LAS VEGAS – Four-time PRCA Saddle Bronc Riding World Champion Zeke Thurston is right at home at the Thomas & Mack Center once again.
The Big Valley, Alberta, saddle bronc rider captured his second straight gold buckle a year ago and now has won two of the first three go-round buckles at the 2024 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge.
Thurston’s latest triumph came in Round 3 with an 88-point ride on Powder River Rodeo’s Miss Valley Saturday night in front of 17,019 spectators.
“She’s super. She’s been the ringleader of the Powder River Rodeo horses for about a decade
now,” Thurston said. “Just an outstanding horse. I’ve only been on her twice, but I’ve been excited to have her both times.
“I’m just taking it one horse at a time, one jump at a time. I just have to keep doing my job and
knocking them down. We’re having a lot of fun right now.”
Thurston climbed aboard Frontier Rodeo’s Frontier Rodeo Coffee Yellowstone for an 86.5-point ride to take the Round 1 win on Thursday night.
The $33,687 payday in Round 3 pushed Thurston’s 2024 NFR earnings to $94,490. That total allowed him to jump up from sixth in the PRCA | RAM World Standings when he arrived in Vegas to second with $305,875. He trails regular-season leader Damian Brennan by just $1,276.
Thurston, who won gold buckles in 2016, 2018 and 2022 and 2023, has his eyes on world title No. 5.
“I’ve been in all of them (positions on the leaderboard). The job is still the same regardless
of where you are at,” said Thurston, 30. “Being at the top adds a little bit of pressure, something I relish in. But I wouldn’t be going about it any different if I was in any different position.”