NFR Tie-Down Roper John Douch Is Looking For His First Title While Sitting At No. 4

John Douch is heading to the NFR for the fifth time, while facing some tough competition, he is looking to push into the top three and take home the title.

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Rodeo athletes across the country spend all year preparing for the National Finals Rodeo. The top 15 athletes in each event will hit the Thomas and Mack arena come December for a chance to take home the world title. 

Tie-down roper, John Douch is no exception. He’s heading to the NFR at No. 4 in the world standings and is looking to break into the top three and take home the title. With four qualifications under his belt, Douch has seen the NFR every year since 2021.

Douch has earned himself $174,969 this season, sitting just $8,000 outside of the No. 3 spot. Kincade Henry is ahead of him, holding tight to No. 3 with Shad Mayfield at No. 2. Mayfield will be hard to catch for Dutch as he’s made $256,310 but Riley Webb has outshone them all this season sitting at No. 1 with $305,132.

Although Webb will be a tough competitor to beat, Douch is looking to out-perform two former world champions ahead of him. He’s had a solid season so far, earning wins at three rodeos including the Texas Circuit Finals in Waco. 

Coming in as a veteran competitor in the Thomas and Mack arena, Douch took to social media and wrote, 

“Blessed to be headed back to my 5th consecutive NFR. I had another successful year thanks to my great horses and sponsors! I couldn’t do it without all their support!”

Veteran Tie-Down Roper John Douch Is Heading Into The Thomas and Mack Arena At No. 4

At 28 years old, the rider out of Huntsville, Texas is seeing his best season yet. At No. 4, this is the highest he’s ever ranked in the world standings since joining the PRCA in 2017. At the NFR last year, he placed in three rounds and earned $62,161. After his ninth-place finish at the NFR, he ultimately ended up eleventh in the world when it was all said and done. 

Most recently, Douch took home a third-round win at the Governor's Cup in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he came in third overall. Proving he can hold his own in the arena against fellow big-name competitors like the ones he’ll see in December. 

Douch has some fierce competition ahead of him, but a solid performance at the NFR could almost double his season earnings and push him into the top three and possibly even to a world championship. While he is only $2,000 ahead of Dylan Hancock at No. 5, all athletes will have to bring their A-game if they want to take home the world title this year.

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