Derrick Begay and Brady Minor
Round 4: 4.4+
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $42,657.62
World Standings Earnings: $113,550.82; $104,536.07
Average: 18.3/3; 4th
World Standings: 6/10
Koch’s take: Derrick Begay is sticking on that horse. Both of those guys are veterans. Just because Brady got a leg doesn’t mean they’ll be pressing. They’ll trust the process and keep doing the same thing over and over again. Begay is really in sync with that horse. He’s been heading really good on her and handling the steers really good. Brady is on one of the best heel horses of all time, and he makes it easy for him. They’ll win a lot of money this week.
Rhen Richard and Jeremy Buhler
Round 4: 4.2
Round Winnings: $26,996.97 each
Total NFR Earnings: $36,996.97
World Standings Earnings: $108,541.73; $107,508.65
Average: 31.0/3; 6
World Standings: 8
Koch’s take: This head horse fits Rhen really good. He runs hard to the spot and he’s free and lets Rhen rope the horns sharp like he likes to. Buhler’s heel horse came from Buck Campbell and fits Jeremy like a glove. Buhler will be waiting on the steers a lot and can have his way with the steers. They’ll be hard to deal with every night because they’ll make good runs every night.
Clint Summers and Ross Ashford
Round 4: 4.2+5+30
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $10,000
World Standings Earnings: $84,482.63; $81,822.41
Average: 44.9/2;13
World Standings: 13/15
Koch’s take: Clint missed the barrier a little ways and had to go a little farther down the arena. Ross was trying to make up time and threw aggressive. Clint knows that horse is big and fast, so he isn’t trying to break the barrier, but when you miss the barrier in here it gets hard. Throughout the week they’ll get in a groove and they both rope good enough that they’ll win some money.
Brenten Hall and Chase Tryan
Round 4: 0
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $10,000
World Standings Earnings: $83,505.74; $84,775.92
Average: 15.5/2; 11
World Standings: 15/13
Koch’s take: Brenten missed the barrier a little bit right there not bad but enough to not have as easy a throw as he wanted. Brenten is one of the best headers in that building, and he’ll turn a lot of steers the rest of the week. Chase is a veteran now, so when he gets an opportunity to win money, they’ll win a lot.
Tyler Wade and Trey Yates
Round 4: 4.2+5
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $36,996.97
World Standings Earnings: $126,034.50; $121,178.83
Average: 13.2/2; 8
World Standings: 5
Koch’s take: TWade sticks here. He’s an animal. He’s not going to back off. Tyler has so much coverage and range with his loop, and he’s comfortable heading in this building because of that. Tyler can go with the flow, do what feels good, go when he wants, and turn a lot of steers. Trey just got too far away from that steer got to the inside and had to pull off. That steer got away from him and he couldn’t cover the feet as well with his loop. He won’t let that happen again.
Clay Tryan and Jake Long
Round 4: 0
Round Winnings: 0
Total NFR Earnings: $10,000
World Standings Earnings: $113,394.46 (Tryan); $114,369.98 (Long)
Average: 4.40/1; 14
World Standings: 7; 6
Koch’s take: That steer was strong, and it looks like he went out in the average on the first night and he’s trying to be aggressive. It’s so had to rope there when you’re pressing.
Cody Snow and Wesley Thorp
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $10,000
World Standings Earnings: $89,676.58 (Snow); $112,036.91 (Thorp)
Average: 15/2; 10
World Standings: 11; 7
Koch’s take: Cody gets a good go at this steer and he’s wanting to win something. He knows he needs to start winning some money, and he pushed his loop and split the horns. Normally he’d have been smoother coming out of his swing into his delivery and covered the horns. But he’s riding one of the best head horses of all times, and she’s going to keep giving him that go. If you give Cody that go every time, he’ll win a lot.
Clay Smith and Jade Corkill
Round 4: 4.3
Round Winnings: $21,336.32
Total NFR Earnings: $53,108.07
World Standings Earnings: $163,678.27
Average: 13.5/3; 2
World Standings: 1; 2
Koch’s take: They’re doing such a great job. Boogie is working so good in this building, and Jade’s doing a great job staying in the mind frame he needs. They’re in a groove and it feels good to them. They’re not fighting anything. They just need to keep going.
Erich Rogers and Paden Bray
Round 4: 4.0 +5
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $31,336.32
World Standings Earnings: $153,353.45 (Rogers); $148,273.23 (Bray)
Average: 23.2/3; 5
World Standings: 4; 3
Koch’s take:This steer was not at all easy to heel. Rogers did a good job getting it on the steer, and Paden gets to where he wants to get to. When Erich turned him, that steer hung on the rope and jumped straight up in the air. It gave him a weird hop. Paden did a good job getting a leg.
Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira
Round 4: 4.9
Round Winnings: $6,966.96
Total NFR Earnings: $37,432.41
World Standings Earnings: $156,762.81 (Driggers); $171,147.91 (Nogueira)
Average: 14.1/3
World Standings: 3; 1
Koch’s take: They did a good job on a defensive run to stay in the hunt. Kaleb had to pull at the line, and he kept his swing smooth and was ready to throw when he was done pulling. He didn’t do anything funky with his loop. And Junior, when Kaleb misses the barrier a little bit and has to pull, Junior goes straight catch mode to finish the run. He gets to a good spot, gets the steer out in front of him, and does a good job.
Dustin Egusquiza and Travis Graves
Round 4: NT
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $10,000
World Standings Earnings: $157,515.78 (Egusquiza); $136,869.12 (Graves)
Average: —
World Standings: 2; 4
Koch’s take: Egusquiza swapped horses, and he did a good job of getting it on him really fast. He missed his dally, which gave TG a hard look. The steer was real round and swinging. It’s hard to get it around the right leg when they’re swinging like that. But Chip is so great, and Dustin will do his thing and they’ll win a lot.
Quinn Kesler and Joseph Harrison
Round 4: 7.6 +5
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $21,321.31
World Standings Earnings: $83,724.53 (Kesler); $83,009.76 (Harrison)
Average: 17.4/2; 12
World Standings: 14
Koch’s take: Quinn gets a neck right there, which is fine. His rope runs a little bit, which makes that steer really long and wild down the arena. Joseph gets trapped on the inside and has to take some extra swings. He couldn’t get to where he needed to be to catch the steer. That steer was big, and if his rope doesn’t slide they’d have been OK.
Coy Rahlmann and Douglas Rich
Round 4: 4.8
Round Winnings: $11,321.31
Total NFR Earnings: $21,321.31
World Standings Earnings: $85,247.28 (Rahlmann); $85,170.51 (Rich)
Average: 14.7/2; 9
World Standings: 12
Koch’s take: Coy missed the barrier and reached and did a good job handling the steer. That’s a good horse Douglas is on—Paul Eaves’ mare. Doug made sure he got to a good spot and gave himself an easy shot and got the steer above the hips for a good, fast finish.
Andrew Ward and Buddy Hawkins II
Round 4: 4.6
Round Winnings: $16,111.10
Total NFR Earnings: $35,255.23
World Standings Earnings: $104,096.92
Average: 14.6/3; 3
World Standings: 9; 11
Koch’s take:This is them doing their every day run. They’re doing what they always do. Andrew is getting out the barrier and turning every steer. They’re not letting a steer take them out. Buddy is being very disciplined, choosing his shot good, holding his slack good. They’re just doing the same thing over and over. If they draw good, they’ll win something good in the rounds.
Coleman Proctor and Logan Medlin
Round 4: 3.8 +5
Round Winnings: —
Total NFR Earnings: $35,690.67
World Standings Earnings: $98,445.80 (Proctor); $105,025.68 (Medlin)
Average: 13/2; 7
World Standings: 10; 9
Koch’s take: Coleman spun this one. Coleman did a great job, but that steer got legal fast and Logan got hung on the outside of him. When that steer went away from him, there was a lot of separation. He got hung up around that steer too much. I think when that steer squared so fast, Logan didn’t have enough time to get his loop through.
