Numbers to Know Heading Into the 2024 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo

From first-time qualifiers to the returning champions, this list gives a breakdown of where things stand going into the 10-day Las Vegas marathon.

Tuf Cooper is one of many professional rodeo athletes headed to Las Vegas soon in pursuit of a gold world championship buckle. / Hailey Rae/For PRCA

The countdown to the 2024 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is almost over, with the action set to start at Thomas and Mack Arena in just a few days. 

Before the first yellow chute gate flies open, here are some interesting numbers breaking down what spectators will see over the coming 10-day run. 

Can anyone catch Shad Mayfield? After resetting the record for regular season earnings in his primary event, Mayfield is the frontrunner to claim the tie-down and all-around honors. / Click Thompson/For PRCA

$184,366.23 - Largest earnings gap going in: The money available at NFR can quickly take a bottom-of-the-pack regular season finisher and turn them into a World Champion. But there is at least one margin that might be too much to overcome.

Tie-down roper Shad "Money" Mayfield has certainly lived up to his nickname. He finished the regular season with a PRCA-event record $286,347.67 in earnings, putting him more than $184,000 ahead of final qualifier Quade Hiatt who secured his first NFR appearance with a career-high $101,980.44. On average, the gap between first and 15th in the eight different races is $119,232.51. 

28 - Total first-time qualifiers: Between the seven events taking place at NFR, there are 28 individuals who are making their first appearance at Thomas and Mack in December as a competitor.

Barrel racing leads the way as one-third of the 15-cowgirl field is a first-time qualifier. Tie-down roping and bull riding each have four new faces, while the rest of the events have three each. 

21 - Former World Champions: Combined, there are 21 athletes in the competition who have previously left Las Vegas with at least one gold buckle in their possession.

Tie-down roping features the most with five of the 15 competitors having previously nabbed a World Title at some point in their careers. Hailey Kinsel is the only barrel racer in the field with a gold buckle to her credit, while no one in the 15 bull riders has ever won the world. All three steer wrestlers with previous World Championships ironically have a common moniker "tying" them together – Ty Erickson, Tyler Pearson and Tyler Waguespack. 

Las Vegas in December wouldn't be the same without Lisa Lockhart as the veteran barrel racer makes her 19th appearance at NFR. Is this the season she finally breaks through for a World Title? Lockhart comes in sitting sixth in the WPRA World Standings. / Hailey Rae/For PRCA

7 - Competitors with 10-plus previous NFR trips but no World Titles: Getting to NFR is a significant accomplishment worth celebrating, but the hurdle between qualifying and a World Title is not easy to clear.

Barrel racer Lisa Lockhart has three NFR average titles but has come up short of a World Championship despite a previous 18 consecutive appearances at the season-culminating event. There are a combined four team ropers who have already been to Las Vegas 10 or more times and come away empty-handed – headers Luke Brown (15) and Derrick Begay (10) and heelers Travis Graves (14) and Jake Long (13). Tie-down roper Hunter Herrin (13) and steer wrestler Dakota Eldridge (10) are already in the group, with Marty Yates knocking on the door. This will be his 10th trip to NFR and the tie-down roper has yet to secure a gold buckle. 

6 - Total rookies in the field: Making it to Las Vegas is hard, but doing it in your first-year as a PRCA competitor is extremely difficult. Somehow, this group got it done.

Bull riding features a trio of Resistol Rookies and they’re all bunched up inside the top 10 – Jeter Lawrence (sixth), Wacey Schalla (seventh) and Cooper James (tenth). Weston Timberman and Zachary Dallas are in as bareback and saddle bronc competitors, respectively, while tie-down roper Cole Clemons is the sole timed event rookie in the field. 

Last year, Ky Hamilton was the toast of Las Vegas, leaving NFR with a gold buckle. Unfortunately, an injury kept him out of competition this year, meaning he won't get the chance to go back-to-back. The bull riding field is loaded with young talent, including three rookies. / Hailey Rae/For PRCA

3 - World Titles that won’t be defended: In three races, there will not be a repeat performance. Due to injuries, Stetson Wright (all-around) and Ky Hamilton (bull rider) weren’t able to compete in 2024, meaning someone else will dethrone them.

A year after dominating the field with record-setting earnings, barrel racer Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi will miss a return to Thomas and Mack after some significant setbacks to her equine roster. The three-time World Champ lost two horses to injury this year, while another she used in 2023 is being ridden by its owner, Andrea Busby, this season at NFR.