LAS VEGAS — Eleven Oklahomans including Apache’s Hunter Herrin, will be in the field Friday when the 65th Wrangler Nationals Finals opens at the Thomas and Mack Center on the campus of UNLV.
The event was scheduled to begin this evening but due to the shooting on the UNLV, the PRCA and Las Vegas Events decided to cancel the first performance. Options were being discussed late Wednesday about how to alter the schedule to get in all 10 performances.
Herrin is making his 13th trip to the Finals and enters tonight’s first performance in 14th after being in the top six in the tie-down roping for a long period before slowing down during the month of September to watch son Houston play football for Apache’s Class A football district champions.
The ropers will be chasing young sensation Riley Webb who earned $280,404 this season, well ahead of those closest challenger Shad Mayfield with earnings of $208,603. Herrin comes in with $114,562 in earnings during the 2023 season.
The tie-down field is loaded with stars including former world champions Mayfield, Haven Meged, Shane Hanchey, Caleb Smidt, and Tuf Cooper.
The Kimzey brothers, Trey and Sage, are in the bull riding field with Trey owning a $5,000 lead over his older brother who now rides with the Texas delegation. The bull riders as well as the all-around contenders are once again chasing Stetson Wright who leads both those categories by substantial numbers.
Other Oklahomans in the field include: Coleman Proctor, Pryor, team roping header; Jayco Roper, Oktaha, bareback broncs; Andrew Ward, Edmond, team roping header; Jake Clay, Sapulpa, team roping header; Clay Smith, Broken Bow, header; and Cody Devers, Balko, steer wrestling.
Weatherford’s Emily Beisel comes into the barrel racing at the No. 2 spot behind Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi. Other Oklahoma barrel racers in the field are No. 7 Wenda Johnson, Pawhuska, and No. 15 Paige Jones, Wayne.
Performances begin at 7:45 p.m., Oklahoma time, with coverage on the Cowboy Channel and RFD TV. The Cowboy Channel is on Channel 232 on Dish Network, while RFD is on 231 on Dish. Those two channels are available on DirecTV but are included only in upgraded packages.
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