(Editor's note: PRCA release)
RAPID CITY - The turn of the calendar to 2021 has resulted in good fortune for bull rider Josh Frost.
Frost won the Sandhills Stock Show & Rodeo in Odessa, Texas, Jan. 16, and was sitting atop the Jan. 28 PRCA | RAM World Standings with $12,807.
Frost remains in the No. 1 spot in the world standings after winning the Rodeo Rapid City (S.D.) PRCA Xtreme Bulls Division 2 event with a 91.5-point ride on Dakota Rodeo's D-Day, Jan. 29.
"I knew I had a good bull, and he had a really good day," said Frost, 25. "It kind of felt a little wild for the first and second jumps, and I just kept going at him and came out with a good score."
Frost earned $4,004 for his eight seconds of work. He edged Ky Hamilton, who finished second with a 90.5-point trip on New Frontier's Muley Madness. Reigning all-around and bull riding world champion Stetson Wright finished third with an 89-point ride on Dakota Rodeo's Dr Campbell.
"The year has been going good," Frost said. "I came up just short of making the NFR last year, but I was riding good at the end of the season and I've kept the ball rolling into this year."
Frost finished 18th in the 2020 world standings with $46,572. He made a late charge to try and qualify for the 2020 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo by capturing the title at the Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale in Nephi, Utah, Sept. 19. Frost won the Finale with 174.5 points on two head and earned $13,113 but failed to make the NFR.
"When it comes down to it, it's still just bull riding, and I've always done well at the Division 1 Xtreme Bulls, but this is actually the first Division 2 event I've won," Frost said. "I had never won a Division 2 event in my whole career, so it was pretty cool to win here. They're all tough bull ridings. There were 40 guys and $10,000 added, and you have to have your day and draw the best bull, and that's what happened today. I was grateful to draw a good bull like that and capitalize on it."
There were 17 NFR qualifiers and four world champions entered among the field of 40 in Rapid City.
"Stetson Wright came out in the first section and had an 89-point ride and started it off with a bang," Frost said. "You're not going to see a better group of bull riders anywhere in the world. You have to do your job. It was exciting to see all the top guys here. This is where I want to be. I want to win at the biggest rodeos against the top guys in the world."
Frost made his NFR debut in 2019, finishing 14th in the world with $129,561. The Randlett, Utah, cowboy is ready to make a return trip.
"We're going back and coming out on top," Frost said. "I'm in the top spot now and I'm going to have the pedal to the metal.”
