Zeke Thurston moved closer to a world championship Friday with a 91-point ride to win Round 9. He also won Rounds 1 and 7 and is No. 1 in the world standings with an over $40,000 lead on Ryder Wright.
“In any sport, this is the position you want to put yourself in, and that’s what makes it so awesome,” he said. “I love competing, I love the competition, and it’s just a lot of fun.”
Despite being in a good position for his second world title, Thurston said his mindset won’t change.
“Oh, we’re just going to go ride broncs,” Thurston said. “That’s what we’ve been doing all week, and that’s what we do all year. That’s how you get here, and we’ll just stick to that.”
Round 6 winner Dawson Hay finished second Friday with an 88. Mitch Pollack and Jesse Wright finished third and fourth respectively.
Saddle Bronc World Standings (NFR money in parentheses)
1. Zeke Thurston - $304,183 ($127,192)
2. Ryder Wright - $261,988 ($37,500)
3. Spencer Wright - $203,438 ($83,333)
4. Jake Watson - $199,175 ($90,384)
5. Rusty Wright - $195,884 ($77,692)