Bubble Watch: Three-Time NFR Average Winner Battles for Tenth Qualification

Time is running out for rodeo athletes to earn enough cash to secure a place in the top 15 in the world standings. With just over a week left in the regular season, No. 17 saddle bronc rider in the world, Brody Cress, has his work cut out for him if he wants to earn his tenth trip to the National Finals Rodeo (NFR).

The Final Push

With $121,305 earned so far this season, the NFR veteran finds himself $16,000 outside of the top 15. After finishing No. 9 last year, Cress came in ready to prove himself this season as one of the best after 12 years in ProRodeo.

The 30-year-old cowboy of Hillsdale, Wyo., has earned nine NFR qualifications (2017-2025) during the 12 years he’s been in the PRCA and three NFR average titles (2017, 2019, 2021). As impressive as that is, he has yet to take home the world champion title.

The best place Cress has finished is third, both in 2020 and 2021, and now he is once again in a position to climb to the top if he can earn enough to place him there before the clock runs out. He’s had some impressive wins so far this season, including the Buffalo (Texas) Pro Rodeo, and was crowned co-champion at five other rodeos earlier in the season.

The cowboy has had an impressive summer run in hopes of setting himself up for success by the end of the year, and the final rodeos ahead will have major pay days. Things really picked up for Cress in July when he earned the win at Cheyenne Frontier Days thanks to a massive 92-point ride during the finals. He pocketed his largest amount of money of the season here, taking home just over $12,000.

He continued riding that momentum as just days later he scored another big win at the Utah Days of '47 Rodeo. Cress scored another huge 91 points for the round one win, which pushed him to the finals. He landed in fifth overall for an overall check for nearly $5,000.

Late-Summer Run Success

He was on a winning streak by the end of July and into August as he won the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo the following weekend by scoring 172.5 points on two heads, cashing in for nearly $6,500. A bigger check came the following competition at the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo where he pocketed $6,997 for the win.

By August, he won again at the Lea County PRCA Rodeo where another high-scoring ride earned him $6,953. By the end of the month he had pulled in a check nearly every weekend, closing out with a win at the Salmon Stampede PRCA Rodeo.

Things slowed down in September for Cress as he has only earned around $4,000 total despite his efforts to move himself up in the world standings.

The clock may be ticking, but Cress almost has another NFR trip in his hands. With some impressive chances to win big in the last two weeks, the cowboy will have to channel what he had in the summer and race against time in order to clinch his spot at the Thomas & Mack Arena.

Add us as a preferred source on Google