Exactly 42 days remain in the 2024 ProRodeo regular season, but if you think this thing is getting close to over, think again.

A deep and talented pool of ropers are making sure the race to the 2024 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) is heavy on drama and likely to come down to the final calves roped on September 30.

Hunter Herrin’s battling time and the bubble

“There’s basically four positions available [inside the top 15 to qualify for the NFR] and about 10-12, or maybe even 15 guys, who still have a chance at it,” Hunter Herrin said.

At 40 years young, Herrin has seen just about everything to see on ProRodeo’s long road in his 20 years in the PRCA. He’s roped in 13 NFR’s and was runner-up to the World Championship in 2008.

“All these years, I think I’ve had four times where it was a pure battle at the end,” Herrin admitted. “One of those years, I ended up 16th by a couple hundred dollars—2010 I think.”

Herrin is in the battle again in 2024, and while it’s frustrating, the veteran has enough rodeo—and world—experience to keep things in perspective.

“My dad and I were talking today and I told him, ‘I’m about over it,’” Herrin joked. “And he said, ‘if I’d told you on January 1st that you’d go three weeks in July and only win $3,000 and be in the position you are in, sitting 16th still with a chance to make the Finals, would you have taken that?’ I had to say yes.”

Resilience and grit are two great adjectives to describe Herrin. He missed three NFR’s while working through two hip surgeries but clawed his way back in 2020. Since then, he hasn’t missed a Finals.

Still, 2024 has been struggle, beginning with an injury to his number one horse, 12-year old Dinero early in January.

“He re-aggravated an injury at Fort Worth and I didn’t get to get back on him until the Sisters (OR) rodeo in June so that was what, 6 months? We missed a lot of good rodeos that would have really fit his style,” Herrin said. “The winter was OK, I rode a young horse and won some. But it just never really clicked the way it does with your good one. But we just battled through.”

Despite the difficulties, Herrin remained inside the top 20 and got a boost with Dinero’s return.

“I had a couple weeks there at the end of June; Reno was good and I won a bunch at Pecos and Springdale,” Herrin said. “But the Fourth was a struggle. I was picking up some checks but like 7th and 8th. Luckily, those big rodeos, those are still decent checks but I wasn’t getting any of those big licks that you need to get ya around.”

Herrin noted the lack of checks came at the hands of little errors and bad circumstances that turned money-winning runs into zip. A fall here, a calf getting up there, not drawing well. But, he chooses to see the glass half-full.

“July was real slow for us,” Herrin said. “Honestly, the way it’s been, I shouldn’t even be in the hunt for the Finals.”

Things have gotten better in August, after Herrin was able to spend some time at home in Apache, Oklahoma, following the Dodge City Round-Up.

Herrin picked up a critical victory at the Gooding (Idaho) Pro Rodeo on August 17 after tying one down in 7.5 seconds. The win was worth $5,076.

“We roped some good calves in Gooding, they were fresh on the first run but we had a re-run,” Herrin said. “The calf I had, they’d jerked down on the first one and been long, but they dang sure said she was one you had a chance to win on.”

Of the winning run in Gooding, Herrin said that he scored well and didn’t beat himself. After so many years on the road, Herrin says he believes that’s one of the keys to being successful.

“That’s the biggest battle out here is just staying out of your own way,” Herrin said. “Seventy percent of this deal is things humans can’t control. Whatever you call it, bad luck, bad draws, bottom line, it just didn’t work.”

And learn to let the bad runs go.

“I get over it a lot easier than I did when I was younger,” Herrin admitted with a laugh.

Along with the Gooding win, Herrin picked up a check in Baker to land No. 16 in the current standings, just about $2,100 behind No. 15. After so many years, Herrin knows the challenge he’s facing, not only as a guy on the bubble but also one who is roping against competitors so much younger than him.

“I’ve been in this spot where you need to win before and it’s tough,” Herrin said. “You need that morale boost and for me, to know you can still compete with these guys.”

That may be the challenge that helps him continue to saddle up every day, despite the roadblocks along the way.

“I told my friend Trent Walls the other day that I feel like I’m roping better now than I have in a lot of seasons in the past but there have just been things that throw it off,” Herrin said.

With crunch time now completely here, Herrin is looking at about 15 or so rodeos left on his schedule.

“There are a lot of good rodeos left and they’re all big money,” Herrin said. “A guy just needs to stack a few good runs together.”

The NFR Playoff Series could come into play as Herrin is No. 11 in those standings thanks to the win in Gooding. The top 8 advance all the way to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Governor’s Cup on the final weekend of the season.

Hunter Herrin’s extra priorities

But unlike most of his competitors—many of them half his age—Herrin also has other priorities pulling at his heart and attention.

“My son is a senior and plays football,” Herrin noted. “That’s weighing on me more than the actual battle . . . last year, I went home in September and just rodeoed around the house and figured, if I make it, I make it.”

That worked out for Herrin’s 13th NFR, but he is playing more catch-up this season and could need the opportunities available in September, particularly the Governor’s Cup which conflicts with one of his son’s football games.

“It becomes, ‘what are you willing to miss?’ He turns 18 in October, so there’s not many more chances to watch him and be there for him,” Herrin said.

And while a 14th NFR would be huge, and greatly appreciated for the place he’s is in his life, roping in Vegas may not be the most important thing for him. He has yet to make a final decision, but noted that his priorities are different than some of his younger peers.

Bubble status: six weeks to go

Cole Clemons continued a brilliant rookie season with a big win in Moses Lake, Washington over the weekend. Clemons went 7.5 seconds to put another $5,252 towards his first NFR qualification and the Rookie of the Year title. Clemons is currently 12th in the standings.

Louisiana roper Macon Murphy is refusing to go away as he seeks to return to the NFR after first qualifying in 2022. Murphy banked $10,571 last weekend highlighted by two No. 3 finishes in Baker and Burley to move up two spots to No. 18. He trails 15th by less than $2,400.

As the chances begin to diminish, the current mark for No. 15 is Quade Hiatt’s $79,612. Marcos Costa is just about $600 ahead of Hiatt, with Zack Jongbloed another $2,400 ahead of that.

Showing just how tough this field of ropers has been, only $10,000 separates No. 13 ranked Jongbloed and No. 21 ranked Brushton Minton after ten and a half months of rodeo season.

Dueling in Caldwell

The Caldwell Night Rodeo celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024 with its usual raucous crowds and terrific competition. The calf roping was a shootout between two of ProRodeo’s hottest ropers at the moment—Jongbloed and Kincade Henry.

Henry has been firmly nestled inside the top 10 since the Fourth of July while Jongbloed has been on an upward trajectory after stacking up several big weeks worth of wins.

After going into the finals tied for the lead, Jongbloed was able to snag the win, roping three calves in 25.1 seconds.

Jongbloed won a much needed $9,170 in Caldwell while Henry banked $8,083. Thanks to other checks from Gooding and Moses Lake, Jongbloed is now 13th in the standings; after starting the week 22nd in the NFR Playoff Series standings, Jongbloed moved up to 15th and should be closer to locking up a spot in the CINCH Playoff Series in Puyallup as well.

Henry earned nearly $13,000 for the week and sits ninth.

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Weekend roundup

Just Shad Mayfield doing Mayfield kinda things. Like setting a new arena record, this time in Burley, Idaho at the Cassia County Fair & Rodeo. Mayfield’s 7-flat is the new mark and was worth $5,034.

Mayfield continues to lead the standings both in the calf roping and the all-around, though Ty Harris has cut what was once a huge lead down to just $8,000 thanks to big checks in Canby and Moses Lake.

Likewise, Haven Meged continued his torrid summer run with another five figure weekend highlighted by a victory at the Canby Rodeo. Meged collected the All Around as well as the tie down win thanks to his 17.0 on two calves. He also picked up checks in Billings, Kalispell, Gooding, Baker and Caldwell to run his weekend haul to $17,449.

This year has been a little different for Cory Solomon, but the 10-time NFR qualifier proved he’s not going away just yet with a big win in Baker, Montana at the Fallon County Fair & Rodeo. Solomon banked $6,627 for his 7.2 second run. Solomon added some cash from Burley and is now No. 29 in the standings.

What’s next

On the inside of the bubble but not safe are ropers including; Garrett Jacobs, Pecos Tatum, Cash Hooper, Chet Weitz and Blane Cox, all who are in the same position as Solomon and Pratt and needing to keep their opportunities open.

Outside of the NFR Playoff Series rodeos—which include Tremonton, Kennewick and Bremerton—there are big money payouts available in Pueblo, Colorado, Ramona and Norco, California and Rapid City, South Dakota happening this week.

PRCA World Standings as of August 19, 2024