Hayden bareback rider falls to world No. 3, but big bucks still on table in last rounds of Finals
Steamboat Pilot & Today archive
Through seven rounds of the National Finals Rodeo, Hayden cowboy Keenan Hayes has dropped to world No. 3 on the bareback leaderboard.
Despite the lower ranking, Hayes has earned money in five of the NFR’s seven rounds through Wednesday night.
Hayes held the top spot at the halfway mark of the National Finals Rodeo, hosted each year at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, but fell behind Rocker Steiner, of Whetherford, Texas, at the conclusion of round 6.
Though Hayes had a third-place, 86-point ride Tuesday night and followed that with a fifth-place, 84.5-point ride, he only earned $21,824 between the two. This allowed Steiner, current world No. 1, and Bradlee Miller, current world No. 2, to jump ahead after each winning the sixth and seventh round, respectively.
Hayes, now with $303,068.11 in earnings this season, currently sits $12,732 behind Miller for second and $35,878.95 behind Steiner for first.
Three rounds remain with rides Thursday-Saturday night, meaning big money remains on the table and it is anyone’s title.
The bareback riding portion of the National Finals Rodeo hosts the top-15 ranked cowboys to battle over the 10-day span, riding one bronco each night. Each round is centered around earning money, and the rider who has accumulated the most earnings across the entire season by the end of the 10th night is named world champion.
This season, Hayes has amassed 13 rodeo wins, including the New Year’s Eve Buck and Ball, San Angelo Cinch Chute-out, NFR Open and Larimer County Fair and Rodeo.
Hayes is no stranger to the moment. Last season, he broke several records including becoming the first cowboy to win a bareback riding world championship title in a rookie season. He also became the holder of the highest bareback single-season earnings total at $434,050.
With a comeback, he is poised to earn his second title in just two years.
To watch Hayes and the rest of the National Finals Rodeo, visit CowboyChannelPlus.com. The stream begins at 6:45 p.m. each night through Saturday and does require a fee.
To reach Tom Skulski, call 970-871-4240, email tskulski@SteamboatPilot.com.
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