Saddle Bronc riding is one of the best events at any rodeo. The event combines grace, grit, and technique into one of the most watchable events at the National Finals Rodeo. The best riders in the world will be riding to try and win the world championship and claim their glory. The Las Vegas NFR 2018 is taking place in Las Vegas from December 6th to the 15th.

The objective of saddle bronc riding is to stay on the horse for eight seconds and show great control of the horse while maintaining your own poise. At the start of the event, the rider and horse are placed in a chute and when the timer starts the gate opens and the horse goes through the gate. The horse begins to buck as soon as the horse gets out of the gate and the rider cannot use his free hand on himself or the horse.

The rider also must have both of his heels touching the animal above the point of its shoulders when it makes its first jump from the chute. If he fails to do this then he receives no points. The rider only has a thick rein that is attached to the horse’s halter to hold onto and try and finish his ride. The rider is judged both on his ride and how the horse buck throughout the run. A smooth bucking ride will score better than an uncontrolled ride in the event. To get a good score a rider must have great spurring action and control the horse well.

Jacobs Crawley is the current leader of in the PRCA rankings and he has a great shot at winning the world championship. Crawley has already broken the million dollar mark in career earnings and he will continue to add to that with the WNFR in December. He already has one world championship under his belt which he won in 2015 and he will be hoping to add to that total in December.

“I don’t think of it so much as a transition; as soon as October first hits, you’re thinking about December,” said Jacobs Crawley, the 2015 world champion saddle bronc rider from Boerne. “You’re still going, but you’re viewing it as really good practice. You’re trying to stay in a really good mindset. You’re able to go to some good rodeos and get some great practice.”

Crawley will be one of the top contenders in Las Vegas and fans can expect him to take home his second world championship. Crawley will be in his eighth National Finals Rodeo and all of his experience will help him take home the title.

Ryder Wright is the young star of saddle bronc riding. At only 20 years old, he already has one world championship under his belt and he will be looking to defend his title in Las Vegas. You could say that saddle bronc riding is in his blood, as his father has won two world championships and his brother and father both competed in the 2016 NFR.

The Wrights have an incredible story and they continue to impress the world of rodeo. Ryder Wright has an extremely bright future in the world of rodeo and he will take on the best of the best as he tries to defend his crown at the 2018 National Finals Rodeo. Fans should look for an incredible faceoff between Wright and Crawley as they both try and get their second world championships. The title can easily go to either of them but my money is on Wright to defend his title and continue to ascend the steps to greatness.

Saddle Bronc Riding is a staple at any rodeo event and this year’s event at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is going to be a must watch event. The top riders will be duking it out to see who can claim the world championship. The event will be on every single night from December 6th to the 15th so make sure that you mark your calendars and tune in every single night.

The Top 15 Saddle Bronc Riders in the 2018 National Finals Rodeo:

1          Jacobs Crawley
2          Ryder Wright
3          Isaac Diaz
4          Rusty Wright
5          Zeke Thurston
6          Brody Cress
7          Clay Elliott
8          Wade Sundell
9          Cort Scheer
10        Sterling Crawley
11        CoBurn Bradshaw
12        Jake Wright
13        Joey Sonnier
14        Taos Muncy
15        Chase Brooks

The 2018 National Finals Rodeo is set to take place in Las Vegas December 6th through the 15th. The top 15 teams in the PRCA Ram standings after the regular season which just ended September 27th. There will be team roping every single night of the championship so be sure to check out all 10 nights of the championship in person or on television. For coverage of where to watch the National Finals Rodeo, be sure to check out our other article on how to watch this year’s championship.

Let’s go over the basics of team roping for the readers that do not know the rules or have never heard of the sport in the first place. Team roping is the only true team sport in Pro Rodeo. Two riders have to try and tie up a steer by roping both their head and their legs. In this event, one rider is called the header and he tries to get his rope around the head of the steer while the other rider, called the healer tries to wrap his rope around the steer’s legs.

First, the steer is released into the arena and gets a head start on both riders. The rider starts from the boxes on each side of the chute from which the steer enters the arena. Once the steer gets enough of a head start, which is determined by how big the arena is, the header attempts to catch the steer by the head using one of three catches: around both horns, around one horn and the head or around the neck. Once he makes the catch, he will pull the steer to the left and expose the steer’s legs so that the heeler can rope the steer’s hind legs. Once the heeler ropes the steer by its hind legs the riders must face each other to stop the clock.

So, who are the best team roping teams in 2018? Clay Smith and Junior Nogueira are the top team after the end of the regular season and should be a threat to win the world title as the top team in 2018. Kaleb Driggers and Paul Eaves were number two in the world rankings and they should put on a great show in Vegas and will be serious contenders to take home the world title.

The superstar team of Dustin Egusquiza and Kory Koontz with Koontz being more than double Egusquiza’s age was a formidable team this year finishing third in the Team Roping rankings. Koontz is a wily veteran at the tender age of 47 that has been in the PRCA since 1991 and this will be his 22nd National Finals Rodeo. Egusquiza is just 23 years old and is one of the most talented young guns in Pro Rodeo today and he will be making only his 2nd appearance at the National Finals Rodeo. Together they make a great team that is balanced with talent, experience, know-how, and ability. They have been working together for the past two seasons now and it seems like nothing can stop this formidable duo. It will be interesting to see how they perform as compared to last year’s National Finals Rodeo as they hauled in over $100,000 last December.

Related Article: Tie-Down Roping 2018 Preview

Regardless of who wins, this event should be incredibly entertaining and it is always one of the fan favorites. Be sure to check this event out if you are attending the National Finals Rodeo in Vegas this year. The amount of teamwork this particular event take is incredible and riders spend hours upon hours training their horses and themselves just for a few seconds of action every once in a while. Who do you think will take home the world title? Let us know in the comments!

The Top 15 Team Roping Teams (Headers) in the 2018 National Finals Rodeo:

1          Clay Smith
2          Kaleb Driggers
3          Dustin Egusquiza
4          Clay Tryan
5          Cody Snow
6          Bubba Buckaloo
7          Chad Masters
8          Derrick Begay
9          Aaron Tsinigine
10        Luke Brown
11        Riley Minor
12        Tyler Wade
13        Erich Rogers
14        Lane Ivy
15        Rhen Richard

The Top 15 Team Roping Teams (Heelers) in the 2018 National Finals Rodeo:

1          Junior Nogueira
2          Paul Eaves
3          Kory Koontz
4          Joseph Harrison
5          Trey Yates
6          Travis Graves
7          Cory Petska
8          Wesley Thorp
9          Jake Long
10        Brady Minor
11        Clint Summers
12        Chase Tryan
13        Cole Davison
14        Buddy Hawkins II
15        Quinn Kesler

Tie-Downing Roping has its roots all the way back to the 1800s when ranchers would have to try and tie down young calves because they had to be branded or receive medical attention. The 2018 National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas from December 5th to the 16th will have 10 straight actions packed nights of rodeo events including tie-down roping which will occur every night. The best ropers will be competing at their chance for the world title and to cement their name in rodeo’s legacy.

The modern event still is very similar to the old days where the rancher had to tie up the calf as quickly as possible. In the modern event, the rider is in a three-sided box with the fourth side opening up to the arena and then the calf gets a head start that is determined by the size of the arena. The rider then must follow the calf and attempt to loop his rope around the calf’s neck.

Once he successfully gets his rope around the calf, he dismounts his horse and then flanks the calf and takes the calf to the ground. Once he successfully flanks the calf he must tie up at least three of the calf’s legs in a pigging knot. After he ties the calf up, the rider must remount his horse and then give the calf some slack in the rope. The rider then must wait six seconds to see if the calf can kick free, if the calf kicks free then the rider is disqualified.

Shane Hanchey is the narrow leader in this category-leading by less than $2,000 over Tuf Cooper. Hanchey is a world-class roper and has been in the PRCA since 2009 and has already accumulated more than $1.4 million in prize money. The 29-year-old has been to every single NFR since 2010 and he will make it nine straight this year.

Hanchey is in his best position to win the world title that he has ever been and he is hoping to make it official this December in Las Vegas. Hanchey can cement his legacy as one of the best ropers in the game if he can win a few world titles, but he will have to show up at the big moments and the WNFR should be a great test for him.

Tuf Cooper is one of the best cowboys in the world currently. Cooper won the all-round title last year in Las Vegas and he will be trying to defend his title there and try and win his fourth tie-down roping world championship. Cooper has incredible roots in rodeo as his father, Roy Cooper, is one of the greatest cowboys of all time. Cooper will have to continue to prove that he can keep up his father’s legacy as well as set new goals for himself that he can break. Cooper will be looking to take down Hanchey at the world championship and show that he can win yet another world championship.

Tie-Down Roping has had a lot of criticism from animal rights groups due to the fact that it incorporates animals who are just children. There have been a few studies to show that there are is no harm that comes to the animals that participate in the event.

Related Article: Saddle Bronc Riding Preview

Make sure that you tune into the Las Vegas WNFR from December 6th to the 15th as there will be tie-down roping every single night. It should be interesting to see who is able to win the world championship as there are a lot of great competitors that can easily take home the championship.

The Top 15 Tie-Down Ropers in the 2018 National Finals Rodeo:

1          Shane Hanchey
2          Tuf Cooper
3          Tyson Durfey
4          Jake Pratt
5          Ryle Smith
6          Trevor Brazile
7          Cooper Martin
8          Caleb Smidt
9          Cory Solomon
10        Marty Yates
11        Reese Riemer
12        Matt Shiozawa
13        Rhen Richard
14        Sterling Smith
15        Ryan Jarrett