Round 8 Action at the Wrangler National Finals Continued With Stellar Performances

We are closing in on the finish line of the 2024 NFR and it has been an incredible race in every single event. Let's take a deeper look at Round Eight

Lefty Holman at 2024 NFR / Hillary Maybery for Rodeo On SI

Before we head into Round Nine, here is a recap of Thursday night's action in Las Vegas at the National Finals Rodeo.

Bareback Riding

The top 15 bareback riders in the world had already ridden seven of the best horses on the planet coming into Round Eight. Bareback riding is brutal and last night, it was the eliminator pen. These are literally the most difficult horses to ride and all 15 cowboys rode their horses, but a missed markout took Taylor Broussard's score off the board.

Dean Thompson was back in the winner's circle, with an 88 point ride aboard Priefert's Dusty Roads, owned by Pete Carr Pro Rodeo. He described what it is like to ride one of these tough horses last night in his post-ride interview, "That first jump, I've never had a horse run me off my rigging like that! I knew it was time to just send it. It's pretty crazy when you can get a flash of your spurs, then not even half a second later, you're looking at the ceiling, trying to get your chin back down."

The other big story of the night was Rocker Steiner coming for ANOTHER second-place check. He just goes at them every single night, chasing round money. In the World Standings, he still has the lead at roughly $365,000. Bradlee Miller, the NFR rookie that has had an incredible week, has shot from 11th to second, with $335,000. Keenan Hayes is third at $303,000 and Thompson at $293,000. Thompson and Hayes are currently second and third in the Average, separated by 1.5 points. Miller is fifth, 4.5 points off second.

Steer Wrestling

Ty Erickson owns Horse of the Year, "Crush," who has officially gotten all three of his NFR cowboys to the winner's circle this week. Erickson nailed the barrier last night, to be 3.6 seconds for the win. Cash Robb and JD Struxness were in a three-way tie for second with Scott Guenthner. Dakota Eldridge also took a check in sixth.

Erickson remarked of a somewhat tough steer, "We kind of had a game plan. JD (Struxness, who also rides Crush) ran him before me. I nodded when that steer turned his head and wasn't sure I got out, but it was the best start I've had all week. Matt (Reeves) did a great job hazing and everything worked out. I knew that steer would kinda let off, so I just slowed down and finished my run."

Eldridge leads the World, roughly $13,000 ahead of Struxness. Will Lummus is third in the World and second in the Average. Two cowboys to watch that are farther back in the World Standings are Robb and Rowdy Parrott, as they are first and third in the Average.

Team Roping

Kaleb Driggers and Junior Noguiera have placed in two rounds and won two rounds, including this win in Round Eight. Noguiera is a contender in the All-Around race, so this win was critical - putting him a little over $1700 behind Shad Mayfield in first.

Driggers remarked, "We've been wanting that steer all week. The round was a little soft and I told Junior I was torn between trying to win the round and just placing. In order for us to have a chance after Round 10, we need to keep pressing and winning as much as we can. All the glory to God."

Noguiera echoed the sentiment, "I just follow him (Driggers). He's done an amazing job. We're going to try to push all we can. We're happy and have two more rounds to go. All glory to God."

Only one team has all eight steers roped in the Average - Clay Smith and Coleby Payne. Four teams have seven down, but are not at the top of the World Standings. The two battling it out at the top of the World Standings currently are Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp, alongside Driggers and Noguiera.

Saddle Bronc Riding

Ryder Wright may have missed out one horse early in the week, but has been absolutely on fire in the rounds. He took the round win AGAIN aboard Kadoka Coolaid of Korkow Rodeo with 88 points.

When asked how he handled the tough horse, Wright stated, "Just keep lifting on your rein and gas it with your feet. I knew he was going to have one wild jump, then stack up and be awesome, just like he was."

A man of simplicity, when asked what it was like to be at this level and with this amount of fame and pressure, he quipped, "I just like riding bucking horses."

Wyatt Casper holds down the Average, while Damian Brennan and Zeke Thurston are in third and fourth. Wright leads the World Standings, roughly $60,000 ahead of Casper. Brennan is third and Thurston is fifth.

Tie Down Roping

Tonight, Ty Harris split his second round win of the week with Marty Yates. Their dual 7.3 second runs earned the win by nearly a full second. Shad Mayfield got bumped out of a sixth place check by one-tenth of a second by Haven Meged and Riley Webb snuck in for fourth at 8.7.

Harris stated, "It feels pretty easy when you get that start. I hit the barrier two nights in a row and had a good calf to make a good run."

Yates found his stride tonight, "I finally got the monkey off my back! It's fun to be here and it's cool to be here with this guy (Harris)."

Webb still holds down number one in the Average, with Mayfield in second and Meged in fourth. Webb also has the lead in the World Standings by roughly $36,000 over Mayfield and Meged is third.

Barrel Racing

Kassie Mowry and Shelley Morgan split the win tonight at 13.45 seconds. Morgan ran first out aboard the great mare, "Kiss" and Mowry was fifth, again riding "Jarvis." This marks Mowry's fifth consecutive round win.

Morgan remarked, "It hasn't been the finals that we envisioned, but I've got a great husband that keeps encouraging me. The preacher before we came in told us to show up for what we intended for and that's what we intend to do in these last three rounds. Good old Kiss, I sent her tonight and asked her for her life, since we were first on the ground and she just came through."

Mowry has had such an incredible week, she is running out of words to describe it. "Just a whirlwind. Riding every day like its a one-header, so we're just going to keep doing that."

Mowry has moved into first in the World, with $228,000 in earnings this week. She also moved up to third in the Average tonight. Andrea Busby has had an outstanding NFR, placing in seven rounds, amassing $110,000 in earnings, moving up to fifth in the World and the top spot in the Average. Hailey Kinsel is now second in the World Standings and sixth in the Average.

Bull Riding

Hayes Weight had been shut out at the NFR, up until Round Eight, when he took the win for 88 points aboard Two Step from Sutton Rodeo. Ground money was again a factor, with only four qualified rides and he earned $37,219 for the ride.

"After last year, I wanted to come in and perform a lot better. Just being able to put my faith in God and forget about the past and realize that it's a new day. It's a big mental battle down here on this level, but I just have to thank God for giving me the try and determination to get it done. I ran my hand in and gave it everything I had. Talking to Donny Gay and some of the other bull riders really inspired me. To be able to do that, I am just grateful and so blessed," Weight stated of the win.

Season leader TJ Gray earned a third-place check tonight, jumping back into second in the World. Josh Frost still has the lead by $80,000 and earned another check tongight. Right now, Frost has the top spot in the Average and NFR rookie Cooper James is second.

On a side note - how amazing are these bull fighters? Every night, we see them make some absolutely inhuman saves and it is just so incredible.