LAS VEGAS — Make it three straight strong performances for Miles City roper Haven Meged at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
Meged, who had a slow start and failed to place during the first four rounds, clocked a time of 7.1 seconds Wednesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center. That gave Meged a second-place finish and a $26,624 paycheck in Round 7.
The 2019 world champion also placed second in Round 5 before winning the Round 6 go on Tuesday. Meged is third in the world standings.
Dylan Hancock, a San Angelo, Texas, cowboy, won the go-round Wednesday night with a time of 6.7 seconds.
Former Montana State University rodeo team member Jesse Brown is heating up in the steer wrestling, too.
For the second time in three nights, the Baker City, Ore., bulldogger won the event. Brown put together a 3.5-second run Wednesday to tie with Dakota Eldridge of Elko, Nev., to win the round. Brown, who also won the fifth round on Monday, and Eldridge each pocketed $30,155, helping Brown climb to fourth in the world standings and Eldridge leap-frog Will Lummus for the No. 1 ranking.
Lummus, who won the first and third rounds, was 10th in Round 7 with a time of 4.6 seconds. Helena's Ty Erickson placed 14th with a 5.3-second run.
Columbus bareback rider Weston Timberman continues to have a strong showing at his first NFR, as well. The Resistol rookie of the year finished in the money for the second consecutive night and fourth time in seven rounds Wednesday with an 86-point ride on Fox Hole Gunner of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo. That was good enough for third in the round, paying Timberman $20,104. He now sits sixth in the world standings with $232,017.
And for the first time this NFR, Richmond Champion of Stevensville placed in the top six. Champion marked an 85 on Wayne Vold Rodeo's True Grit to place fourth and earn $14,127.
Texan Bradlee Miller got his third round win of the 2024 NFR, scoring 88.5 points on Frontier Rodeo Coffee Full Baggage. Miller is now second in the world standings, less than $25,000 back of No. 1 Rocker Steiner, who was second on Wednesday with an 87-point ride.
Circle-area native Lisa Lockhart has now placed in barrel racing in three consecutive rounds.
She had a time of 13.63 seconds in Round 7, which gave her a sixth-place finish and $5,433 check. Lockhart, of Oelrichs, S.D., took fourth in the fifth and sixth rounds after failing to place in the first four rounds.
Kassie Mowry, of Dublin, Texas, had another sizzling performance Wednesday. The all-time great had a 13.19-second run for her fourth straight round win. The 13.19 is the fastest time of this NFR.
Meanwhile, Melstone's Sage Newman just missed a paycheck in the saddle bronc. He had an 84.5-point ride on Resistol's Pretty Woman of Pete Carr Pro Rodeo to place seventh.
Brody Cress of Hillsdale, Wyo., scored 88 points atop Four Star Rodeo's Wall Street to win Round 7.
Chase Dougherty, an ex-Montana State cowboy from Canby, Ore., had a no-score in the bull riding.
World No. 2 Cooper James, of Erda, Utah, won the bull riding with an 88-point ride atop Midnight Rider of Rafter H. Rodeo Livestock.
The seventh round of team roping was won by header Coleman Proctor of Pryor, Okla., and heeler Logan Medlin of Tatum, N.M. The duo clocked a time of 3.5 seconds
The 2024 National Finals rodeo continues with Round 8 on Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.
