Contributed & Photography Courtesy PRCA

Wade Sundell flashes championship form with Round 4 win

Making his first appearance at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge since 2018, Wade Sundell showed he’s still an elite saddle bronc rider Sunday.

Sundell, the 2018 world champion, won Round 4 with an 89.5-point ride on Powder River Rodeo’s Bet the Ranch before 16,851 fans at the Thomas & Mack Center.

This was his first NFR round win since Round 5 in 2018.

“It was about just going back to the basics and have fun,” Sundell said. “Do what you’re supposed to do, I guess. I didn’t forget how to ride. Just people don’t seem to fall off like that very often so when it happens, they think something is wrong. But it’s part of rodeo.”

Sundell acknowledged his performance Sunday night was special.

“It’s a great feeling. I’ve been here many, many times but this round win might mean the most. My little boy told me last night, ‘Daddy will you get a buckle? I want to go on stage.’ And I said I’ll tighten up a little bit.”

Sundell is 11th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $116,157.

Breding, Boquet cash in with split bull riding win

Bull rider Parker Breding has picked a great time to get on a heater.

The veteran bull rider won his second round of the 2021 Wrangler NFR with an 84.5-point ride on Universal Pro Rodeos’ Doctor X.

Breding, who won Round 2, is thrilled with how things are unfolding.

“It’s hard to put into words just walking down this hallway again but I’m just glad to hear another whistle again.”

Breding has earned $102,312 at the 2021 NFR and is leading the average with 344 points on four bulls. Breding is third in the world standings $205,026.

“Just trying not to think about that right there is going to be a big part of it,” Breding said. “I’ve already got people coming up to me and trying to make future plans about all of this. I need to shut all that out and just keep doing my job.”

Dustin Boquet shared the win with Breding with his 84.5-point rode on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Hou’s Bad News.

They were only two bull riders to make the eight-second whistle in the round and each earned $43,544 including ground money.

“Felt great,” Boquet said. “I like any day when you squeak by the whistle or when you’re on the bull when the buzzer goes off. The first three go-rounds whoever went first stayed on, so I didn’t want to be the guy that broke the streak.”

Team ropers Driggers/Nogueira claim top honors in Round 4

Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira are searching for those elusive team roping heading and heeling world championships.

The duo took a step in that direction by winning Round 4 with a 4.1-second run.

“I’ve kind of always started out just trying to play it safe on the first couple of rounds and that kind of got us behind the 8-ball and then we would start going at them like we used to all year. I told Junior I might mess up, but I’m going to go at them as hard as I can every night just like we do during the year and rope the steer we draw and do the best we can, and it worked out for us. There’s a lot of rodeo left and we aren’t halfway done yet. We have to keep same mentality.”

Driggers is first in the header world standings with $183,760 and Nogueira is tops in heeling with $198,145.

“I have not roped too good the last couple of years, and we worked pretty hard before we got here, and I have some good horses and we are blessed with what we were able to do tonight,” Nogueira said. “We have some more runs and we are blessed to be here again. I was pretty pumped.”

Mayfield gets his second-round win of 2021 Wrangler NFR

After getting his first career Wrangler NFR round win with a Round 2 win Dec. 3, tie-down roper Shad Mayfield was making another victory lap Sunday after Round 4.

The reigning world champion stopped the clock in 7.6 seconds to claim the Round 4 title.

“This was the calf that Shane Hanchey won the first round on, so I knew I had the better one in the herd and I just had to make the best run I could and it for sure worked out,” Mayfield said. “I want more of them, there’s a lot more rounds to go, so hope I get few more. I went out of the average last night and I’m not much of an average type of roper, I try to go fast and win the rounds and that’s what I plan to do.”

Mayfield, who moved up to second in the world standings with $195,910, was quick to credit his horse Rampage.

“He’s amazing, he handles everything with ease. He’s a smart horse and I trust him with everything, I just know he’s going to do his job and I just have to do mine.”

Kaycee Feild, R.C. Landingham split Round 4 bareback title

Kaycee Feild is now tied atop PRCA’s all-time list for bareback riding NFR round wins with Bobby Mote with 25.

R.C. Landingham snared his third career NFR round win and first since 2016.

The duo split the Round 4 win.

Feild had an 87.5-point ride on Bar T Rodeo’s Outlaw and Landingham matched that score aboard Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Vitalix William Wallace.

“When I set out to be a bareback rider and dreamed of being a world champion and believing in myself when I matured, one of my goals was winning more go-rounds than anybody else and win more world championships than anybody else. I have been very blessed. I have been able to do this for a long time and stay somewhat healthy throughout my whole career. I just feel very blessed and humbled at this point in my career.

“I’m just happy I get to come and do this (Monday). My main goal the rest of the week is have a strong mark out and wow them the first jump.”

Feild, the reigning and five-time world champion, leads the world standings with $203,130.

Landingham is making his third NFR appearance with his first couple coming in 2016 and 2017. He had been battling a left shoulder injury for the last several years.

“It has been a long road (with injuries) and injuries are a big deal in the event and it was rough getting through,” Landingham said. “After my third surgery on my left shoulder and it feels as good as ever, thanks to (Dr.) Tandy Freeman and Doug Champion (at Champion Living Fitness). That was a fun little horse. I have never been on him. He was a little hard to get things going, but once he stalled out there it was a lot of fun.”

Duvall, Lummus share Round 4 steer wrestling championship

Steer wrestlers Riley Duvall and Will Lummus set pace in Round 4 with identical 3.9-second runs.

“I almost didn’t make the NFR this year, until Salinas (Calif., Sept. 23-36),” Duvall said. “I wasn’t even sure I would be here, so I just decided I’m here and I am going to ride hard and make each run count.”

Duvall has earned an event-best $74,880 at the NFR and has moved up to third in the world standings with $141,165. Duvall also split the Round 1 win with a 3.7-second run.

Lummus is 13th in the world standings with $113,184.

“That was the one that Riley won the first round on, so I knew if I just did my job, I had a really good chance for the win,” Lummus said.

“I had some OK runs, but I just didn’t get to the top, I just needed to change a couple small things and not get so serious about it and just do what I know how to do. I was getting down a bit, but after visiting all the cancer kids today, it made me realize that no matter how bad I think things are, those kids are fighting harder than I ever will have to. When you look at that, I got things back on track.”

Barrel racer Wenda Johnson takes Round 4 crown

Barrel racer Wenda Johnson took the spotlight with a 13.46-second run to win Round 4

“It is great to be here on this big stage and ultimately it is really just another run. Riding a young horse each run is a development run and it was definitely a development run for him. He has not been competing long. He didn’t get ran as a 4-year-old. His first futurity runs were when he was a 5-year-old and he doesn’t even really have much rodeo experience. I took him in June and ran him at a few this summer.

“I am just trying to build his confidence. He has never been in a big setting like this, so I am trying to be very concise and careful on how I handle him, how he reacts to it, each step he makes and really try to help him stay focused and calm. This way he can go out and make a dominating run. He has a lot to give and a lot to offer and my goal is to keep him healthy and happy so we can go out, have some fun and make some great runs.”

2021 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Results

Round 4, Dec. 5

Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nev.

Bareback RidiBareback Riding: Fourth round: 1. (tie) Kaycee Feild, on Bar T Rodeo’s Outlaw and R.C. Landingham, 87.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Vitalix William Wallace, $24,167 each; 3. (tie) Cole Reiner, Garrett Shadbolt, Richmond Champion and Cole Franks, 86, $9,688 each; 7. (tie) Clayton Biglow and Orin Larsen, 85; 9. Jess Pope, 84.5; 10. Tilden Hooper, 83.5; 11. Tim O’Connell, 82; 12. Taylor Broussard, 81.5; 13. Tanner Aus, 79.5; 14. Caleb Bennett, 76; 15. Zach Hibler, NS. Average leaders: 1. Jess Pope, 352.5 points on four head; 2. Kaycee Feild, 348.5; 3. Cole Franks, 340.5; 4. Cole Reiner, 340; 5. Richmond Champion, 339; 6. R.C. Landingham, 337.5; 7. (tie) Tim O’Connell and Orin Larsen, 333.5 each; 9. Clayton Biglow, 329.5; 10. Tanner Aus, 328; 11. Tilden Hooper, 325; 12. Garrett Shadbolt, 321.5; 13. Taylor Broussard, 247 on three head; 14. Zach Hibler, 228; 15. Caleb Bennett, 224.5. World standings: 1. Kaycee Feild, $203,130; 2. Jess Pope, $190,129; 3. Tilden Hooper, $176,306; 4. Tim O’Connell, $173,023; 5. Clayton Biglow, $161,148; 6. Cole Reiner, $155,352; 7. Caleb Bennett, $150,213; 8. Richmond Champion, $139,970; 9. Garrett Shadbolt, $137,038; 10. R.C. Landingham, $131,333; 11. Cole Franks, $115,152; 12. Orin Larsen, $107,844; 13. Tanner Aus, $97,852; 14. Taylor Broussard, $82,381; 15. Zach Hibler, $75,381.

Steer Wrestling: Fourth round: 1. (tie) Will Lummus and Riley Duvall, 3.9 seconds, $24,167 each; 3. (tie) Tyler Waguespack and Dirk Tavenner, 4.0, $13,716 each; 5. Tristan Martin,4.2, $6,967; 6. (tie) Curtis Cassidy and Rowdy Parrott, 4.7, $2,177 each; 8. Stetson Jorgensen, 4.9; 9. (tie) Jesse Brown, Tyler Pearson and Scott Guenthner, 5.0 each; 12. Dakota Eldridge, 7.2; 13. Stockton Graves, 13.4; 14. (tie) Jacob Talley and Cody Devers, NT. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Tristan Martin and Riley Duvall, 16.0 seconds on four head; 3. Will Lummus, 17.8; 4. Jesse Brown, 18.0; 5. Scott Guenthner, 18.1; 6. Rowdy Parrott, 18.7; 7. Curtis Cassidy, 19.1; 8. Stetson Jorgensen, 19.8; 9. Dirk Tavenner, 24.6; 10. Tyler Waguespack, 25.4; 11. Dakota Eldridge, 25.8; 12. Tyler Pearson, 30.7; 13. Jacob Talley, 12.9 seconds on three head; 14. Cody Devers, 17.8; 15. Stockton Graves, 23.8. World standings: 1. Jacob Talley, $154,253; 2. Dirk Tavenner, $143,929; 3. Riley Duvall, $141,165; 4. Tristan Martin, $125,146; 5. Tyler Waguespack, $124,543; 6. Jesse Brown, $117,163; 7. Will Lummus, $113,184; 8. Dakota Eldridge, $112,249; 9. Tyler Pearson, $102,930; 10. Rowdy Parrott, $98,155; 11. Scott Guenthner, $92,791; 12. Stetson Jorgensen, $81,668; 13. Stockton Graves, $81,223; 14. Curtis Cassidy, $78,902; 15. Cody Devers, $77,715.

Team Roping: Fourth round: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.1 seconds, $26,997 each; 2. (tie) Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves and Quinn Kesler/Joseph Harrison, 4.4, $18,724 each; 4. Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler, 4.7, $11,321; 5. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 4.8, $6,967; 6. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 4.9, $4,354; 7. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 5.0; 8. Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 7.7; 9. Coy Rahlmann/Douglas Rich, 9.0; 10. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 10.0; 11. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 15.5; 12. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 20.0; 13. (tie) Clint Summers/Ross Ashford, Derrick Begay/Brady Minor and Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, NT. Average leaders: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 18.2 seconds on four head; 2. Clay Smith/Jade Corkill, 18.5; 3. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 19.4; 4. Erich Rogers/Paden Bray, 33.2; 5. Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler, 35.7; 6. Derrick Begay/Brady Minor, 18.2 seconds on three head; 7. Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 20.4; 8. Quinn Kesler/Joseph Harrison, 21.8; 9. Coy Rahlmann/Douglas Rich, 23.7; 10. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 30.5; 11. Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 33.2; 12. Clay Tryan/Jake Long, 12.1 points on two head; 13. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 13.0; 14. Clint Summers/Ross Ashford, 44.9; 15. Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves, 4.4 seconds on one head. World standings (heelers): 1. Kaleb Driggers, $183,760; 2. Dustin Egusquiza, $176,239; 3. Clay Smith, $163,678; 4. Erich Rogers, $153,353; 5. Tyler Wade, $126,035; 6. Rhen Richard, $119,863; 7. Derrick Begay, $113,551; 8. Clay Tryan , $113,394; 9. Andrew Ward, $111,064; 10. Quinn Kesler, $102,448; 11. Coleman Proctor, $98,446; 12. Cody Snow, $89,677; 13. Brenten Hall, $87,860; 14. Coy Rahlmann, $85,247; 15. Clint Summers, $84,483. World standings (heeler): 1. Junior Nogueira, $198,145; 2. Jade Corkill, $163,678; 3. Travis Graves, $155,593; 4. Paden Bray, $148,273; 5. Trey Yates, $121,179; 6. Jeremy Buhler, $118,830; 7. Jake Long, $114,370; 8. Wesley Thorp, $112,037; 9. Buddy Hawkins II, $111,064; 10. Logan Medlin, $105,026; 11. Brady Minor, $104,536; 12. Joseph Harrison, $101,733; 13. Chase Tryan, $89,130; 14. Douglas Rich, $85,171; 15. Ross Ashford, $81,822.

Saddle Bronc Riding: Fourth round: 1. Wade Sundell, 89.5 points on Powder River Rodeo’s Bet the Ranch, $26,997; 2. Wyatt Casper, 89, $21,336; 3. Zeke Thurston, 88.5, $16,111; 4. Tegan Smith, 87.5, $11,321; 5. Spencer Wright, 87, $6,967; 6. Cody DeMoss, 86.5, $4,354; 7. Brody Cress, 85.5; 8. (tie) Chase Brooks and Dawson Hay, 84.5 each; 10. Ryder Wright, 83; 11. Sage Newman, 82; 12. (tie) Stetson Dell Wright, Layton Green, Kolby Wanchuk and Ben Andersen, NS. Average leaders: 1. Brody Cress, 346 points on four head; 2. Chase Brooks, 345; 3. Zeke Thurston, 343.5; 4. Spencer Wright, 341; 5. Cody DeMoss, 324.5; 6. Tegan Smith, 263 seconds on three head; 7. Ryder Wright, 254.5; 8. Dawson Hay, 247; 9. Layton Green, 241; 10. Stetson Dell Wright, 173.5 points on two head; 11. Kolby Wanchuk, 167; 12. Sage Newman, 165.5; 13. Wade Sundell, 89.5 points on one head; 14. Wyatt Casper, 89; 15. Ben Andersen, 75. World standings: 1. Stetson Dell Wright, $224,432; 2. Ryder Wright, $212,359; 3. Brody Cress, $206,654; 4. Chase Brooks $166,389; 5. Zeke Thurston, $159,224; 6. Tegan Smith, $136,793; 7. Dawson Hay, $130,349; 8. Spencer Wright, $119,767; 9. Layton Green, $119,213; 10. Wyatt Casper, $116,284; 11. Wade Sundell, $116,157; 12. Kolby Wanchuk, $101,213; 13. Sage Newman, $92,718; 14. Ben Andersen, $92,234; 15. Cody DeMoss, $89,153.

Tie-Down Roping: Fourth round: 1. Shad Mayfield, 7.6 seconds, $26,997; 2. (tie) Caleb Smidt and Tuf Case Cooper, 7.7, $18,724 each; 4. John Douch, 7.9, $11,321; 5. Marcos Costa, 8.1, $6,967; 6. Ty Harris, 8.3, $4,354; 7. Marty Yates, 9.5; 8. Shane Hanchey, 10.0; 9. Taylor Santos, 11.0; 10. Cory Solomon, 12.2; 11. Westyn Hughes, 15.9; 12. Ryan Jarrett, 16.3; 13. Haven Meged, 19.3; 14. Hunter Herrin, 20.4; 15. Justin Smith, NT. Average leaders: 1. Caleb Smidt, 32.8 seconds on four head; 2. Ty Harris, 34.8; 3. Shane Hanchey, 35.7; 4. Taylor Santos, Creston, 37.1; 5. Cory Solomon, 37.7; 6. Marty Yates, 40.1; 7. Tuf Case Cooper, 41.2; 8. Westyn Hughes, 42.1; 9. Haven Meged, 44.4; 10. Marcos Costa, 49.7; 11. Ryan Jarrett, 51.2; 12. Hunter Herrin, 63.7; 13. Shad Mayfield, 24.1 seconds on three head; 14. John Douch, 25.9; 15. Justin Smith, 18.4 seconds on two head. World standings: 1. Shane Hanchey, $212,076; 2. Shad Mayfield, $195,910; 3. Caleb Smidt, $191,744; 4. Tuf Case Cooper, $167,486; 5. Westyn Hughes, $164,673; 6. Ty Harris, $146,047; 7. Haven Meged, $136,358; 8. Marcos Costa, $135,063; 9. Cory Solomon, $134,842; 10. John Douch, $126,307; 11. Justin Smith, $122,951; 12. Ryan Jarrett, $118,044; 13. Marty Yates, $110,751; 14. Taylor Santos, $108,182; 15. Hunter Herrin, $104,133.

Barrel Racing: Fourth round: 1. Wenda Johnson, 13.46 seconds, $26,997; 2. Amanda Welsh, 13.61, $21,336; 3. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 13.62, $16,111; 4. Emily Miller-Beisel, 13.63, $11,321; 5. Dona Kay Rule, 13.69, $6,967; 6. Hailey Kinsel, 13.70, $4,354; 7. Stevi Hillman, 13.75; 8. Shelley Morgan, 13.76; 9. Ivy Saebens, 13.77; 10. Cheyenne Wimberley, 13.78; 11. Nellie Miller, 13.82; 12. Jordon Briggs, 13.91; 13. Lisa Lockhart, 13.92; 14. Jessica Routier, 13.94; 15. Molly Otto, 14.06. Average leaders: 1. Stevi Hillman, 55.14 seconds on four runs; 2. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 55.16; 3. Amanda Welsh, 55.25; 4. Jordon Briggs, 55.44; 5. Jessica Routier, 56.17; 6. Molly Otto, 56.34; 7. Cheyenne Wimberley, 59.95; 8. Hailey Kinsel, 59.99; 9. Emily Miller-Beisel, 60.28; 10. Shelley Morgan, 60.45; 11. Nellie Miller, 60.78; 12. Lisa Lockhart, 60.83; 13. Dona Kay Rule, 64.75; 14. Wenda Johnson, 64.87; 15. Ivy Saebens, 65.76. World standings: 1. Hailey Kinsel, $143,994; 2. Dona Kay Rule, $135,921; 3. Amanda Welsh, $132,422; 4. Jordon Briggs, $128,294; 5. Stevi Hillman, $123,851; 6. Wenda Johnson, $122,670; 7. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, $121,233; 8. Shelley Morgan, $120,340; 9. Cheyenne Wimberley, $111,299; 10. Emily Miller-Beisel, $106,116; 11. Ivy Saebens, $96,917; 12. Lisa Lockhart, $96,380; 13. Jessica Routier, $88,847; 14. Nellie Miller, $85,519; 15. Molly Otto, $74,173.

Bull Riding: Fourth round: 1. (tie) Dustin Donovan Boquet, on Bridwell Pro Rodeos’ Hou’s Bad News and Parker Breding, on Universal Pro Rodeos’s Doctor X, 84.5 points, $43,544 each; 3. (tie) Stetson Dell Wright, Sage Kimzey, Josh Frost, Creek Young, J.B. Mauney, Trey Benton III, Clayton Sellars, Ky Hamilton, Boudreaux Campbell, Shane Proctor, Ruger Piva, Roscoe Jarboe and Braden Richardson, NS. Average leaders: 1. Parker Breding, Edgar, Mont., 344.0 points on four head; 2. Boudreaux Campbell, 175.5 points on two head; 3. Sage Kimzey, 174.5; 4. Shane Proctor, 169; 5. Creek Young, 92 points on one head; 6. (tie) J.B. Mauney and Ky Hamilton, 87.5 each; 8. (tie) Trey Benton III and Ruger Piva, 86.5; 10. Josh Frost, 85; 11. Dustin Donovan Boquet, 84.5; 12. Clayton Sellars, 83; 13. (tie) Stetson Dell Wright and Roscoe Jarboe, 80.5; 15. Braden Richardson, NS. World standings: 1. Sage Kimzey, $315,016; 2. Stetson Dell Wright, $228,252; 3. Parker Breding, $205,026; 4. Creek Young, $183,339; 5. Dustin Donovan Bouquet, $165,555; 6. Clayton Sellars, $157,021; 7. Josh Frost, $154,344; 8. J.B. Mauney, $146,466; 9. Ky Hamilton, $135,914; 10. Boudreaux Campbell, $135,431; 11. Shane Proctor, $126,869; 12. Trey Benton III, $117,936; 13. Ruger Piva, $117,412; 14. Braden Richardson, $108,540; 15. Roscoe Jarboe, $105,778.

All-Around: 1. Stetson Dell Wright, $373,140; 2. Caleb Smidt, $187,176; 3. Clay Smith, $179,468; 4. Tuf Case Cooper, $168,572; 5. Payden Bray, $166,479; 6. Rhen Richard, $141,231; 7. Taylor Santos, $132,787; 8. Josh Frost, $102,050; 9. Marty Yates, $87,744; 10. Landon McClaugherty, $68,842.