LAS VEGAS – This season marks the third time in young Seth Glause’s career he’s competed at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

That is proof he is one of the elite bull riders in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. So is the $22,500 he’s earned through six go-rounds of the sport’s finale. In fact, he’s earned more money so far this December than the previous years in Las Vegas combined.

“I’m just enjoying it,” said Glause of Rock Springs, Wyo. “Donnie Gay told me that this is the most comfortable I’ve looked riding bulls in the three years I’ve been here.

Gay knows what he’s talking about. An eight-time world champion, Gay is the color commentator for bull riding on the NFR telecasts on GAC. He’s also a mentor to the greatest bull riders in the game, so those words mean a lot.

But Glause is proving a lot to the bull riding world. More importantly, he’s proving it to himself. On Tuesday night, Glause rode David Bailey Rodeo’s Frosty for 85.5 points to finish fifth in the sixth go-round, earning $4,615 in the process. It was just the second time in six nights Glause has stayed on for the qualifying eight seconds.

“I won the first round, and I had a close call in the second round,” said Glause, who attended Central Wyoming College and Oklahoma Panhandle State University on rodeo scholarships. “We got back on track and placed again.  It’s been good.”

His 2011 NFR earnings mark the best championship the 23-year-old cowboy has had. During his first two trips to the City of Lights, Glause was able to ride just one bull. He’s happy to have ridden two and earned two nice checks so far, but he’s far from content.

“The bulls at this level … if you stub your toe, they’re going to buck you off,” he said. “You’ve got to be at the top of your game every night. You’ve just got to try hard and do what you can do.

“I fell like I give a good effort every night. I rode a bull (almost) to the whistle and just got bucked off a couple. There are four more rounds, so anything’s possible.”