Cowboy Christmas is one of the most exciting yet busiest times of the year, especially for the new Resistol Rookie of the Year contenders. As the 2024 Resistol Rookie of the Year candidates take on their first real Cowboy Christmas, we dive into who is having the best Fourth run as of July 4.

Resistol Rookie Header of the Year contenders

No. 1: Korbin Rice, $25,848.85

Korbin Rice leads the 2024 Resistol Rookie Header of the Year race by $1,342.96. While his Cowboy Christmas is off to a slower start, he’s coming off a top five finish at the Reno Rodeo with 2021 Resistol Rookie Heeler of the Year Caleb Hendrix. Rice and Hendrix roped three steers in 16.8 to pocket $4,790 a man in the average and $5,628 each in total between the rounds and aggregate.

No. 2: Tyler Tryan, $24,505.89

Tyler Tryan is having an impressive first Cowboy Christmas, easing into it with a second-place finish at the Roughrider Days Rodeo in Dickinson, North Dakota, June 28-30, with a 4.1 for $2,961 a man. Tryan, who is roping with fellow Resistol Rookie of the Year contender Logan Moore, also leads the Livingston Roundup Rodeo in Livingston, Montana, with a 3.8. In 2023, Livingston paid $5,397 a man to win it. Tryan is currently fifth at the Home Of Champions Rodeo in Red Lodge, Montana, with a 4.4. Last year there was a tie for fifth and sixth, and it paid $2,357 a man.

No. 5: Koby Sanchez, $15,556.48

Louisiana’s Koby Sanchez picked up $122 for eighth in the second round of the Greeley Stampede with a 5.2 and clinched a spot in in the short round. Sanchez, heading for Trace Porter, is tied for second and third in Livingston with a 4.0. In 2023, Livingston paid $4,677 a man for second and $4,317 a man for third.

Resistol Rookie Heeler of the Year contenders

Denton Dunning. – No. 1 – $20,857.35

Denton Dunning just recently took control of the 2024 Resistol Rookie Heeler of the year standings and is heeling for James Arviso. The two young guns picked up $914 for seventh in the second round in Greeley with a 4.8 and made it back to the short round. Arviso and Dunning are sitting outside the money holes in Livingston and the Cody Stampede with a 4.6 and 4.8, but they keep chopping away this Cowboy Christmas, making solid runs.

Logan Moore – No. 3 – $18,096.25

Logan Moore is heeling behind Tyler Tryan, and the two have put together an impressive Cowboy Christmas run in their rookie years. Tryan and Moore currently lead the Livingston with a 3.8, which paid $5,397 a man to win it in 2023. They are also sitting fifth in Red Lodge with a 4.4. Last year there was a tie for fifth and sixth, and it paid $2,357 a man.

What about past Resistol Rookies of the Year?

How Resistol Rookies of the Year from the past 10 years are fairing this Cowboy Christmas.

Kaden Profili, 2023 Resistol Rookie Heeler of the Year

Kaden Profili currently sits ninth in the world standings with $49,633.31 won on the year, heeling behind Brenten Hall. Hall and Profili lead the Black Hills Roundup in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, with a 4.5. In 2023, Belle Fourche paid $4,594 a man to win it. They are also sitting fifth in the first round of the St. Paul Rodeo (Oregon) with a 5.5, which paid $2,244 a man for a tie between fourth and fifth in 2023. With a 4.7-second run, they are also sitting second at the Eugene Pro Rodeo (Oregon), which last year paid $2,422 a man for second.

Ross Ashford, 2018 Resistol Rookie Heeler of the Year

Ross Ashford is heeling behind Coy Rahlmann and is sitting 16th in the world with $41,073.73. Rahlmann and Ashford won fourth in the average in Greeley with a 22.1 on three for $3,429 a man, and the two picked up $384 for sixth in the short round. Rahlmann and Ashford are currently tied for second, third and fourth at the Mandan Rodeo Days (North Dakota) with a 4.5. Mandan paid $3,807 for second, $3,299 for third and $2,792 for fourth in 2023.

Nelson Wyatt, 2017 Resistol Rookie Header of the Year

Nelson Wyatt is right outside the Top 15 at 18th in the world with $34,053.60 won on the year. Wyatt is putting together a solid Fourth run, sitting second in Round 1 in St. Paul with a 5.3, sixth in Round 2 with a 5.7 and second in the average with an 11.0 on two steers. In 2023, St. Paul paid $3,591 for second in Round 1, $1,436 for sixth in the second round and $5,386 for second in the average. Wyatt is also fourth in Red Lodge with a 4.3, which paid $3,050 a man last year for fourth. He’s currently sitting sixth in Livingston with a 4.4. Last year Livingston had a tie for fourth, fifth and sixth and paid $3,238 a man. With a 4.5, Wyatt is also fourth at Cody, which paid $5,377 a man for a tie for third and fourth.

Dustin Egusquiza, 2016 Resistol Rookie Header of the Year

Dustin Egusquiza has taken the 2024 world standings by storm, sitting No. 1 with $88,068.42 (not including Greeley). Egusquiza won Greeley with a 15.6 on three for $6,309 a man and pocked a total of $10,234 each between the rounds and aggregate. Egusquiza eased into the Fourth-of-July run winning Dickinson with a 4.0 for $3,596 man. He and Levi Lord are currently fourth at Livingston with a 4.1. In 2023, Livingston had a tie at fourth, fifth and sixth which paid $3,238 paid.

Cody Snow, 2015 Resistol Rookie Header of the Year

Cody Snow sits 14th in the world standings with $39,164.07 won on the year. Snow won sixth in the average at Greeley with a 22.3 on three for $2,195 a man. Between the rounds and average, Snow pocketed $3,349 in Greeley. Snow is currently tied for fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth in Cody with a 4.7. Last year at Cody, fifth paid $4,399 a man and a tie at sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth paid $3,177 each.

Junior Nogueira, 2014 Resistol Rookie Heeler of the Year

Three-time World Champion Junior Nogueira is 12th in the world standings with $43,397.70. Nogueira, who heels behind two-time World Champion and 2009 Resistol Rookie Header of the Year Kaleb Driggers, just won the Ponoka Stampede for $7,500 each. All in all, Nogueira raked in $17,131 between the rounds. Nogueira won the second round at Greeley with a 3.6 for $4,206 a man and currently leads Red Lodge with a 4.0. Red Lodge paid $4,437 a man in 2023 for first and second.