We’ve officially reached the halfway point of the 2024 NFR, and while the end of this year’s Finals is creeping in, there’s still plenty of time for teams to get in the right gear. NFR heeler and world-class horseman Billie Jack Saebens to help us break down Round 4 and his predictions.
Table of contents
- Cyle Denison & Tanner Braden
- Clay Smith & Coleby Payne
- Derrick Begay & Jonathan Torres
- Luke Brown & Travis Graves
- Jake Smith & Douglas Rich
- Cody Snow & Hunter Koch
- Erich Rogers & Paul Eaves
- Andrew Ward & Kollin VonAhn
- J.C. Yeahquo & Buddy Hawkins
- Brenten Hall & Kaden Profili
- Clint Summers & Jake Long
- Coleman Proctor & Logan Medlin
- Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira
- Dustin Egusquiza & Levi Lord
- Tyler Wade & Wesley Thorp
Cyle Denison & Tanner Braden
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $10,000
World Standings Earnings: $118,811.88; $134,958.76
Average: 4.7 on 1; 15
World Standings: 15; 14
Saebens take: I know they haven’t started their week off the way they want to, but I know Cyle maybe looks like his rhythm’s a little off. I know he got beat the night before, and then I think Cyle just needs to find his rhythm right there from the corner across the barrier. Tanner a couple nights ago heeled one real good, and I expect whenever Cyle gets his deal lined out, Tanner’s going to do that every time.
Clay Smith & Coleby Payne
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $15,433.42
World Standings Earnings: $128,516.32 ; $137,630.37
Average: 37.6 on four; 4
World Standings: 14; 13
Saebens take: That steer maybe just didn’t start as good. Clay’s going to keep taking the start and going at him, and Coleby’s had some good heel shots this week. It looked like he was in a good spot and took a good throw, just one of them mistakes.
Derrick Begay & Jonathan Torres
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $24,126.88
World Standings Earnings: $129,195.43 ; $141,831.66
Average: 24 on three; 9
World Standings: 13; 12
Saebens take: Man, they were about to be so fast, but he waved it off the right horn. When you’re going that fast, I mean there’s nothing I think anybody would say he should do different. Maybe not as good of a head loop, maybe a half-head or something so it don’t wave off. But I mean it’s just one of those deals when you’re going fast, stuff like that’s going to happen.
Luke Brown & Travis Graves
Round 4: 5.7
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $17,063.44
World Standings Earnings: $134,481.78 ; $129,105.57
Average: 26.6 on four; 2
World Standings: 12; 15
Saebens take: Maybe that steer tried pretty good and come to the left. It looks like those guys probably knew the steer was a little bit tougher, and they just went for the catch. Obviously those two guys, as far as the average goes, you sure don’t look to go out of it. So I’m going to say on that steer, they knew he probably wasn’t the best one and they just got him knocked down.
Jake Smith & Douglas Rich
Round 4: 4.7
Round Winnings: $5,433.42
Total NFR Earnings: $15,433.42
World Standings Earnings: $144,799.54
Average: 33.5 on four; 3
World Standings: 11
Saebens take: They did a good job, too. I didn’t like their steer very much on the end of it. Jake maybe come left a little bit, and Jake broke kind of to the pin and got just a touch behind. He did a great job turning him, but when he turned him, that cow just got real, real heavy and hung on the end of it and wanted to run behind Jake. Doug did a good job getting that one caught. That would’ve been an easy one to mess up on.
Cody Snow & Hunter Koch
Round 4: 4.1
Round Winnings: $23,635.36
Total NFR Earnings: $45,045.53
World Standings Earnings: $153,314.31 ; $155,325.32
Average: 17.7 on three; 7
World Standings: 10
Saebens take: To me, that’s the best execution of a run that you could make in that building. Snow hit the barrier and used his horse. They both used their horses and the angles of the arena to their advantage, and that looked simple as heck. Snow maybe didn’t even reach a coil, got him on the end of it and Hunter was just waiting on him, heeled him and got finished good. That looked like an awful easy 4.1 to me for those guys.
Erich Rogers & Paul Eaves
Round 4: 4.3
Round Winnings: $8,693.47
Total NFR Earnings: $56,727.39
World Standings Earnings: $165,040.65 ; $165,639.66
Average: 16.9 on four; 1
World Standings: 9; 8
Saebens take: They’re just kind of doing their deal. I mean, it looks so controlled, so it looks like they can do it every time. And they’re probably going to keep doing that and keep slipping in for some day moneys as the steers let ’em.
Andrew Ward & Kollin VonAhn
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $30,103.64
World Standings Earnings: $166,684.66 ; $155,486.10
Average: 9.0 on two; 13
World Standings: 8; 9
Saebens take: Andrew did the same old deal that he does: He got it on him good. That steer was just tough, especially for Kollin to miss one, that steer had to do something. It looked like maybe he drug his hind end or he just hit bad when Kollin put it down there. I mean, obviously I don’t look for them to change much. Just need a little bit better luck on their side.
J.C. Yeahquo & Buddy Hawkins
Round 4: 4.1
Round Winnings: $23,635.36
Total NFR Earnings: $45,045.53
World Standings Earnings: $171,341.11 ; $168,528.14
Average: 18.5 on three; 8
World Standings: 7
Saebens take: J.C. did a great job. I mean, that’s what he’s been shooting for every night. He got a swing off in the box and come with it right there fast. And Buddy, I really thought they were going to be a little bit faster, but maybe that steer hit a little bit heavy and a little bit dead or something. It took him just a second to get finished, but J.C. did a great job, and Buddy did a good job just getting two feet.
Brenten Hall & Kaden Profili
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $56,727.38
World Standings Earnings: $182,390.53 ; $183,563.59
Average: 17.2 on three; 7
World Standings: 6
Saebens take: They waved it off. That’s just one of those deals. Brenten through a pretty good loop, maybe his curl come down and hit him in the shoulder a little bit. I think when you’re going that fast, if I was them, I wouldn’t be looking to change anything. Just keep after ’em. They’ve been doing a good job.
Clint Summers & Jake Long
Round 4: 4.1
Round Winnings: $23,635.36
Total NFR Earnings: $43,415.51
World Standings Earnings: $186,561.49 ; $189,999.26
Average: 12.7 on three; 5
World Standings: 5; 4
Saebens take: Jake Long did a great job. Clint did a good job, too, just missed his slack just a little bit. Jake did a good job of staying around the end of the turn; that would’ve been an easy one to get hung up on the inside. Clint got it on him good, just missed his slack and when he turned him, Jake Long nailed him.
Coleman Proctor & Logan Medlin
Round 4: 4.8
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $44,230.52
World Standings Earnings: $200,020.81 ; $186,787.60
Average: 13.1 on three; 6
World Standings: 4; 5
Saebens take: They set up kind of just like the rest of their week has been. They’ve made pretty good runs. Then just the rhythm of Coleman getting the steer on the end of it, pulling him and he kind of got hung up there on the fence, just a touch. And that’s very unlikely for him and Heisman. Usually Heisman could turn around anywhere and same deal, just got a little bit maybe lost track of where he was in the arena just a little bit or Coleman’s real good at when they get on the end of pulling them right there, and he got a big pull and let Logan heel him and then just got hung up right there.
Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $40,155.46
World Standings Earnings: $217,516.01 ; $228,641.76
Average: 13 on two; 14
World Standings: 3
Saebens take: I don’t even know what to say about that. Nobody expects that. I couldn’t really tell what happened. I think maybe he kind of had him heeled and missed hiss slack or something. With those guys, I think they have two no-times now, they’re going to be hard to beat. I would imagine they’re going to be hard to beat in the day moneys from here on.
Dustin Egusquiza & Levi Lord
Round 4: 4.1
Round Winnings: $23,635.36
Total NFR Earnings: $63,790.82
World Standings Earnings: $264,798.52
Average: 7.8 on two; 12
World Standings: 2
Saebens take: Dang, Levi did an amazing job heeling that steer. Dustin, if I remember right, he did a great job getting it on him, but maybe was beat just a little bit, and the rhythm was a little off and he hit the steer pretty hard. Levi just did some freestyle heeling; it looked to me like there wasn’t much rhythm back there. That was an amazing heel shot. Maybe the heel shot of the rodeo so far.
Tyler Wade & Wesley Thorp
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $77,374.36
World Standings Earnings: $269,111.92
Average: 7.4 on two;
World Standings: 1
Saebens take: TWade took his normal throw, and that steer was maybe just a little bit further away than he thought, kind of hit him in the back of the horns or just landed on the back of his neck. Same deal as Driggers and Junior–you know TWade ain’t going to change nothing, and it’s pretty bad news for them day money guys whenever those two are out. They’re liable to be 3.0, who knows?
