NFR Round 8: Newman in tight saddle bronc riding title fight
Saddle bronc rider Sage Newman learned the hard way how grueling the 10 rounds of the National Finals Rodeo can be.
The Melstone, Montana, native entered last year’s NFR leading the world standings. After placing in just four of the 10 rounds, he left fifth.
“I came in first last year and I had a good chance to win a gold buckle, and it just didn’t happen,” Newman said. “Stuff didn’t work out, and I just got beat up. That’s the rodeo for you.”
Newman ($344,099) is second in a tight saddle bronc racing title race this year, trailing Zeke Thurston ($344,426) by $327 in total earnings after eight go-rounds at the NFR. The 25-year-old tied for first place in Thursday’s go-round with Thurston and Brody Cress for a score of 87.5 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
“I’m in position. We’re all in position,” Newman said. “It’s anybody’s game out there. To be on top with these guys, it’s a good feeling. I’m happy to be where I’m at and ready to keep things rolling.”
After not getting any earnings with runs of 11th and 10th on the first two nights, Newman won his go-round Sunday. He finished tied with Thurston on Monday and was second in the sixth go-round Wednesday morning.
Newman has amassed $96,836 in earnings this NFR through eight rounds, the fifth-most of all saddle bronc riders.
“This place is ruthless,” Newman said. “It’ll eat you up and spit you out. It doesn’t care who you are or what you’ve done. You just got to do your job the best you can and let the chips fall where they may.”
Newman had a stellar 2022, when he racked up nine event wins to put him atop the standings before NFR. Newman won just one go-round, finished 11th in the average and claimed $67,283 in earnings over 10 nights to fall out of the lead and lose the world title.
“I didn’t finish like I wanted to last year, so I just came back this year with a vengeance and just kind of wanting to get things rolling, and I had a good year all year long,” Newman said after his winning go-round Sunday. “To be able to come in here and win this third round and get stuff rolling, I’m happy because I’m ready to keep rolling all week.”
This season, Newman has backed up his performance from last year with 13 event wins to be within striking distance of the title. He entered his third straight NFR trailing Stetson Wright by just over $4,000.
The top four riders in the standings entered separated by less than $30,000 in earnings. Newman said his previous NFR experiences have helped him deal with managing the mental and physical aspects of the 10-round event.
“It’s both mental and physical,” Newman said. “You’re fighting in your head, you’re thinking about stuff, and your body is also getting beat up at the same time. So you have to try to stay healthy and stay in shape. … The mental game, I just try to keep stuff simple and just stick to the basics and do my job the best I can every time.”
The title race took a turn when Wright, the four-time defending all-around champion and 2021 saddle bronc champion, was ruled out for the remainder of NFR on Monday with a right hamstring injury.
Thurston won Tuesday’s go-round, tied with Newman for fourth Monday and was fifth Wednesday night to add to his earnings.
Newman said staying in the moment will be important with the stout competition.
“There’s a bunch of good bronc riders out there,” Newman said. “They all ride really tough, and it’s anybody’s game. It’s anybody shot, so you just got to do your job the best you can and have fun with it.”
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
Team ropers tie PRCA time record
Being the first competitor in a go-round can be a double-edged sword.
Team ropers Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp took advantage of starting the eighth go-round to tie a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association time record.
Wade and Thorp posted a time of 3.3 seconds Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.
"We literally were just trying to be smooth and see what happens," Wade said. "The steer was really good, and Wesley heeled him fast. When he heeled him that fast, I was looking at the clock, and I figured it was going to be pretty fast."
Thorp agreed and said a run like that is important with how tight the header and heeler overall standings are.
"It felt good to get a run like that under our belt, especially to go first in the round," Thorp said. "Those rounds are going to be tough later in the week. To make that kind of run first, it's relieving in itself to know that you're not going to get smoked several other times."
Thorp leads Jake Long in the overall heeler standings by over $3,000. Wade trails Clint Summers in the header standings by $241. Thorp and Wade have racked up $71,908 in earnings at NFR, fifth-most of any team ropers.
"The main thing is that we have a chance these last few rounds," Thorp said. "We're not behind the ball by any means. If we just stick to our game plan, all we need is a little bit of luck to go our way, and we'll be in a good spot."
Thorp said he and Wade being on offense and not letting their feet "off the gas" will help them make strong runs in the final two rounds.
"We can't predict what anybody else is going to do," Wade said. "We know that if we just do our job, it's going to fall how it's supposed to. That might not be first — guys rope freaking good nowadays. We're just going to run the next two rounds and see what happens."
Other go-round winners:
— Jess Pope, Waverly, Kansas, in bareback riding (88.5).
— Bridger Anderson, Carrington, North Dakota, in steer wrestling (3.3 seconds).
— Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, Sage Newman, Melstone, Montana, Brody Cress, Hillsdale, Wyoming, tie in saddle bronc riding (87.5).
— Hunter Herrin, Apache, Oklahoma, tie-down roping (7.4 seconds).
— Kassie Mowry, Dublin, Texas, in barrel racing (13.30 seconds).
— Tristen Hutchings, Monteview, Idaho, in bull riding (89).
Alex Wright/Las Vegas Review-Journal
