Oklahoma well represented at NFR

LAS VEGAS—In a town where they are talking about pouring $3.4-billion into a state-of-the-art baseball stadium, big money is just part of the atmosphere with the huge casinos, luxury accommodations and shopping and plenty of shows to keep visitors occupied.

For the next 10 days, the National Finals Rodeo will dominate the local economy with the huge trade shows, including the Cowboy Christmas, giving rodeo fans plenty of things to do and see before they head to the Thomas and Mack Center for the nightly performances.

Performance begin each night beginning at 7:45 p.m. (CST) with television coverage being carried by the Cowboy Channel.

Big money is not just up and down the streets of Vegas but this year the NFR will have another record purse, $11.5-million, which includes $1.2-million that is split equally among the 121 competitors who qualified through the hundreds of rodeos that are sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association.

The updated purse for 2024 introduces lucrative earnings for round and average winners: Round Winners: $33,687 per round; Average Winners: $86,391 per event; Total Per Round: $108,665; and, Total Average Payout: $326,002 per event. Even the stock contractor pay—which is 30 percent of the contestant payout – increased to $3,450,451.

For Oklahoma rodeo fans, they will get to see 17 Oklahoma contestants fighting for the big money in the eight rodeo events: Bareback bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping (headers and heeler), saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, women’s barrel racing and bull riding.

The lone area contestant is Apache tie-down roper Hunter Herrin who will be making his 14th appearance at the NFR where he’s had good results during that stretch, the highest finish being in 2008 when he was the Reserve World Champion, finishing just $1,200 behind Stran Smith. Herrin first qualified in 2006 through 2009, then after missing in 2010, he qualified in 2011 and 2012, then from 2014 to 2016 before having hip troubles that required two different surgical procedures. His latest streak started in 2020 and has reached five straight with this year’s qualification that he didn’t nail down until the final weeks of the season.

Herrin enters the finals in 12th place with earnings of $123,998 in tie-down roping which saw the 15 qualifiers all earn more than $100,000.

At the top of that list is Shad Mayfield with earnings of $287,721. The field is loaded throughout with former world champions Haven Meged, Tuf Cooper, Shane Hanchey, Riley Webb and Mayfield.

Of the other Oklahomans in the field, most are in the team roping. Oklahoma headers who qualified are: Coleman Proctor, Pryor; Andrew Ward, Edmond; Jake Smith, Broken Bow; Brenton Hall, Jay; and Clay Smith, Broken Bow. State heelers that qualified are: Tanner Braden, Dewey; and Travis Graves, Ja.

Atoka cowboy Tyler Pearson is the lone state contestant who qualified in steer wrestling. Oklahoma is represented by three young bull riders: Wacey Schalla, Arapaho; Jeter Lawrence, Council Hill; and Trey Kimzey, Strong City.

Oklahoma also will have four women competing in the barrel racing: Leslie Smylago, Skiatook; Emily Beisel, Weatherford; Donna Kay Rule, Minco; and Wenda Johnson, Pawhuska.