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Ty Wallace is back in Las Vegas and ready to ride as many bulls as he can in 10 days. The National Finals Rodeo begins Thursday night and the Collbran bull rider is in contention for the world championship. After missing last year's NFR with a groin injury, Wallace had an outstanding season, finishing with $157,076 to put him in third place in the standings. Wallace's 2017 season got off to a big start when he won the San Antonio Xtreme Bulls competition. He went on to win seven different events on the season, including the Snake River Stampede and Cody Stampede. To win the world title, Wallace, 23, will have his work cut out for him in the 10 rounds of the NFR. Defending world champ Sage Kimzey goes into the NFR with $237,152 in prize money. The 23-year-old Oklahoma bull rider won 15 events this year.Garrett Smith out of Idaho is in second place at $204,239. The top 15 bull riders in prize money for the season qualify for the NFR, which is 10 rounds in 10 days. This will be Wallace's third trip to what is considered the world series of bull riding and rodeo. In 2015, he won round 7 and placed in two other rounds to finish eighth in the world standings. In his NFR debut in 2014, Wallace had one second-place finish and ended the season in 12th pace. This year's earnings are already the best in Wallace's career. He finished with more than $155,000 in 2015. Wallace looked like he was headed for the NFR last year until the injury. He finished in 20th place with more than $57,000. This will be the fifth straight year a Mesa County bull rider will compete at the NFR. Last year Fruita's Tyler Smith won a round and finished 10th overall. He was injured in the final round last year and did not compete this season. Smith also won a round at the NFR in 2014. The NFR will be televised on the CBS Sports Network starting at 8 p.m. each night. Bull riding is the final event each night.The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo kicks off on Dec. 7 and ends Dec. 16. The top 15 contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing and bull riding will be competing at the Thomas & Mack Center for $10 million in prize money. In 2016, more than 168,000 people attended the rodeo over 10 days. In addition to the rodeo, rodeo fans are able to attend special concerts and events and enjoy a variety fo deals during the rodeo. The Plaza is hosting downtown Las Vegas' first and only practice arena and stalls presented by Heel-O-Matic. Team roping practice will be held daily Dec. 4-16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with grade A and B live steers or Heel-O-Matic's Ultimate Ground Driven Trainer available for use. The Plaza will also offer live NFR viewing parties, free shuttle service and numerous drink and food specials during the 10-day event. South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa celebrates the beginning of the 2017 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) with a star-studded rodeo gold carpet "Road to the Gold Buckle" during the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's (PRCA) welcome reception. Fans will have the opportunity to witness their favorite WNFR competitors walk the gold carpet, dressed to impress, before entering the private welcome reception. Notable attendees include Sage Kimzey, ranked No. 1 Bull Rider in earnings; Lisa Lockhart, fan favorite barrel racer and last year's NFR Average winner; Trevor Brazille and brother-in-law Tuf Cooper return to the NFR as number 1 and 2 in PRCA World Standings for the All-Around race. The gold carpet will begin at 5 p.m.

Cowboy Christmas at the Las Vegas Convention Center is a one-of-a-kind western gift show featuring some of the top cowboy and country western vendors in the country. There are 400 exhibitors total, selling everything from clothes, original art and official Wrangler NFR and PRCA merchandise. There is also live entertainment. Rodeo Way, one of the six main interactive elements of Cowboy Christmas, will also feature unique exhibits that highlight the best of rodeo. Exhibitors include Bullfighters Only, Calgary Stampede, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Days of '47, Indian National Finals Rodeo, Pendleton Round-Up, RODEOHOUSTON and San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Admittance is free. South Point Arena at the South Point hotel-casino welcomes the return of the Benny Binion Bucking Horse and Bull Sale, one of the premier events during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR), on Thursday, Dec. 7. The United Bucking Horse Association (UBHA) Futurity Finals & Sale will feature the top 36 bucking horses in North America competing in their year-end finals event. All colts entered in the UBHA Finals Event will be sold immediately after they are bucked. Following the event will be the "PRCA Permit Holder of the Year Challenge & Bucking Stock Sale" at 12 p.m. where the top five PRCA Permit Holders in all PRCA rodeo events will compete in a two-round showdown. During the event Permit Holders will be bucking the sale stock and will conclude with the sale of Barebacks, Saddle Broncs and 24 Bulls.Since 1985, the National Finals Rodeo has been held in Las Vegas, Nev. For 12 days in December at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus, cowboys and cowgirls fill the casino hotels and stroll up and down the Las Vegas Strip as country comes to town in a big way. More than just a nightly rodeo, the NFR experience includes world-class shopping, a fashion show, equine educational exhibitions, and other competitive equine events. With so much going on, how do you decide what to attend, and how to get around town? Read on to find out.Whether driving in or flying, there are options to get to Las Vegas without breaking your piggy bank. Book early to find a cheap flight, with many airlines offering a package including flight, hotel and rental car. Consider whether a rental car or using a shuttle service is most affordable. Are you staying in town for all your sightseeing? Use the monorail, taxis, Uber, Lyft, or just pack comfy walking shoes to save money. But if you want to visit the Hoover Dam, springing for a rental is worth the cash. Once your travel plans are set, it's time to sort out your itinerary. The big event is, of course, the National Finals Rodeo. The top 15 competitors in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's event standings for bareback bronc riding, barrel racing, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping and tie-down roping come to Vegas for their shot at a world title and prize money. The 2017 rodeo kicks off December 7 and wraps up with the final round on December 16. Tickets are notoriously hard to land and pricey, but even if you don't have a ticket to the rodeo performance, you can still rub elbows with the world's top cowboys and cowgirls as they receive their performance awards at South Point Hotel & Casino, where a Gold Buckle Ceremony will kick off the party nightly.What began in 1986 as a venture to occupy rodeo fans during the daytime hours has now become a multi-million-dollar endeavor at the Las Vegas Convention Center and sees more than 200,000 people enter to shop. Anne Aznarez, Cowboy Christmas show manager, says many people plan their Christmas vacation and shopping around the event.
"People from all over have an opportunity to do their western lifestyle shopping under one roof," says Aznarez. "Guests will visit our show specifically and maybe not even attend the rodeo performances. That is pretty special!"Cowboy Christmas not only boasts shopping for equine and livestock supplies, clothing, jewelry and home décor, it also hosts the Wrangler Rodeo Arena and the RodeoHouston Live Stage. The arena is home to the Junior NFR, and the stage serves as the set for multiple media shows, and will host church services on Sunday. Cowboy Christmas and Cowboy Christmas TOO are both open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Anxiety is building and the clock's ticking on the start of this year's National Finals Rodeo Thursday in in Las Vegas. It's the world's most prestigious and highest paying rodeo. To qualify, contestants must finish the year Top 15 in the PRCA world money standings for their respective events. Every qualifier is paid $10,000 as, sort of a, Welcome to Vegas bonus.Truth is, that's nothing compared to the pay for winning a single performance. That's $26,230.77. And to think they let it ride over and over through 10 sell-out nights. That's a lot of bank. What most contestants are really chasing is a world title. Helena's Ty Erickson has it in his cross hairs. He's never won it all. A lot of people thought last year would be his, but everything that could go wrong pretty much did for him inside the arena. To this point in 2017, Erickson looks a lot more driven. He enters steer wrestling ranked number one in the world, a position he's held most of the season, now with a lead of over $45,000. Also back representing Montana is three-time world champion Clay Tryan in team roping. He sat out last year competing on another tour. Tryan rides back in to the NFR with zero pressure. He's 9th in the world, but well within striking distance of his fourth title. Fellow Montanan Dustin Bird returns after coming oh so close to winning it all last year. The Cut Bank cowboy at the moment is 12th in the world.
Wyoming's JR Vezain knows a thing or two about this party. He's a five-time qualifier and now feeling healthy. Vezain sits fourth in the world bareback standings with over $113,000. We'll be following a newcomer in this year's saddle bronc. Keep an eye on Brody Cress from Hillsdale, Wyoming. It's about 20 miles east of Cheyenne. Cress is sixth in the saddle bronc with over $105,000. If he catches fire, he could in it all in his first ever trip. In barrel racing, Circle native Lisa Lockhart is back, sauntering in with almost $100,000. Sitting 9th in the world, she's not really a threat to win her first world title, but that just means she can ride fast and loose trying to bank all the nightly money she can. The NFR opens Thursday in Las Vegas. You can watch every round on CBS Sports Network. Scott will be down there for *local coverage* - of your final four nights. Mr. Lucky's Cafe will be serving a short rib scramble with wild mushrooms, caramelized onions and a side of potatoes and garlic toast ($15), a wedge salad with smoked bacon ($9), a barbecue pulled pork grilled cheese ($14) and prime rib pot roast with bacon baked beans and creamed corn bread ($19). Pink Taco will be serving the Cowboy Special, a 14-ounce ghost pepper rubbed rib-eye stea served with chipotle-glazed shrimp ($30). Goose Island Pub will offer a special menu that features beer cheese dip ($8) and smoked brisket grilled cheese ($14). MB Steak will offer a "Bourbon Cowboy" flight with one ounce pours of Angel's Envy, Four Roses Singler Barrel and Old Forester ($29). Specialty cocktails including the Barrel Racer, made with Pendleton Whisky, Kahlua, cream and Coke ($12) will be available throughout the casino. CAESARS PALACE - Rodeo-themed cocktails will be available at Alto Bar, Spanish Steps and Cleopatra's Barge. Rodeo fans can watch a live feed of NFR events at Spanish Steps or dance to country music at Alto Bar and Cleopatra's Barge while sipping on cocktails such as the Gentleman Caller, made with Gentleman Jack. Searsucker will offer a "Whole Beast Feast" on Dec. 15-16, featuring roasted lager-brined hog and accompaniments for $42 a plate. GRAND BAZAAR SHOPS - Located just steps from Bally's Las Vegas, Redneck Riviera will feature food from Wahlburger's and live country entertainment. HARRAH'S LAS VEGAS - If a day at the rodeo calls for a steak dinner, Ruth's Chris Steak House has got the perfect combination. On Dec. 10, the restaurant will offer a steak and Jack Daniel's pairing. For even more whiskey fueled fun, Harrah's Piano Bar will be transformed into the Jack Daniel's Saloon with specialty cocktails, a live feed of NFR events and autograph signings. Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill will also feature NFR autograph signings along with drink specials, live country music and plenty of Southern cooking. FLAMINGO LAS VEGAS - The Flamingo features plenty of line dancing and whiskey sipping in honor of the NFR. At 5 O'Clock Somewhere Bar, rodeo fans can enjoy drink specials and a country DJ along with autograph signings. Garden Bar features a similar line-up, with a live feed of the rodeo, line dancing, drink specials and autograph signings. THE LINQ - TAG Bar will offer drink specials and autograph signings on Dec. 15 from 1 to 3 p.m. Rodeo-goers can keep the cowboy festivities going at Extra Lounge with drink tastings, specials and live entertainment. Heart Bar will also offer drink specials and a live feed of the NFR main events. For a little something to eat with all of that whiskey and beer, Planet Hollywood's Race & Sportsbook will be serving wings, sliders and pizza. RIO - IBar offers drinks specials and Miller/Coors rider autograph signings on Dec. 9 from 10 p.m. until midnight.
For those who need to fuel up before the rodeo, Cabo Wabo Cantina will serve steak and eggs made with marinated sirloin ($14.95), eggs Benedict with chorizo and pepper-jack cheese ($13.95) and bottomless mimosas and Bellinis ($24.99). Throughout the day, diners can order specialty shots, margaritas and buckets of beer while enjoying live music. SLS LAS VEGAS - Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres will offer a 10-course steak-centered meal featuring beef tartare and Chateaubriand tenderloin with Perigord sauce ($125 per person). Northside Cafe & Chinese Kitchen will serve a surf and turf dinner that pairs a 16-ounce bone-in rib-eye steak with sautéed shrimp. [EaterWire]
WESTSIDE - The fittingly named "Babes 'n' Bulls" event at Crazy Horse 3 features a live feed of rodeo events, plus $3 Jack Fire shots and free entry for customers with NFR passes. COSMOPOLITAN OF LAS VEGAS - Head mixologist Mariena Mercer has crafted four specialty cocktails for the NFR. From the classic Acting Single, Drinking Double cocktail, which features Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Whisky, ginger beer, ginger syrup and lime to the Southern Gentleman, made with Gentleman Jack, Amaro Meletti and ancho chai-masala syrup, these whiskey cocktails are the perfect thing to sip on while watching the Boots on the Boulevard concert series. MIRAGE - For the duration of the NFR, the Mirage will offer drink specials, entertainment and a free live stream of events at the Race & Sports Book and Parlor Lounge. Gilley's Saloon will be getting rodeo fans into a cowboy state of mind with live country music and drink specials including The Rusty Spur, made with Crown Royal Whiskey, orange juice and mint ($8) and the Texas Two Step Margarita made with Don Julio, St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur and Sierra Mist ($8). These and other speciality drinks are also available at Breeze Bar.THE ORLEANS - In honor of the Cinch Boyd Gaming Chute-Out, the Orleans will feature the Chute-Out Double B Burger. Created by executive chef Gil Morales, this 4-ounce burger is served on a pretzel bun and topped with bacon onion jam, fried onion strings, cheddar cheese, bourbon barbecue burnt ends and hickory aioli. Delmonico Steakhouse will serve a special Whole Pig Dinner Menu on Dec. 8-9. The menu includes pastrami with charred Brussels sprouts ($16), pork blade steak with garlic chips and crackling gravy ($38) ad country pate with glazed beets and lola rosa lettuces ($18). Seasonal cocktails made with W.L. Weller single select barrel bourbon will also be available. Kaleb Norstrom and his brother Will have been competing in rodeo their entire lives. Now they'll be competing on one of the biggest stages in the sport: the Junior National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas."Ever since I was a little kid dreaming about it, and now I'm living it, so it's pretty great," said a smiling Kaleb."I've been working hard at it, been training and getting ready for it," he added. "It's going to be a big ordeal, and it's going to be a lot of fun."I just try and keep it off my mind and when I'm riding you don't think about much, just muscle memory that you learn," Will said. "You just put it together."The brothers will be trying to take home buckles in the mini-bareback. It's a rough passion to have, but one that's worth it to both brothers."Just the adrenalin rush. I mean, it's got to be in your heart," said Kaleb. "I mean, it's not something you can just wake up and decide to do. It's got to be in your heart and you got to love it, and I love what I do."It gives you the butterflies," Will said. "It's something, a 100-pound kid going against a 1,000-pound horse."
When it's put like that, Kaleb and Will's dream can be a scary one to their mom, Lisa Solomon, but one she fully supports."I know that they love it so much that it doesn't make me as nervous, and I kind of grew up around it and have seen some good injuries," said Solomon. "But I just pray that they are watched over each time, and they're doing what they love, so I guess you get used to it."(They're) living their dream," Solomon added. "They're motivating and encouraging to all of us, because it's been a dream of theirs and they've been chasing it and they've worked hard for it. It's not just something that they were like, 'Oh, we want to do it.' They work hard, so it's just neat to see them chase their dream."The guys are looking for donations to help cover entry fees and things associated with the competition.The most glamorous and lucrative portion of the rodeo season has officially arrived now that the calendar has turned to December. For the world's best cowboys and cowgirls, the next two weeks can make or break their 2017 campaigns, as Wrangler National Finals Rodeo awaits. But, of course, NFR isn't the only show in town: the CINCH Boyd Gaming Chute-Out, December 7-9 in Las Vegas, will stream live on FloRodeo featuring several legends of the sport. Former world champions and multiple defending champs will saddle up to fight for their portion of the $200,000 prize purse. And we'll be live all three days so you won't have to miss a second of the action. Here's a look at the top cowboys and cowgirls to watch.Eight-time world champion Fred Whitfield is a rodeo legend, and even at the age of 50 he's among the world's best tie-down ropers. Whitfield is the defending Chute-Out champion in the calf roping, and the crowd is sure to be on the edge on their seats for each of his runs.The owner of four WPRA world barrel racing titles, Sherry Cervi may have some extra motivation entering this year's Chute-Out: the Marana, Arizona, native finished a mere $1,931 short of qualifying for 2017 NFR. Cervi is the first WPRA athlete to cross $3 million in career earnings, and she has an astounding 19 National Finals Rodeo qualifications to her credit. As legendary as they come in rodeo, Cervi has appeared less frequently in recent years, so an opportunity to watch barrel racing's best will be a real treat for the Las Vegas crowd.The 31-year-old Harris is a four-time bull riding world champion and nine-time NFR qualifier, but he'll have his hands quite full with 2011 world champion Shane Proctor as well as Brady Portenier and Tristan Mize. Proctor won the average at NFR last year to finish third in the world standings, and missed qualifying for the rodeo finale for the first time since 2014. Portenier and Mize were 16th at 17th in the PRCA standings in 2017, respectively, and also just barely miss out on NFR qualification. With this level of competition, the bull riding event should be one of the most entertaining Chute-Out shows.Wade Sundell is one of the more colorful characters on the rodeo circuit, and fans can always expect a wild show from the the 32-year-old Iowan. Sundell, a seven-time NFR qualifier, made some serious noise back in early 2016 when he won a cool $1 million prize at the RFD-TV The American rodeo. He wasn't close to NFR qualification this season, but Sundell has more career earnings that any other Chute-Out saddle bronc rider. Still, this event is jam-packed with talent - four men who finished inside the PRCA top 20 will be in Vegas, including 10-time NFR qualifier Bradley Harter and defending champion Core Scheer.Three men that have made themselves millionaires in their bareback riding careers will match up at the Chute-Out: Jessy Davis, Kaycee Feild, and Steven Peebles have 22 NFR qualifications and five world titles between them. Of course, those three won't be the only contenders in the three day event, as both Justin Miller and Evan Jayne finished above that trio in the PRCA standings in 2017. This one should be a dandy. When you think about rodeo, you probably think Wyoming, Montana, Colorado or Texas. But this December, at the National Finals in Las Vegas, there's a Minnesotan with a real chance to win it all.
"This is my spur board. This is basically where you work on your fundamentals and your muscle memory and things like that," Tanner Aus said.If you think the life of a rodeo cowboy is as glamorous as they make it seem in the country songs, you should hang out with Tanner Aus in his garage."It's mostly just a glorified sawhorse," Aus said. "I worked a little bit on getting the curvature of the neck, see this kind of resembles the horse's shoulders, then it thins out toward the neck."This is where the real work is done."A gentleman by the name of Link Weaver makes this particular bucking machine, and it's not like a mechanical bull you'd see in a bar, it's a little more specific to horse riding," Aus said.And it's here, in Aus' garage, that he's transformed himself into one of the top rodeo cowboys in the world, and perhaps one of the most unlikely."Some horses are really strong, and you wanna ride 'em a little bit closer," Aus said. "And some horses are really nice. Like, we call them hoppers. So you try to get a little more exposure. The more distance that you can create between your feet and the horse, the more points you can be."Aus is a bareback rider. While bullriding typically gets the headlines, bareback riding is actually the most dangerous, with the most injuries."I had hip surgery, I've had a knee surgery, a fractured wrist," Aus said. "A few concussions, which are probably the scariest thing as far as I'm concerned, but it's something about it that draws you back."Aus grew up near Granite Falls. His dad was a bareback rider, and when he retired in 1998, Tanner started the next year, at age 9. His first rodeo was in Benson, Minnesota.
"Got launched pretty far in the air, but I kind of fell in love with it right then," Aus said. He's now 27 and on the Professional Rodeo Circuit, where this past season, he finished #2 in the world in the regular season standings heading into the national finals in December.Not bad for the boy from Minnesota - not exactly a rodeo hotbed."It's less common for sure," Aus said. "And I've always said that there's a lot fewer cowboys and cowgirls from Minnesota but the ones we have are die-hard."He still lives in Minnesota - now just outside of Willmar - and is proud to represent his under-represented state. And training hard in his garage to give it his best shot at bringing this state a championship."It's a great sense of accomplishment to be going back to the national finals, but I have other goals in mind too, so I'm definitely gonna be swinging for the fence and hopefully shoot for that top spot," Aus said. This will be Tanner's third trip to the National Finals Rodeo. He was fifth two years ago, and sixth last year.
The event runs Dec. 7 through the Dec. 16 in Las Vegas.Superstar roper Trevor Brazile will enter this month's Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas with the lead in the world all-around title race after thriving at last month's National Finals Steer Roping in Mulvane, Kan.Though Brazile fell short in his attempt to clinch the 2017 world steer roping title in Mulvane, the 23-time world champion earned enough prize money to take the lead in the world all-around title race. Brazile, 41, an Amarillo native who lives in Decatur, finished second in the 2017 steer roping world race behind winner Scott Snedecor. But after pocketing $63,273 at NFSR, Brazile moved up to the No. 1 ranking in the PRCA's 2017 world all-around standings. After all that, Brazile will enter Las Vegas-based National Finals ranked No. 1 in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's world all-around race with $243,760. Tuf Cooper, a Childress native who lives in Weatherford, is ranked No. 2 with $230,022.I went to the steer roping finals (NFSR) trying to win as much money as possible with two goals in mind: trying to win a world (steer roping) championship and trying to get rid of that deficit in the (world) all-around race," Brazile said. "At least one of those two things happened."The 2017 National Finals begins Thursday, Dec. 7, and runs through Saturday, Dec. 16, at Las Vegas' Thomas & Mack Center. Both Brazile and Cooper have qualified for the Las Vegas championships in tie-down roping. Marcos Costa, a Brazilian who lives in Childress, has earned his third consecutive NFR berth in tie-down roping. He will enter the NFR ranked No. 4 in the world race with $121,902. Audy Reed of Spearman has earned his first NFR berth in saddle bronc riding. He's ranked No. 15 in the world race with $75,648. Kellie Collier of Hereford has earned her first NFR berth in barrel racing. She's ranked 13th in the Women's Professional Rodeo Association's world standings with $83,338. One of pro rodeo's top bulldogging horses will be missing in action at the 2017 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Landrys Cadillac (Cadillac), the 2016 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association/American Quarter Horse Association Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year, which is owned by Sterling Wallace, was injured during a practice run with Clayton Hass on Nov. 16, according to prorodeo.com.
Hass, a three-time National Finals qualifier from Weatherford, was preparing Cadillac for the WNFR by running steers on him when Cadillac had a bad step at Hass' practice pen. The fall pulled a piece of bone away from the tendon in Cadillac's back left leg and chipped part of it off into the joint, Hass said.
Cadillac is scheduled to go into surgery on Dec. 4 to remove the bone chip. From there, he'll begin the rehabilitation process and is anticipated to return to the arena for the summer run. The 19-year-old horse has been the primary mount for Hass, Tyler Waguespack and Ty Erickson this season. Hass narrowly missed qualifying for the 2017 National Finals, placing 17th, but he was helping the horse stay fresh for the Dec. 7-16 NFR. Waguespack advanced to the 2017 NFR after finishing fourth in the 2017 regular season steer wrestling world standings, and had planned on riding Cadillac at the WNFR again. Last year, Waguespack clinched the PRCA's steer wrestling title after Cadillac helped him earn $213,218 at the 2016 National Finals. With his first-choice mount out of commission, Waguespack is planning on riding the 2017 PRCA/AQHA Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year, Canted Plan (Scooter) at the WNFR. Erickson, who will enter the NFR ranked No. 1 in the PRCA's 2017 steer wrestling world title race, also had planned to ride Cadillac, according to Waguespack. Superstar rider Austin Shepard and a 6-year-old mare named Deluxe Checks clinched the National Cutting Horse Association's 2017 open division world title as the NCHA World Finals concluded Saturday (Dec. 2) at WR Watt Arena in Fort Worth. Shepard and Deluxe Checks earned $23,777 throughout the 2017 World Finals and broke the NCHA's open division annual earnings record as the result of earning $146,977 throughout 2017, according to sallyharrison.com. Shepard and Deluxe Checks broke the previous annual earnings record of $142,346 that was set in 2015 by then open world champion Special Nu Baby (ridden by Matt Gaines). In the non-pro division, April Widman of Weatherford clinched the world title after earning $122,375 in 2017. Throughout the year, she rode an 8-year-old gelding named Woodys Baby. Shepard also has qualified for the NCHA Futurity open semifinal aboard a 3-year-old stallion named Dual Reyish. The semifinal is Saturday, Dec. 9 at Fort Worth's Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum. During the Dec. 10 open final, the winner will receive $200,000.