Things are heating up as Round 6 rolls around of the 2024 NFR. As the runs get quicker and the average race gets more intense, we tapped five-time NFR qualifier Ryan Motes to break down the team roping runs in Round 5.

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Cyle Denison & Tanner Braden

Round 5: 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

Motes’ take: Cyle Denison’s one of the fastest headers in the world, and I’m so happy for him. He made it out of Sioux Falls. I’ve known Cyle coming from down here in Louisiana, and I roped with him several years ago at some amateur rodeos and stuff down here. I’m a big Cyle Denison fan; he’s got a big career ahead of him, he’s one of the fastest young headers, and he used to be just a straight bomber, but now he’s kind of got it together. But, you can’t miss the barrier there. Denison hasn’t gotten a good go yet, and he’s wanting to get up and get his swing off. Like I said, 4.7’s currently winning fourth, there’s three teams to go, that was just a bad throw. Anytime you throw your whole rope at the NFR–and I’m a Denison fan as big as anybody–but he needs to get tapped off and he needs to turn him a steer. He’s wanting to go fast and he’s been rocked back a little bit on his gray and if you let go your whole rope there, you’re too far away. The barrier’s 4-foot under, it’s a 16-foot box, they should only be 12 foot away from you.

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Derrick Begay & Jonathan Torres

Round 5: 4.1 + 5

Round Winnings: 0

Total NFR Earnings: $24,126.88

World Standings Earnings: $129,195.43 ; $141,831.66 

Average: 33.1 on four; 7

World Standings: 14; 13

Motes’ take: Begay’s obviously Begay—he’s great at doing Begay things out there. You expect him to catch them all, it doesn’t really matter what he looks like. This horse fits him a lot like Swagger did and obviously the success he had on Swagger out there. He’s rode this one last couple of years. Man, he hung it on this steer. I think Begay missed the night before and it didn’t look like he was going to. This steer was kind of big and long, and Torres, this heel horse has been really, really good out there. He bought this horse I believe from Clay Green, and this heel horse is big, strong and just honest, and he lets him get in a good spot every time. Torres kind of gets there and he does get in a pretty good spot, but he can tell the steer’s long and as he goes to heel, that’s a tough spot we talk about there. He doesn’t really take an extra swing, but he gets there and he’s not able to be up there just waiting on that cow. This cow was long, big-hopping, and as he heeled him the steer’s kind of jumping away from him to the right just a little. Begay has to come up the wall and as Torres kind of gets in the spot where he heeled, the steer’s going to the right and the left leg beats him to the ground, so he just gets the right one. But Torres is really, really good at heeling those tight, fast-hopping steers and that’s why he’s had such good luck out here with Nelson and everybody else. 

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Clay Smith & Coleby Payne

Round 5: 6.2

Round Winnings: $5,433.42 

Total NFR Earnings: $20,866.84 

World Standings Earnings: $133,949.74 ; $143,063.79 

Average: 43.8 on five; 2

World Standings: 13; 12

Motes’ take: That’s a very untypical Clay Smith. He never misses barrier. He’s got a fast head horse, but he kind of gets stalled out a little like TG did on the heel side and he misses the barrier just a touch. I think they’re good in the average; they’ve caught them all. Clay goes and his horse stalls on him a little, he heads him on the gain, kind of comes with a half dally and they’re just in survival mode. That’s a pretty good job. Coleby Payne, this is a great heel horse. Dustin Davis trained this heel horse, then Rich had him. Coleby bought him from Rich several years ago, and this is probably one of the better heel horses out there. This is just Coleby Payne in cleanup mode. He’s very patient. Like I said, the corner’s slow, Clay has to come up the wall and they’re 6.2. Salvage run to stay in the average. You think probably no money, but we know they end up winning last.

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Luke Brown & Travis Graves

Round 5: 5.5 + 5

Round Winnings: 0

Total NFR Earnings: $17,063.44

World Standings Earnings: $134,481.78 ; $129,105.57 

Average: 37.1 on five; 1

World Standings: 12; 15

Motes’ take: Luke and TG haven’t had a very good Finals so far, but we say that yet they’ve caught every steer. But they haven’t looked tapped off yet, and last night Luke kind of hung it on the line. It was an easier round, three 3’s, but then getting money right now 4.7’s winning fourth. Luke sees that chance and he hangs it on; there might be one better, but this was probably Luke’s best spin of the week. TG, his horse kind of pops up and stalls out, almost sucks back when he goes to leave, and heading or heeling, like I said, missing the barrier is terrible here. Luke gets him a great start and catches a steer that’s off to the right, TG’s just really late, but he won’t be late again. That’s a chance for the guys that are just kind of clipping along, having an OK week and catching a lot of steers, when you’re placing in the average you don’t want to start going at ’em too much, but that was a chance to get easy money in the round.

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Jake Smith & Douglas Rich

Round 5: NT

Round Winnings: 0

Total NFR Earnings: $15,433.42

World Standings Earnings: $144,799.54 

Average: 33.5 on four; 8

World Standings: 11

Motes’ take: Jake got out good. That steer was real straight. The hard thing here at the NFR is getting far enough down the arena and around them. The steers are so big and they hit fast, you’ve seen quite a few loops this week hit high on the feet, not come all the way through the feet and not get all the way down on the ground. It’s hard when they’re that big and that strong and leaving you to be patient and stay down with it and put it all the way on the feet. Douglas kind of was to the inside a little bit and had to throw around the legs, and it’s hard when you throw around the legs to get it all the way on the ground and all the way through. The steers are big and hard here, it’s so important to have a fast horse. That horse is really good but it’s hard to get all the way down the arena.

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Erich Rogers & Paul Eaves

Round 5: NT

Round Winnings: 0

Total NFR Earnings: $56,727.39

World Standings Earnings: $165,040.65 ; $165,639.66 

Average: 16.9 on four; 3

World Standings: 10

Motes’ take: Rogers and Paul, you just expect these guys to be consistent all week. Rogers, going back from the time he headed for Kory Koontz on the gray horse out there has just been spot on. You could probably count the amount of steers he’s missed on one hand and last night was very untypical of Rogers. A lot of people talked about him hickeying and stuff, but the steer didn’t really duck his head, he just bobbled his. They just get long and they bobble their head, and he just got the buckle on the left horn and missed the right horn. The loop looks like it’s fixing to go on the right horn, but it just doesn’t. It’s hard right there when they’re running and leaving you and, like I said, the steers are digging, they’re trying, their heads are bobbing just a little bit and he just barely misses the right horn. They’ll catch the rest of them, and they’ll stay right in there and still get a good average check. That’s a fast heel horse, too, Paul’s horse. Paul’s up there waiting on him and heels him good.

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Andrew Ward & Kollin VonAhn

Round 5: 4.7

Round Winnings: $11,410.17 

Total NFR Earnings:  $41,513.81 

World Standings Earnings: $178,094.83 ; $166,896.27 

Average: 13.7 on three; 11

World Standings: 9

Motes’ take: Andrew’s obviously terribly fast there, and he’s been sticking. Steer was good; maybe took half a step left. Half a step left there is OK, but it’s crazy how much time it eats up. Andrew did a good job. As he roped it kind of created just a little bit of a dead spot, and he had to come straight back at the corner. When they step left, in order to get away, you got to come right back at the corner. Kind of makes those steers ball up just a little, and Kollin got a touch bit tight and had to take an extra swing and heel him leaving him, kind of waiting for some separation. That’s kind of an old veteran move, not heeling on the gain. Kollin, it’s been a while since he’s been there, but he hasn’t forgotten how to do it. You assume when you’re that early and you go 4.7, you don’t think it’s going to win much, but it’s a good run and clean.

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Cody Snow & Hunter Koch

Round 5: 3.7

Round Winnings:$26,623.74 

Total NFR Earnings: $71,669.27 

World Standings Earnings: $179,938.05 ; $181,949.06 

Average: 21.4 on four; 4

World Standings: 8; 7

Motes’ take: Two 6-year-old futurity horses. These are good green horses. Obviously hunter’s not going to overhaze; he’s not going to push one off the left. That was as pretty of a 3.7 as you’ve ever seen. Right down the middle of the arena. Honestly almost looked like their 4.1 from the night before. You can see Snow headed him and kind of just reined out and helped Billy out just a little bit. Hunter’s able to get all the way around. That’s as pretty of a run as you could get; that’s how everybody draws it up right there. Dead down the middle on a couple of colts. Hunter’s up there waiting on him to turn. When you’re on a great heel horse and you’re waiting on him to turn, you’re just pulling on the steers and he was a little bit on the gain right there and it makes it hard when you pull off heeling one away.

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Brenten Hall & Kaden Profili

Round 5: NT

Round Winnings: 0

Total NFR Earnings: $56,727.38

World Standings Earnings: $182,390.53 ; $183,563.59 

Average: 17.2 on three; 14

World Standings: 7; 6

Motes’ take: This kid is rank. He heels so good. You can see the run off to the right. I don’t know if he’s late or not. You want to leave him in the middle, but when they’re off to the right it makes it just a little bit harder. You don’t want to overhaze, and that’s where good heel horses come in. This heel horse looks good, but this kid looks better. Brenten obviously is a good friend. He did a great job at the NFR heading for Chase, and I’m glad to see him back. He kind of has to kickstart his horse and does a good job. He hangs it on him fast. I think a lot of people were wondering what happened last night. You can see here at the end of the run, I believe he gets a hondo over the horn; it didn’t look like he had enough curl to get a hickey. Brenten tells on himself–he tells the flagger he has got a no-time, and I’m sure that they’d have caught it at the backend. I believe he gets a hondo on the horn right there, just it’s out on the tip. But their run was down the middle, and they’re going to keep doing good. That kid heels great, and Brenten’s going to keep turning them.

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J.C. Yeahquo & Buddy Hawkins

Round 5: 4.7

Round Winnings: $11,410.17 

Total NFR Earnings: $56,455.70

World Standings Earnings: $182,751.28 ; $171,244.84 

Average: 23.2 on four; 5

World Standings: 6; 8

Motes’ take: J.C. has been great out there. 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. But their steer takes a half a step to him, and he hangs it on him. Buddy gets two feet but they don’t have a ton of finish. But 4.7 gets money and that’s a good spot. Yeahquo is going to keep bringing the heat because he’s great at bringing heat. He’s similar to a TWade or somebody like that. I remember when TWade first started, just turning steers out there. Just rank. Buddy does a good job making sure he gets all the way there, but it does kind of causes him to get a slow finish. Buddy also makes sure he gets two feet caught.

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Clint Summers & Jake Long

Round 5: 5.6 + 5

Round Winnings:  0

Total NFR Earnings: $43,415.51

World Standings Earnings: $186,561.49 ; $189,999.26 

Average: 23.3 on four; 6

World Standings: 5; 4

Motes’ take: The steer fought the chute terrible for Clint. One of the very best head horses in the Thomas & Mack. Obviously, you hear Joe Beaver talk about it every night. But Transmission really is great out there. He’s big, he’s strong, he doesn’t have trouble pulling. Clint’s just a little off the barrier and just brings the heat and sticks it on him. When he does, it’s a great hook and a really, really good spin. He kind of gets trapped in the front of the horn and runs just a tiny bit of rope and it causes Jake to kind of have to just go safety mode. He tries to catch him and anytime you kind of have to go safety mode and just try to catch one out there, it’s really, really hard. And again, by missing the barrier just a tiny bit, whether you’re heading or heeling, the barrier happens so much faster out there than it does anywhere else, and you’ve got to be on the barrier.

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Coleman Proctor & Logan Medlin

Round 5: NT

Round Winnings: 0

Total NFR Earnings: $44,230.52

World Standings Earnings: $200,020.81 ; $186,787.60 

Average: 13.1 on three; 10

World Standings: 4; 5

Motes’ take: Coleman blasts the barrier. Heisman is great there. He gives enough pull but not too much pull. He keeps his steers moving, and Coleman’s rhythm’s just great there with him. He’s comfortable on him. Coleman hung it on the steer and the steer was just a step away from him, and same thing as Douglas. That’s normally the one Logan heels, but he kind of had to try him going away from him just a little bit. It’s so hard to get your loop when you heel these big steers going away from you to stay forward and make sure you get it all the way down and all the way through. You’re so excited about finishing and every time you take an extra swing it eats up time, so you want to heel them on the separation there. But you’ve got to make sure you stay forward and put it all the way on the ground.

The steers are so big and hard there, it makes it really, really hard because they’re strong and the arena is so narrow, and the left fence and corner come up fast. You see Logan on Drago, and they have such good luck. When you’re on a fast heel horse there, it makes life so much easier, and Logan’s on obviously a very good heel horse. When you can get all the way caught up and be waiting on the steer, man, it makes a world of difference.

Coleman backed in there, and Heisman hit the corner. Heisman must be on go. Now when you do that, the rhythm’s just there. Coleman lays one up pretty good. Logan, he kind of backs out of it a little soon. Like I said, it’s hard; you got to stay forward, got to make sure it gets on the feet first. You want to finish, but it’s so important to make sure your loop goes on. He kind of throws at him going away, and it just stays high the whole time.

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Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira

Round 5: 3.8

Round Winnings: $20,103.64 

Total NFR Earnings: $60,259.10

World Standings Earnings: $237,619.65 ; $248,745.40 

Average: 16.8 on three; 13

World Standings: 3

Motes’ take: Driggers is just so good there. You’ve seen ’em have some hiccups here, obviously they’re a quick team. Driggers knows not to miss the barrier; he rocks the barrier. Their steer is just straight. Junior does exactly what we’ve been talking about. That horse is so good and so forgiving, and we’ve seen Junior crawl all over him in the past. But Driggers nails the start dead straight. Junior stays with it extra long right there. When he goes to dally, he kind of gets trapped to the front of the horn. That’s because the rope’s tight, and you normally see Junior heel them and he’s fully dallied, full pullback, before any of that happens. But that time there, he stayed with it extra long and it kind of caused his rope to run a little bit as he got to the front of the horn. Maybe cost them a 10th or two, but he still got full pullback, no big deal.

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Dustin Egusquiza & Levi Lord

Round 5: 3.2 + 5

Round Winnings: 0

Total NFR Earnings: $63,790.82

World Standings Earnings: $264,798.52 

Average: 16 on three; 12

World Standings: 2

Motes’ take: That was to be the fastest ever–that was for the world record. They were 3.2 plus five. Man, I’ve been lucky enough I’ve got a share of the 3.3, and everybody that’s been 3.3 gets a little nervous every time Dustin backs in there. This one was for the world record right here. Dustin’s obviously tapped off. Don’t miss the barrier. When you see these three guys go in a row and Dustin gets to go third, you know for a fact Driggers ain’t going to miss the barrier, you know TWade’s not going to miss the barrier and then Dustin gets to watch them guys go in a rhythm and just figure it out. When you get to sit right back there on your horse, get pumped up and watch them two guys go in front of you, there’s not a better spot.

Dustin hangs it on him fast, the steer was straight. Levi kind of rushed it just a little bit, he’s kind of on the gain, a little narrow and having a little bit of trouble getting all the way around him and he has to throw all the way around. He kind of hangs it out around the right leg. You see him pull that shot off often, but that’s just a hard one on those wide steers right there. That was a great spin. Dustin’s horse looks tapped off; he’s fast, he’s pulling and that horse faces as good as anything. We’ve seen in the past Dustin have trouble getting trapped with a lot of rope out there, and he’s not that guy now. Now he’s hanging it on them fast, but he’s on pretty short rope for that guy. Levi just gets in a tough spot and gets an outside leg for the world record and to win the round.

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Tyler Wade & Wesley Thorp

Round 5: 3.6

Round Winnings: $33,687.18

Total NFR Earnings:  $111,061.54 

World Standings Earnings: $302,799.10 

Average: 11 on three; 9

World Standings: 1

Motes’ take: This is a fun combination. I said right before the NFR started, getting to watch Driggers go then Thorp, then Egusquiza, that’s pretty exceptional. TWade, obviously there’s no back-down in TWade. He missed two in a row coming into this round, but that does not phase TWade. He’s got his whole family out there, and I guarantee he went right back to the parking lot to play with Weston, and it was no big deal to him. He was upset about it I’m sure, but he’s not remembering the last couple nights. The last two nights TWade missed the right horn, which is very not very typical of TWade; TWade will go for the neck, the catch loop. Round 3, the steers are so big out there and strong that people keep saying, “Oh, that steer ducked his head,” and whatnot but normally it’s not even that they ducked their head, they just get that kind of big timing. And TWade was just kind of out of time with that steer in the third round. Then Round 4, he just missed. But last night, you can see TWade’s got good coverage, a great first swing. He did kind of slop it on him just a little bit and kind of gets a slow left horn, but you got to catch the right horn out there in order to have a chance. So it wasn’t TWade crispy loop, but TWade, he’s never afraid to just kind of lay one on there.

Fast heel horse is what we’re talking about. Thorp looked a little behind, but that’s Patrick’s heel horse of the year and that horse is so good where you can catch up that fast and come from anywhere. TWade lays it on the steer, and then it’s just over from there. He just leaves the steer there and Thorp gets around him. The steer’s trotting kind of hard to heel and, like I said, that’s a hard steer when you’re on a slower type of heel horse, but when you get caught up and you have all the time in the world to set it down and leave it down.