While there hasn’t been much movement among the top handful of Resistol Rookie contenders in the calf roping since spring, the field continues to tighten up as the big summer run is about to kick off.

Just over $10,000 separates the top five in the race.

The entire rookie field went to work during the busy weekend of June 9–11, with rookies placing at rodeos from New Jersey to Oregon, and Texas to Alberta. With Canadian and Northwest rodeos just getting started, new names are popping up in the standings, adding new contenders to the conversation.

This race continues to look like a dogfight. Nine of the top 10 ropers are entered in Reno, which begins June 16 and leads right into the Fourth of July run.

The Contenders Gunning for 2023 Resistol Rookie of the Year

#1 Resistol Rookie: Cash Enderli

Enderli has held the lead throughout the first half of the season thanks to a hot start, placing at his first seven rodeos of the year. The Liberty, Texas, cowboy added to his lead with a check at the Rookie Roundup presented by Resistol at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth.

Enderli rodeoed sparingly in May and early June, finishing up his semester at Weatherford College. Now, he’s ready for a big summer which will include a trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado for the NFR Open in mid-July.

Enderli held onto the lead in mid-June thanks to a good check from Ponca City, Oklahoma.

#2 Resistol Rookie: Joel Harris

Harris hails from San Angelo, same as third-ranked Dylan Hancock, the West Texas town that is ground-zero for calf ropers. Rodeoing with his brother, four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier Ty, Harris made the California spring run, placing in Clovis and Guymon before taking a month away from ProRodeo.

Harris tightened the race with a win in Union, Oregon and now trails Enderli by about $1,900.

#3 Resistol Rookie: Dylan Hancock

Hancock, the 2022 World Championship Junior Rodeo All Around Champion and former IFYR All Around winner—who already has a trip to the Texas Circuit Finals under his belt—is the biggest mover from spring to early summer, moving from No. 5 to No. 3 in the Rookie race.

Hancock competed in three events at the Rookie Roundup, winning money in all of them and making the final round in both the steer wrestling and tie down.

Along with the $1,329 won in the calf roping in Fort Worth, Hancock made a major move in May thanks to finishing third in Redding, California. He earned $4,928 there and added a nice check from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to build momentum into the summer.

Hancock was the second-highest-earnings rookie June 9–11 after placing in a round and the average in Sisters, Oregon, and taking sixth in Woodward, Oklahoma, to pocket $3,629.

Hancock is now just $2,703 behind Enderli and is buddying with PRCA World Standings leader Riley Webb for Reno and the Fourth.

#4 Resistol Rookie: Brayden Roe

The first non-Texan in the standings, Roe has been steady, kicking things off with a silver finish at the Wilderness Circuit Finals Rodeo last fall and adding big money from the Tucson Rodeo to close out the winter.

The Tarleton State Rodeo team member capitalized on the opportunity given at the Rookie Roundup with a championship, picking up the $2,500 win in the sudden death finals.

Now back in Wendell, Idaho for the summer, Roe will be taking advantage of lucrative Wilderness Circuit rodeos close to home as he looks to close the gap on the leaders.

#5 Resistol Rookie: Chet Weitz

London, Texas, cowboy Chet Weitz is still hanging inside the top five despite not roping since the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo in February. Weitz, who was the leading rookie in the all around category until he was just recently passed by Hancock, dislocated his shoulder just prior to San Antonio.

Despite doing considerable damage, Weitz continued to compete, winning a go round in the Alamo City and advancing to the semi-finals.

“I had surgery on Friday, March 2,” Weitz said. Doctors placed six anchors to hold the repaired structures in place. “On the following Tuesday I started therapy.”

After three months of intensive work, Weitz has been back roping for just under three weeks though he hasn’t attempted one off a horse just yet.

“I’m glad to finally be back roping,” Weitz said. “I’m a pretty active guy so it’s been hard to sit down.”

Despite the missed time, Weitz is just about $11,000 behind in the tie down roping race and only $1,700 behind for the all around for rookies.

“Reno will be my first rodeo back,” Weitz said. “I’ll team rope for sure and if it feels good enough, I’ll tie down as well. If not, I’ll wait until Prescott [Fourth of July, for tie down].”

Weitz will head for Cutter Thomison, another rookie. Both cowboys are inside the top five rookies in the team roping as well.

“I’m excited to go again,” he said. “Especially those rodeos, I like big, long scores and two headers.”

Ones to watch For

A pair of Canadian ropers made noise with a busy rodeo weekend North of the border June 9–11. Austin Hines won his hometown rodeo in Marwayne, Alberta, and picked up a check in Brooks to be the high money winner for rookies on the weekend with $4,553. He now sits No. 11 in the Rookie standings.

Fellow Canadian Cooper Resch also picked up a pair of checks to earn $2,309 and move to No. 18.

Drewsey, Oregon, cowboy Chase Joyce also took advantage of being back home, taking a round win in Sisters. Now ranked No. 20, Joyce will be rodeoing from home in the coming months with a great chance to close the gap on the leaders.

Top 10 Resistol Rookie Standings as of June 10, 2023