Three cowboys with Wyoming connections had big nights Sunday in the fourth round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Buffalo’s Cole Reiner got things started by winning the round with an 89.0-point ride on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’ Southland’s Shoutin’ Shoes. Later, former Casper College team roper Trey Yates and partner Tyler Wade finished first with a 3.9-second run and former Sheridan College cowboy Zeke Thurston won the saddle bronc.
Reiner, who rodeoed at Casper College, entered the NFR leading the world standings, but fell to third behind Jess Pope and five-time world champ Kaycee Feild after the third round. Sunday’s win moved him to second in the standings and in the NFR average behind Pope. Reiner, who increased his season earnings to more than $207,000, trails Pope by a little more than $32,000 in the world standings and is five points back (344.0-339.0) in the average race.
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Thurston, a two-time world champ, scored 88.5 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Heaven On Earth to take the lead in the average and move to fourth in the world standings.
The other three cowboys with Wyoming ties didn’t fare as well, with saddle bronc riders Brody Cress (10th with a 76.5) from Hillsdale and Tanner Butner (11th with a 74.5) from Daniel and former Central Wyoming College bareback bronc rider Ty Breuer (12th with an 82.5) all finishing out of the money.
Other event winners Sunday were steer wrestler Hunter Cure with a 3.4-second run, tie-down roper Marty Yates with a 7.4, barrel racer Emily Beisel with a 13.60 and bull rider Stetson Wright with a 92.
The 10-round NFR runs through Saturday.
