(PRCA PHOTO BY ROSANNA SALES)
Cinch cowboys Reiner, Landingham, Franks ready for the NFR
The road to the National Finals Rodeo is long and features two-lane highways, freeways and interstates. It also is paved by gravel and mountain passes, and it takes more than 14 months to complete.
For Cinch bareback riders Cole Reiner, R.C. Landingham and Cole Franks, their quest for the 2022 National Finals Rodeo began Oct. 1, 2021, as they kickstarted the season before they even nodded their heads at that year’s NFR. Their overnight drives and days spent at airports paid off with their qualifications to this year’s championship event, set for Dec. 1-10 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Landingham is the senior statesman from Hat Creek, California. Now 32 years old, this marks his fourth qualification to ProRodeo’s grand championship. He’s coming off a sensational run through the 10 rounds of the 2021 NFR, one that saw him earn nearly $110,000 in just 10 nights.
That’s a pretty good living, especially when counted in eight-second increments.
“That was the best finals I’ve ever had,” said Landingham, who also played on the sport’s biggest stage in 2016 and 2017.
He is sixth in the world standings with $130,524. He utilized the momentum from his best NFR into the best regular season of his career. He earned more through Sept. 30 this past campaign than he did all of the 2017 season.
“We’re not just cowboys anymore,” Landingham said. “We’re a bunch of athletes now. Everybody works really hard at this job. You have to be at the top of your game and in the best possible shape.”
His physical stature is evident every time he rides a bucking horse. In a demanding event like bareback riding, it takes extra work to keep one’s body prepared for the pounding it takes. At his age, Landingham just has to work harder. He doesn’t have the luxury of youth like Reiner, 23, or Franks, 21.
Reiner has been at the top of the bareback riding game for much of the season. In fact, he’s the king of the mountain as the top 15 bronc busters prepare for the fights of their seasons in Las Vegas. He finished the regular season with $160,971 and owns a slim lead over the field. In fact, less than $60,000 separates Reiner from the 15th spot.
“It’s pretty crazy that just three years ago I was hoping that one day I’d be making the NFR, and now it’s the only thing I do,” said Reiner of Buffalo, Wyoming. “Now, I’m in a pretty fun race with Jess Pope and a couple of other guys that are right there.
“It makes it to where every week we’re trying to beat each other.”
The race was fun through the summer, but now the stakes get higher. The NFR features a $1.4 million purse, with go-round winners earning nearly $29,000 a day for 10 December nights. Fortunes will be made daily, and each ride is going to count as the battle ensues in Las Vegas.
“At the end of the regular season, these standings don’t matter, but it’s kind of fun to see where everyone’s at and give everyone a hard time,” Reiner said. “This year going into the National Finals Rodeo is going to be one of the most exciting races. I don’t remember when it was this close. Going in, it’s going to be 100 percent on the average, and Pope shines in the average.
“I’m just going to try to kick everybody’s ass.”
Franks is just in his second year in ProRodeo, but it doesn’t look like it. A year ago, he was the Resistol Rookie of the Year, then had a big NFR to finish third in the world standings. He remained hot this season and sits 10th on the money list with $116,426.
“We do this because we love it, but it does make it a lot more fun to have a shot at that much more money every day,” said Franks of Clarendon, Texas. “Every rodeo I went to this past year, they just keep raising the stakes. That’s what keeps you wanting to go more.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been ready to go home; I like staying out on the road. You may get worn out a little bit, but you know there’s all that money out there you can get.”
Unlike other professional sports that feature guaranteed contracts, rodeo athletes need every penny they can get. Not only is this how they pay their expenses, but dollars equal championship points. Contestants with the most money earned at the conclusion of the NFR will be crowned world titlists.
“I honestly think the key was staying at it, making every horse count,” Franks said. “You want to do the best you can with what horse you’ve drawn. If you don’t have one you can typically win on, then you’ve got to flash it up and do what you can.”
Through the 10 nights of this year’s NFR, there will be 15 bareback riders flashing signs of greatness while also tackling all the challenges that come with the sport’s premier event.