Plot Twist: Round 9 Shakes Up the World Championship and Average Races

Round 9 was full of surprises, with critical moves and costly mistakes shaking up the standings as we head into the final round of the 2024 NFR.

Hailey Kinsel in Round 1 NFR 2024 / PRCA Photo by Alexis Cady

Round 9 at the National Finals Rodeo is infamously known for unpredictable twists, this year was no exception. With plenty of surprises, fans were left on the edge of their seat. With only one round remaining, many of the races are still much too close to call.

We saw hit barrels, missed calves, penalties, and no scores that had a major impact on the average standings and, ultimately, the world championship race too. We also witnessed some high scores and fast times bringing a new spark to the standings.

One of several tight races to watch is in the bareback riding, where tonight, World Champion Jess Pope took the win with 89.5 points on Resistol's Secrets Out. He has been just out of it for several rounds, and has been battling some soreness throughout the finals; none of which slowed him down a bit. He may not be in high contention for the gold buckle, but the 3-time NFR average champion sure knows how to win money in the Thomas and Mack.

Tyler Waguespack had a sigh of relief after he put together a run to finally get a round win in Vegas. Tyler is a fan favorite and is known for his high energy and fast runs. This year's finals has been a rough go for him, but his luck turned around in Round 9 and he came out on top with a 3.5-second run.

One of the biggest stories of the finals, and specifically in round 9 was the team roping. Coleman Proctor and Logan Medlin dominated in a wicked 3.8 seconds. Just a few rounds ago, they were barely in the conversation, and now they have a real chance at the gold buckle. They have a steady hold on the No. 4 position in the average as well. Not only did this win boost their chance to win the team roping title, but also put Coleman in the top spot in the All-Around race. We saw a big mistake by Junior Nogeuria who roped a leg to win the round. That round win would have helped Junior towards two gold buckles.

The Saddle Bronc riding has been exciting since the beginning. Per usual, there is a Wright brother with a chance at another World Championship. However, the other guys in contention are not making it easy on him. Tonight Ryder and Statler Wright tied to pick up a second-place check. However, in front of them was the one and only Lefty Holeman who was 88.5 on Tickled Pink.

Wyatt Casper ended up one hole out of the money tonight but remained strong in the average race that he is currently leading. There are a handful of guys with a good chance to go home a World Champion.

Speaking of World Champions, we have two of them fighting for the tie-down roping title, too. Tonight was a big upset for Shad Mayfield who missed his calf with his first loop. Before that costly mistake, Mayfield was sitting in the no.2 position in the average where he now has slid down to No. 5. This also hurt his chances at the all-around buckle where he currently sits No. 2. Riley Webb made a clean run, and although not in the money, that may be exactly what he needed to do.

One of the biggest stories of the NFR this year has been in the barrel race. Tonight we watched as Kassie Mowry and the famous Jarvis tipped over the second barrel. This changed the way things look in the standings because winning the round was none other than Hailey Kinse and Sister l with a 13.48-second run. We saw more stir-ups in this average race as well; watching three of the four ladies with 8 clean runs hit a barrel, it opened up the door for Kassie and Hailey to both move up into the average. It is looking like the World Championship title may come down to a one-head match in Round 10.

To end the night, in the bull riding, Tyler Bingham on Hell Yeah Roscoe was 88.5 points. Although he did not place tonight at the rodeo, Josh Frost secured his first world title. He has been the runner-up for several years now, and 2024 proved to be his year in the spotlight.

As we head into the exciting Round 10, there are still a lot of stories to unfold. We will have more updates as Round 10 kicks off. Stay tuned!