36 • The WRANGLER • August, 2024
Bought As they Buck Bought As they Buck
The highest score that can be awarded in a roughstock
event in 100 points. 50 points can be awarded to the
cowboy, and 50 to the horse or bull. The best matchups,
like Rocker Steiner's 95-point ride on Virgil, or Logan Hay's
95.5 trip on Xplosive Skies, come when an elite cowboy
climbs onto the back of something that was born to buck.
It's hard to comb through the world and find animals like
this, which is why every year on the first day of the NFR,
the rankest stock in North America is sold at the South
Point Hotel and Casino in the Benny Binion World Famous
Bucking Horse and Bull Sale.
The history of the NFR bucking stock sale goes back to
when the NFR was still held in Oklahoma City. The famous
bucking bull Mr. T was purchased at the 1984 NFR sale, the
last year it was held in OKC, and was inducted into the Pro
Rodeo Hall of Fame just last month.
Produced and ran by PRCA stock contractors, the
proceeds of the sale go to year-end Stock of the Year and
Top Stock awards. The ticket proceeds are donated to the
Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, and large donations are made to
the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund.
Roughly 40% of the bucking stock seen at the NFR came
through the Benny Binion sale, an impressive statistic
considering there are only 100 bareback horses, 100,
saddle broncs, and 100 bulls brought to Vegas out of the
thousands that are ridden throughout the PRCA regular
season.
Some familiar names are Four Star Rodeo Company's
875 Wall Street and 6MO Deep Springs, Corey and Lange
Rodeo's 532 Monster, and Bar T Rodeo's 56 Angel's
Landing. Those stock have all made multiple appearances
and placements at the NFR. Notably, in Round 10 of the
2020 NFR Stetson Wright rode Angel's Landing for 89
points to earn his first bull riding world title.
The quality of the stock is top notch. Nate Morrison,
sale manager of the Benny Binion Sale, spends all year
narrowing down the list to the 12 elite bareback horses, 12
elite saddle broncs, and 25 elite bulls that are brought to
By Erin Rees
Left: Trey Watts on 571 Rodeo Code. Right: JR Stratford on 0937 Diamond Dust
Photo Credit: Casey St. Blane Photography
Top Stock in North America Sold Every Year at the Top Stock in North America Sold Every Year at the
Benny Binion Sale in Las Vegas Benny Binion Sale in Las Vegas
