After five long years without a round win at the NFR, Ty Harris backed into the box at the Thomas & Mack Center for Round 3 of the 2024 NFR with something to prove—and by the end of the night, he not only shattered that streak but also set a personal record.
Sitting fourth in the world standings heading into the round, Harris delivered a blazing 6.9-second run to clinch the win and $33,867. The victory bumped him to No. 3 in the world standings with $262,860 in season earnings, passing Haven Meged.
“It felt good to just make that run with those types of ropers and those calves,” Harris said. “I didn’t know if I was going to win first. I knew I’d made a good run, and I was plenty satisfied with that, but it sure is good to get that victory lap.”
That lap around the arena was Harris’s first since Round 6 of the 2019 NFR. Even more satisfying was tying his calf in 6.9 seconds—his first sub-7-second run in the Thomas & Mack.
“I blew the barrier back and had a great start, which every successful run here usually starts with,” Harris said. “When I roped him, the slack got under the back right leg. I didn’t know if it was going to come out, so it very easily could have been a 10-second run. It popped out, and I had to wait on the calf to get up, flanked her, and just made sure I didn’t mess up after that. I strung her, put a wrap and a hooey on her, and looked up to see the clock stop at 6.9.”
A New Approach to NFR Prep
Harris, now 26, has been a staple at the NFR since his first qualification in 2019. Over the years, he’s refined his preparation, balancing physical readiness with the mental focus needed for rodeo’s biggest stage.
“This year, I tried to get my body more ready,” Harris said. “A lot of times, I’d be running too many calves and get sore before the Finals. This year, I focused on peaking at the right time. You have to practice, but not so much that you risk injuries. I wanted to be really ready this year.”
The Famous Peso
Harris started the Finals on Cuchara Sal (“Sally”), the mare he rode most of the season. After Round 1, he switched to Daddys Shiner Cat (“Peso”), owned by Logan Bird, the same horse his brother Joel Harris is also riding.
“This is my third-year riding Peso, and it’s my first check on him, so that’s awesome,” Harris said. “I told my brother; the horse has never made a mistake—he’s never done anything to mess me up. I just hadn’t won on him yet, so I started with something else. But after seeing how good Peso was, I decided to give it a try. Never winning a check on him was all me; he’s always given me a chance to win.”
Peso, a seasoned mount, has now competed in four consecutive NFRs with six different riders.
“He’s just so easy,” Harris said. “He stands there like a rock, runs as hard as he can, and doesn’t cheat you. He’s consistent, doesn’t drag too much, doesn’t step left—he just gives you a shot every time. That’s exactly what you need here.”
Celebrating the Win
After the win, Harris said his biggest celebration would be spending time with his family at the South Point Hotel and Casino to accept the go-round buckle.
“I don’t know what I’ll do to celebrate,” Harris said. “I’m just going to hang out with my family and know I didn’t let ’em down this time. No, I’m joking—they’ve always been proud of me and supported me through thick and thin. It’s going to be pretty special to celebrate with them in that tunnel.”
