Hayes Smith is eyeing a spot in the top 30 of the PRCA world standings after winning the Salmon Stampede PRCA Rodeo with a 4.5-second run, worth $2,319, and the Big Timber Weekly PRCA Rodeo with a 4.2-second run, worth $1,036.

Smith, 27, of Central Point, Oregon, is now 41st in the PRCA world standings with $16,599.09 in total earnings after winning the Salmon Stampede PRCA Rodeo and the Big Timber Weekly PRCA Rodeo, despite wearing a splint on his middle finger due to an injury while competing at the 2020 Bob Feist Invitational. 

“I broke my middle finger at the BFI,” Smith said. “I got my left hand in the dally, and I had to have surgery. I wasn’t heading very good. It finally came together. It was tough trying to learn how to hold my coils and be able to reach again. I spent a lot of time on the dummy. I still wear a splint on my finger when I rope. Knock on wood it hasn’t bothered me yet or gotten in the way, really.”

[Shop: Hayes Smith’s Team Roping Gear]

Classic Deluxe Rope Glove

Classic Store

(As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases made through affiliate links.)

Hayes has his goals set to move inside of the top 30 by the end of the 2020 ProRodeo season and give his partner, Evan Arnold, who is 21st with $31,010.43, a fighting chance to qualify for his first Wrangler NFR.

“It was a good way to get the ball rolling,” Smith said. “I’d like to be in the top 30 to get into Houston and Denver, if they have them. I think it gave my partner a good chance.”

Smith is heading on a 9-year-old outlaw dun mare he calls Smooch. Arnold is heeling on a sorrel he calls Rip.

“There’s a lot of things that are good about her,” Smith said about his mare, Smooch. “She scores so good. She’s very smooth and she gives me her all every time. She’ll bite and kick you—pretty rotten. I went to heading on her and it was pretty obvious that she was meant to be a head horse.”

Smith and Arnold are preparing to rope at six rodeos over the weekend of Sept. 3 through Sept. 6 with hopes of moving Arnold up in the PRCA world standings. 

“This week is a big week,” Smith said. “We’re going to six rodeos this week. The main thing would be to hit this week and make sure that he has a good chance.”

PRCA world standings Top 15 as of Sept. 3, 2020

Headers:

1. Luke Brown, $83,169.09
2. Clay Smith, $67,357.43
3. Dustin Egusquiza, $61,334.67
4. Colby Lovell, $60,277.73
5. Cody Snow, $60,134.61
6. Charly Crawford, $54,626.27
7. Clay Tryan, $50,451.23
8. Andrew Ward, $48,080.52
9. Erich Rogers, $46,605.41
10. Kolton Schmidt, $44,114.87
11. Jeff Flenniken, $43,866.24
12. Nelson Wyatt, $42,941.61
13. Levi Simpson, $42,859.29
14. Chad Masters, $41,135.05
15. Matt Sherwood, $40,598.72

Heelers:

1. Jade Corkill, $67,357.43
2. Joseph Harrison, $65,151.80
3. Jake Long, $56,049.09
4. Logan Medlin, $54,017.84
5. Travis Graves, $53,672.64
6. Paul Eaves, $50,928.13
7. Junior Nogueira, $48,990.52
8. Shay Carroll, $48,728.95
9. Buddy Hawkins II, $48,080.52
10. Paden Bray, $46,605.41
11. Tyler Worley, $45,612.58
12. Levi Lord, $44,140.11
13. Hunter Koch, $44,114.87
14. Wesley Thorp, $41,135.05
15. Chase Tryan, $37,831.78

Full Results

Cowtown Rodeo

Woodstown Pilesgrove, N.J. 1. Eric Fabian/Derek Carey, 6.7 seconds, $900 each; 2. Jose Mota/Casey Cox, 7.0, $745; 3. Tim Naylor/Paul Plume, 8.3, $590; 4. (tie) Mary Ann Brown/Ryan Whetham and Troy Musser/Chris Soto, 8.4, $357 each; 6. Waylon Cameron/Kenny Brown, 10.7, $155.

Mesquite Championship Rodeo

Mesquite, Texas 1. Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves, 4.0 seconds, $1,183 each; 2. Tyler Waters/Richard Durham, 4.4, $888; 3. Casey Tew/Steve Northcott, 4.9, $592; 4. Cody Snow/Junior Nogueira, 5.2, $296.

Alamosa Round-Up

Alamosa, Colo. 1. Seth Hall/Garrett Busby, 6.2 seconds, $1,247 each; 2. Jhett Trenary/Bret Trenary, 6.4, $1,032; 3. Corey Whinnery/Todd Wilson, 6.7, $817; 4. J.B. James Jr/Brock Hanson, 6.9, $602; 5. Gary Grokett/Jesse Jolly, 7.1, $387; 6. Brit Ellerman/Trey Johnson, 7.2, $215.

Salmon Stampede PRCA Rodeo

Salmon, Idaho 1. Hayes Smith/Evan Arnold, 4.5 seconds, $2,319 each; 2. Kolton Schmidt/Hunter Koch, 4.6, $2,016; 3. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 4.8, $1,714; 4. (tie) Dylin Ahlstrom/Caleb Hendrix and Nelson Wyatt/Levi Lord, 5.0, $1,260 each; 6. Jeff Flenniken/Tyler Worley, 5.3, $807; 7. (tie) Quinn Kesler/Colby Siddoway and Coleman Proctor/Ryan Motes, 5.4, $353 each.

Golden Spike Rodeo

Tremonton, Utah 1. Cory Kidd V/Clay Futrell, 3.8 seconds, $3,233 each; 2. Dylin Ahlstrom/Caleb Hendrix, 4.0, $2,892; 3. Jake Orman/Brye Crites, 4.4, $2,552; 4. Brooks Dahozy/JC Flake, 4.5, $2,212; 5. (tie) Riley Minor/Brady Minor and Cory Clark/Wyatt Cox, 4.7, $1,701 each; 7. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 4.9, $1,191; 8. (tie) Tadd Thomas/Kelton Morse and Chaz Kananen/Max Kuttler, 5.1, $681 each; 10. (tie) Clay Tryan/Jake Long and Chad Masters/Wesley Thorp, 5.2, $85 each.

Range Days Rodeo

Rapid City, S.D. 1. Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 4.4 seconds, $2,866 each; 2. Rhett Anderson/Cullen Teller, 4.7, $2,564; 3. Jeff Flenniken/Tyler Worley, 5.0, $2,263; 4. (tie) Cooper White/Tucker White and Dustin Bird/Sid Sporer, 5.2, $1,810 each; 6. Dawson Graham/Austin Rogers, 5.3, $1,358; 7. (tie) Jon Peterson/Cash Hetzel, Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II and Coleman Proctor/Ryan Motes, 5.4, $754 each; 10. (tie) Clay Ullery/Jake Edwards and Jase Staudt/Trevor Schnaufer, 5.6, $75 each.

Big Timber Weekly PRCA Rodeo

Big Timber, Mont. 1. Hayes Smith/Evan Arnold, 4.2 seconds, $1,036 each; 2. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 4.3, $857; 3. (tie) Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II and Brady Tryan/Trent Tunke, 4.7, $589 each; 5. Delon Parker/Ryan Zurcher, 4.8, $321; 6. Jace Johnson/Jake Beard, 6.3, $179.