The parallels are very easy for Dawson Hay to see.
Back in 2021, the Wildwood, Alberta, saddle bronc rider was aiming for another run to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He had made the Finals for the first time in 2019 but missed out in 2020, finishing three spots away from a return trip to Las Vegas.
A year later, things were going fine, but far from great. Hay needed a shot in the arm to get success rolling.
Everything changed in Montana during the World Famous Miles City Buck Horse Sale Matched Xtreme Bronc Ride. Back then, Hay placed sixth in the first go and won the short round, walking away with more $6,200 in earnings. It was a moment that provided the spark he was hoping for.
“I had some luck earlier in April, but after Miles City, when I won it in 2021, after that, it kind of slingshotted me,” Hay said. He reached the NFR that year, finishing ninth in the world standings. “I think I ended up winning four or five rodeos within the next month after winning it in 2021 for one of my better seasons that I’ve ever had. It all kind of started there around Miles City.”
If Hay has his way, history is about to repeat itself.
In desperate need of a big showing, the four-time NFR qualifier got exactly what he was looking for in Miles City, winning both the long and short goes to earn $19,336 in one day.
How important was the outcome? In March, Hay picked up a little more than $5,000 for a third-place showing at the finals of Rodeo Austin. Since then, he had earned one payout of $816 for seventh-place at the Clark County Fair & Rodeo in Logandale, Nev.
Coming into the weekend, Hay was sitting 30th in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Standings. He’s since vaulted up into the top 20.
The path to this moment was anything but easy. After competing in Redding, Calif., Hay hopped on a flight to Arlington, Texas, to take part in Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo at AT&T Stadium. From there, he flew to Montana for the Xtreme Broncs event.
His first round draw of Smith Pro Rodeos’ Splash of Truth left Hay a little uncertain. The horse is relatively new to the PRCA, with a reputation for strong showings at futurity events but not much else.
“Honestly, I wasn’t too sure about my first horse. It’s a younger horse and hasn’t been around for very long. So I was kind of going into it just hoping for the best,” Hay said. He won the round with a 90.5 ride. “Winning the long round definitely sets a guy up for the short go. All the horses are really good in the short round and if you can head into a short round like that with a lot of confidence it’s definitely a big bonus.”
In the finals, Dawson turned to his brother, Logan, for a little insight on the draw. Back in late April, Logan had ridden Burch Rodeo’s Moose to third-place effort at the Clovis (Calif.) Rodeo.
A little intel – and a lot of confidence – certainly helped, with Dawson going for 90.5 points again to take the round and cap a weekend that could have season-changing implications.
Now, the key is to keep the momentum going.
With a slew of summer rodeos ahead of him, Dawson is excited about the opportunity to keep climbing in the standings, putting himself in position for a fourth straight and fifth overall trip to NFR.
And wouldn’t you know it, this weekend he’ll be at another Xtreme Broncs event in Deadwood, S.D. The one-day, two-ride type format is something Dawson thoroughly enjoys, as it’s a chance to ride good horses against good competition and build a little confidence along the way.
“I definitely love going to the full rodeos, but it’s been amazing to see in the last decade the amount of these bronc matches that have come up, even more so in the last five years,” Dawson said. “With this sport, you’ve kind of got to be ready for (multiple rides in one day) anyways. You could get on two re-rides or even at the tournament-style rodeos in the winter; you’ll ride at a 10-round in the morning and maybe another four-round after that. And then, in the month of July, there’s days when you’ll get on at three different rodeos in the same day. So it’s something a guy’s always got to be ready for.”
