Dylan Hancock claimed his first career NFR round win in Round 7 of the 2024 National Finals Rodeo, stopping the clock with the fastest time of the week at 6.7 seconds and earning $33,687 for the effort.

The 20-year-old NFR rookie from San Angelo, Texas, had already shown consistency in his NFR debut, placing in Rounds 1, 3, and 5 for a total of $34,501 in earnings before his Round 7 victory.

“My first round win, it’s awesome,” Hancock said. “I’ve been battling just making a couple decent runs, but tonight we finally got it tapped off.”

The Run

Hancock drew calf No. 10, the same calf Ty Harris ran in Round 4 to finish sixth with an 8.7-second time.

“I knew the calf left sharp,” Hancock said. “I knew if I would get the start and keep her on her feet that I had a good shot. The last two guys that ran her were kind of late and she had a lot of momentum and they kind of jerked herself down. I told myself to get the start, get it around the neck and try her on.”

First Timer

While this is his first trip to the Thomas & Mack, Hancock carried himself like a seasoned veteran. Coming into the Finals, he focused on staying grounded and executing solid runs.

“I told myself coming into the Finals that if I had a good enough calves to try to get some money in the go rounds, but if not, to just make my runs,” Hancock said. “I mainly just try not to beat myself up and just do what I do.”

Although nerves crept in after Round 1, Hancock kept his composure.

“The first time I backed in the box, I was pumped up and ready,” Hancock said. “But I’m not going to lie, I was nervous the second round. I’m not real sure why, but I think the first round I was just pumped up and ready to go, and the second round I thought, ‘Holy cow, I have to do it again.’ But yeah, this is so awesome.”

Hancock’s preparation for the Finals reflected his mature mindset.

“I started practicing early,” Hancock said. “I was just running a lot of calves, but I thought to myself, ‘I might need to slow down a little bit.’ So I started riding a couple better horses and just slowing things down. I wanted to make sure I had everything right instead of just running and roping calves.”

The Famous Earl

Hancock has relied on his gelding, Major A 2009, aka Earl, for every run during the Finals so far. Earl, who placed third in the AQHA Horse of the Year race, has been a constant in all arena setups.

“Earl came from a buddy of mine that I went to school with, Tyson Stracke from Nebraska,” Hancock said. “He had him over there at school and ended up wanting to sell him. I went and tried him and said, ‘I’ve got to have him.’ I ran three calves, and it’s been awesome ever since. He’s easy and flat. I’ve rode him literally all summer in every setup, so he’s pretty special for me.”

Best Friends and Competitors

Hancock isn’t navigating his first NFR experience alone. Two of his best friends, Riley Webb and first time NFR Qualifier, Cole Clemons, are also competing this year, making the Finals even more special.

“It’s awesome being here with them,” Hancock said. “We’re having a blast. We feed off of each other and it’s fun. Riley and Cole, we’ve rodeoed all summer together. We have the time of our lives together and it’s awesome.”

The odds are pretty good that you’ll catch the three young guns hanging out and celebrating Hancock’s win tonight.

“I don’t know what we will do to celebrate,” Hancock said. “We’re going to the South Point, but we’ll see what we get into tonight after that.”