFR Earnings: $73,461.54 each
World Standings Earnings: $168,990.26 (Masters); $171,739.13 (Harrison)
Average: 6
World Standings: 2, 2
Crawford’s take: Tough go for Joe that one night. Chad’s been roping great, smart like he always does. If Chad gets his swing off in the box, they’ll be 3. He can do that or take three swings and stay in the average. I would say they’ll start pressing on the gas if they’re close to the world title. Chad knows how to do it as good as anybody. Joe will get up around there and come tight. Joe gets up there and gets tight fast and makes up a lot of time back there.
Riley and Brady Minor
Round 7: NT
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $62,884.61 each
World Standings Earnings: $160, 533.56 each
Average: 8
World Standings: 3, 3
Crawford’s take: They’re just so consistent. They can do whatever they want in that arena. It was a tough break last night, and it’s very uncharacteristic to see him miss at all. They’re going to have to start pressing. You can say Riley will be coming with it, and Powder he does so good every year. They will just need one to stay in the middle of the arena and hit. Powder really finishes, too. They make the prettiest runs.
Cody Snow and Wesley Thorp
Round 7: 3.6
Round Winnings: $26,230.77
Total NFR Earnings: $62,884.62 each
World Standings Earnings: $157,938.14 (Snow); $150,180.61 (Thorp)
Average: 1
World Standings: 4, 7
Crawford’s take: Gosh dang winning the average. They safetied up to stay in that average and were 3.6. That Cody Snow throws as tight of a head loop as I’ve seen since Matt Funk. I don’t know if that steer checked off or if he had a concussion after Snow’s tight head loop. Whatever it was, he checked off and came into Thorp’s heel loop. They can stay in the average or be fast. It will be tough to get them to let go in that average. But when you have 24 hours between runs, it can be so hard to try to catch. I think they’ll keep doing what they’re doing. You just can’t safety up. You’ve got to hit that barrier.
Luke Brown and Paul Eaves
Round 7: 5.0
Round Winnings: $11,000.00
Total NFR Earnings: $49,769.23 each
World Standings Earnings: $134,769.23 (Brown); $139,215.77 (Eaves)
Average: 3
World Standings: 10, 8
Crawford’s take: Luke Brown is my favorite header, and I hate what happened to him losing that horse the week before the Finals. He had to switch horses at the last minute, but he finds a way every time. Cowboy has done a good job for him. They did a good job last night. We all know what Luke does in the average. He’s used to winning the average, and if they stumble, he’ll be right there. He’s slowed down a little sine he’s riding Cowboy because that horse runs so hard. So he doesn’t have to take that shot coming across the line. He’s going to use his horse, and if somebody bobbles he’ll be right there to take it.
Round 7: NT
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $50,192.31 each
World Standings Earnings: $139,118.88 (Hall); $136,537.40 (Tryan)
Average: 5
World Standings: 8, 10
Crawford’s take: He couldn’t have been any smarter last night. It was a freak deal. Brenten got out the barrier and got it on him good, but be hung his slack just a tick and it was enough for that rope to come all the way around and hickey a horn. It’s so hard to go catch there. It’s such a fine line between staying aggressive and doing something stupid. It’s so fine. That’s why that’s one of the hardest places to team rope.
Matt Sherwood and Hunter Koch
Round 7: 7.5
Round Winnings: $6,769.23
Total NFR Earnings: $48,500.00 each
World Standings Earnings: $124,704.07 (Sherwood); $132,807.07 (Koch)
Average: 2
World Standings: 12, 13
Crawford’s take: I’ve loved that black horse forever. It’s cool to see him there, and Matt’s done a great job with him. Matt’s notorious to do really good every time he’s made the Finals. The first two times he made it, he won the world. That horse fits him good and Hunter Koch can heel. Sherwood won’t have to pull very long at all. That kid is hungry and wanting some feet. They’ll scratch along a little bit throughout the rounds and if someone messes up they’ll be sitting right there with their hands open for the average.
Tate Kirchenschlager and Tyler Worley
Round 7: 4.3
Round Winnings: $15,653.85
Total NFR Earnings: $32,987.18 each
World Standings Earnings: $108,724.82 (Kirchenschlager); $104,177.39 (Worley)
Average: 7
World Standings: 14, 14
Crawford’s take: Tate’s done a great job for his first time there. Worley made a horse change and got on Billie Jack’s mare, and it looked easy for him. Now Tate knows how these steers are breaking. Tate has the feel of the start down, and he’s roped really good. That horse change for Worley will let them finish strong. There’s nothing harder for being there for your first time because you’ve never roped at anything like that, and Tate’s done a great job.
Round 7: 4.5 +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: 9, 11
Crawford’s take: I like that horse TWade just got. He stays in the ground for him, and it looks easier than I’ve ever seen it for him right there. He can stay in the arena where Cole can get around one. We know what’s coming now—it’s 3 or nothing. They get one to stay in the middle of the arena, and Cole gets around them, you know what’s coming. They’ll be hard to beat in the day moneys.
Jake Cooper and Caleb Anderson
Round 7: 4.5 +5
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, 15
Crawford’s take: That horse is going to give Jake such a good go, and I’ve been really pumped about Caleb’s heeling. He’s heeled great for his first time at the Finals. When you live with Luke Brown like Caleb does, you’ll get plenty of NFR practice. Caleb reminds me of that Eminem song—you’ve got one shot, one opportunity. He’s got his one (well, really just his first) chance, and he’s taking it. He’s been impressive and heeled some hard steers and got tight. I hope they finish strong because he’s been great to watch. I haven’t seen somebody that hungry in a long time. TRJ
