NOT SO ROOKIE

NFR Rookie J.C. Yeahquo Has Roped His Way to World Title Contention
J.C. Yeahquo may be an NFR first-timer, but he and Buddy Hawkins have a chance at gold buckles as we enter Round 8 of the 2024 NFR.
J.C. Yeahquo at the 2024 NFR. | Clay Guardipee Photo

While team roping fans have closely been watching the Top 3 teams in the PRCA world standings battle for the gold buckle, there’s an NFR rookie who’s clawed his way into world title contention: J.C. Yeahquo.

Yeahquo and Buddy Hawkins, the 2021 NFR champion heeler, got off to a rocky start at the 2024 NFR with a no-time in Round 1 and a leg in Round 2. But these last five rounds have been quite the comeback with the team placing in every round since Round 3.

Yeahquo and Hawkins have raked in $88,512.66 a man inside the Thomas & Mack, and though they sit sixth in the world standings, they’ve still got a shot at the world title. With $214,808.44 and $203,302.00 won on the year, respectively, Yeahquo and Hawkins are $111,354.35 and $122,860.79 behind standings leaders Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp. And while that’s a pretty penny, it’s doable as they’re third in the average race.

“J.C. has been great out there,” Five-time NFR qualifier Ryan Motes said after Round 5. “This guy’s rank; this Yeahquo sticks so good, and we’ve seen it all year. He’s made some of the fastest spins, and he got a round win. His first round win. This guy’s good, extremely good.”

Buddy Hawkins, 2024 NFR. | Clay Guardipee Photo

So, what needs to happen for J.C. Yeahquo and Buddy Hawkins to win the world?

(Editor’s note: These are hypotheticals discussing mathematical possibilities.)

Yeahquo and Hawkins are third in the average with a 30.90 on six head. Clay Smith and Coleby Payne currently lead the average race as the only team with all seven steers caught. But with seven other teams having six steers down, one no-time could be enough to drop them to the bottom of the aggregate.

Third in the NFR average will pay $55,420.84 a man, so if the Finals ended after last night (Round 7) Yeahquo and Hawkins would finish third in the world standings with $270,229.28 and $258,722.84 won on the year. But with the rounds paying $33,687.18 a man to win, that $100,000 deficit they currently face could be made up.

NFR team roping round payout

  1. $33,687.18 per man
  2. $26,623.74
  3. $20,103.64
  4. $14,126.88
  5. $8,693.47
  6. $5,433.42

NFR team roping average payout

  1. $86,391.31 per man
  2. $70,091.06
  3. $55,420.84
  4. $40,750.62
  5. $29,340.45
  6. $21,190.32
  7. $14,670.22
  8. $8,150.12

If Yeahquo and Hawkins can remain third in the average–with the Top 3 teams not winning a dime from here on out–Yeahquo would need at least a round win for $33,687.18 and a second-place finish in another round to catch Wade. Hawkins would need two round wins and a sixth-place finish in another round, or a round win, a second-place finish and a fifth-place finish. If they can bump up to second in the aggregate, worth $70,091.06 a man, Yeahquo would need a round win and a fifth-place finish in another, or a second-place finish and a third-place finish in two rounds. Hawkins would need a round win and a third-place finish in another, or two second-place finishes.

If Yeahquo and Hawkins can win the average, again with none of the top three teams placing in the average or winning in the last three rounds, they would pocket $86,391.31 a man. With the average win, Yeahquo would need at least one second-place finish in a round to catch Wade. Hawkins would need a round win and a sixth-place finish.

The most a guy could win in just the remaining rounds is $101,061.54 (that’s winning the final three rounds). Therefore, the lowest Yeahquo and Hawkins can win in the average to have a chance at catching Wade and Thorp is fifth. If Yeahquo and Hawkins were to win fifth in the average, Yeahquo would need to win two rounds and third in another to catch Wade, and Hawkins would need to win two rounds and second in another to catch Thorp. Of note, however, is that if they win even as low as seventh in the average, Yeahquo could still have a chance at the world title, but Hawkins wouldn’t because of the difference in their world standings earnings. If they were to win seventh in the aggregate, Yeahquo would need to win the remaining three rounds to have a chance.

Now the tricky part. Wade and Thorp have won three rounds at the 2024 NFR and placed in four. Last year they won Rounds 8 and 9, so we know they can handle the pressure. In other words, Wade and Thorp’s 2023 and 2024 NFR records show they still have some winning left in them. If Wade and Thorp win one more round, Yeahquo and Hawkins would trail them by $145,041.53 and $156,547.97, respectively. Yeahquo and Hawkins would need to win no lower than second in the average and win at least one round and second in two others for them to both catch Wade and Thorp if they win another round. If Wade and Thorp win two more rounds, Yeahquo and Hawkins would not be able to catch them.

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