Brody Wells Masters First National Finals Rodeo With 90 Point Ride for Round 2 Win

Saddle bronc riders of the WNFR showed up and showed out for Round 2 in the Thomas and Mack Center.

Hillary Maybery for Rodeo On SI

Round 2 of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center kicked off tonight, and the saddle bronc riders came ready to ride. With many NFR veterans returning to the arena, spectators are sure to see some refined skill from cowboys looking to add to their season pot.

In Round 1, there was a quick and notable shift in the rankings when the current world leader in Saddle Bronc Riding, Damian Brennan, was nowhere to be found in the top five results on the night. However, Brennan came back to secure that third place check in Round 2, adding $17,115.26 to his NFR total. 

In his first ever NFR appearance, Brody Wells rode away with the first place check in Round 2, scoring an astounding 90 on Resistol’s Pretty Woman from the Pete Carr Pro Rodeo string, for a total of $33,687.18. Wells made the first 90 point ride of the 2024 NFR; a major feat for the NFR first-timer. He set the bar high for himself and his fellow saddle bronc riders coming into Round 3. 

Before Wells stole the show, Dawson Hay hit a solid 87-points on Resistol’s Toma Jo; the second pair out of the chute for the night. He was able to hold onto second place, collecting $26,623.74 for the night. 

Coming into Round 2, we saw Zeke Thurston mount Erotic Tango after taking the lead in Round 1 on Frontier Coffee Rodeo Yellowstone. His ride in Round 2 didn’t see as much success, as he ended the round tied for third with an 86.5. 

Some of the more shocking rides of the night came from Ryder Wright, the Utah native currently ranked No. 2 in the world. Round 2 was very unforgiving for Wright when he failed to mark his horse out and received a no score.

With eight rounds remaining, these riders will continue their battle in the World Standings; looking to walk away with a world title and a chance to cap off their 2024 season in the highest seat.

Live coverage of each event can be found on Cowboy Channel+, airing each night at 5:45 PST.