The Montanans will compete in Round 8 of the 2024 NFR in Las Vegas

Erickson, the 2019 steer wrestling world champion from Helena, won the round with a time of 3.6 seconds for $33,687.

“Yes, my horse (Crush) did an excellent job tonight. He was there all week,” Erickson said in a PRCA news release. “When I nodded, he kind of turned his head to the right, I wasn’t sure if I was going to do that.” Get out of the barrier or not. Everything worked out and we got the W in the end.”

Erickson has now made it to the payout window three times in this NFR: He finished sixth in round two and tied for second in round four. Erickson moved up three places and is now ranked 10th in the world with $172,140.85. Erickson averages 12th.

“My week has been a little slow, but like I said, my horse is doing a great job,” Erickson was quoted as saying in Thursday’s PRCA news release. “I feel like I can bulldog well, I mean two rounds at the National Finals Rodeo can change a lot, man.”

Erickson is aiming for a strong finish in the final two rounds, the PRCA press release said.

“I’m just going to keep trying to get great starts and good runs and we’ll see what happens,” Erickson said in the PRCA release. “That’s ultimately all you can do here, just try to do your job at the end.”

One night after winning his second round at the NFR, steer wrestler Jesse Brown of Baker City, Oregon, failed to make a time and finished in 15th place. Brown, a former Montana State Cowboy, fell to fifth in the world rankings with $216,171.98. Brown averages 13th.

With a sixth place finish of 4.1 seconds and $5,433 in prize money, Dakota Eldridge of Elko, Nevada, continues to lead the world rankings with $264,434.26.

Scott Guenthner of Consort, Alberta, Canada, who has competed on the Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit in the past, finished second with a time of 3.9 seconds and received $20,285. Günthner moved up one place and is now in eighth place overall with $198,787.21. Günthner is in 14th place on average.

Tie-down roper Haven Meged of Miles City collected a check for the fourth straight performance with a sixth-place finish in 8.8 seconds and earned $5,433 in round eight.

Meged, the 2019 world champion and NFR average champion in 2023 and 2019, also finished second in round five, first in round six and second in round seven. He remained third in the world rankings with earnings of $323,676.99. He averages fourth place.

Marty Yates of Stephenville, Texas, and Ty Harris of San Angelo, Texas, won the round with a time of 7.3 seconds to win $30,155 each. Yates is now eighth in the world with $207,433.99 and Harris is fourth with $307,141.88.

World number one and defending champion Riley Webb of Denton, Texas, took fourth place with a time of 8.7 seconds and received $11,410.

Webb now has a profit of $380,129.26.

Weston Timberman of Columbus, competing in the NFR for the first time, scored another qualifying ride Thursday in the eighth round.

Timberman, the Resistol bareback rookie of the year who won his second straight collegiate rodeo title this year for Clarendon College (Texas), posted a score of 84.5 points aboard Hooey Rocks to finish sixth and earned $5,433.

Timberman entered the eighth round averaging third and finished the day fourth overall. He remains sixth in the world rankings with earnings of $237,450.85. According to TwisTedRodeo.com, Timberman is banged up and not quite at 100% yet.

“I got some pretty gnarly vambraces in the second round; It’s like shin splints in your forearm,” Timberman, 20, said in a press release from TwisTedRodeo.com. “It’s been a pretty serious thing for me the last few laps, but it’s just something you really have to fight through and deal with.

“At the end of the day you still have to ride a horse and that’s what we do.”

Stevensville bareback rider Richmond Champion finished eighth with a score of 82 on Girl Crush. Champion remained 14th in the bareback standings with $153,091.86. The champion averages eighth place.

Dean Thompson took the round win with an 88 for $33,687 and world number one Rocker Steiner finished second with an 87.5 for $26,624. Steiner, of Weatherford, Texas, has now earned $365,570.80. Thompson, of Altamont, Utah, is fourth with $293,672.11.

Lisa Lockhart, originally from Circle and now living in Oelrichs, South Dakota, received a barrel racing check for the fourth straight round on Thursday.

The three-time NFR average winner (2014, 2016, 2023) made her 18th consecutive NFR appearance and managed a 13.61-second run to earn $5,433. Lockhart remained ninth in the world rankings with earnings of $187,292. She ranks 10th on average.

Kassie Mowry of Dublin, Texas, shined again on Thursday with her fifth win in a row. While Mowry shared that round win with Shelley Morgan of Eustace, Texas, at 13.45 seconds, each cowgirl received $30,155. Mowry trailed Hailey Kinsel of Cotulla, Texas, by just $7,046 in the eighth round and was ranked No. 1 in the world. After completing the lap, he overtook Kinsel for first in the overall standings. Mowry has now won $390,435 this year and Kinsel is at $367,325. On average, Mowry is third and Kinsel is sixth.

According to a PRCA press release, Mowry is the first barrel racer to earn five straight round victories in the NFR since Jimmie Munroe in 1984.

Kinsel, a four-time world champion, finished eighth with no money.

Mowry is a five-time NFR qualifier and competed in the big dance in 2005, 2017 and 2022-24. Last year she came third and in 2022 she came twelfth. She came ninth in 2017 and 14th in 2005.

Melstone Saddle Bronc rider Sage Newman finished ninth with a score of 83 aboard Freckles, but missed his paycheck by just one point.

Newman, who started the NFR eighth in the world rankings, has dropped one place in the standings since Wednesday evening and is now in 11th place with $218,405.64. Newman averages 12th.

Ryder Wright, who placed second in the seventh round, scored an 88 on Thursday, net of $33,687 and first place. Wright remained at the top of the Saddle Bronc standings with an impressive $411,767.95.

Former Montana State bull rider Chase Dougherty, who works with Haunted Hotel, was unable to post a registered ride Thursday.

Dougherty, of Canby, Oregon, remained 11th in the world with earnings of $196,203.64. He averages 10th.

Hayes Weight and Two Step scored an 88 and led the field of bull riders. Weight, of Goshen, Utah, accepted a check for $37,219. With $283,242.14, Weight is now fifth in the world.

World ranking leader Josh Frost of Randlett, Utah, rode Whiskey River for an 86, tying for third place with TJ Gray (Dairy, Oregon), who also scored an 86 on Half Cocked. Wacey Schalla of Arapaho, Oklahoma, scored an 87 for second place as only four bull riders held on for eight seconds.

Frost leads Gray in the standings with $390,495.63 to $311,532.23.

The team of Kaleb Driggers of Hoboken, Georgia, and junior Nunes Nogueira of Brazil earned their second team roping victory at the 2024 NFR. The duo earned $33,687 with a time of 3.4 seconds. Driggers and Nogueira also secured victory in the third round.

Driggers moved one place to second in the world with season earnings of $280,000.30. Nogueira also moved up to second place with earnings of $291,126.05.

Leaders and defending world champions Tyler Wade of Terrell, Texas, and Wesley Thorp of Throckmorton, Texas, failed to post a time for the second straight year. Thorp leads the Heelers standings with $326,162.79 and Wade is the top header with $326,162.79.

There are no participants from the Treasure State on the NFR team roping field.

The 10-lap NFR ends on Saturday. The event will be broadcast on The Cowboy Channel each evening at 6:45 p.m. until the conclusion of the rodeo.