Team Wyoming Finishes Strong at the NFR

The National Finals Rodeo concluded on Saturday night in Arlington, Texas and the Wyoming contingent had a solid showing at the NFR. In the saddle bronc, Hillsdale native and Cheyenne East High School Grad Brody Cress rang up a 90.5 to take 3rd in the 10th round and win $15.654. Cress ended up 3rd in the world standings this season, winning $173, 846. Also in the saddle bronc, Sheridan College cowboy Zeke Thurston ended up 9th in the world standings with $141, 260 in earnings and over $30,000 of that came from finishing 4th in the average. He placed 4th in the 10th round with an 87. Former Casper College hand Shorty Garrett had an 83.5 in the saddle bronc on Saturday night but he was out of the money. Garrett ended up 8th in the average and 10th in the world standings. Former Gillette College Cowboy Cole Elshere had a no score in the 10th round of the saddle bronc and finished 13th in the world this season.

In the bareback, Kaycee's Cole Reiner certainly made the most of his first NFR appearance with wins in 2 rounds of 10. He placed 6th in the 10th round and ended took 6th in the average which paid him $16,500. Reiner was 5th in the world in 2020 with $154, 325 in earnings.

In the steer wrestling, Central Wyoming College grad Stetson Jorgenson ended up 2nd in the world standings after a 5 flat in the 10th round which did not pay. He did finish 2nd in the average and that was a huge payday of $54, 577. But that 5.0 probably cost him the world championship as he finished 2nd in earnings, with $192, 830. Jorgenson ended the season $1680 behind worked champion Jacob Elder.