Keenan Hayes is a 20-year-old cowboy from Hayden, Colorado. He's early in his career as a professional rodeo cowboy, but he's already proving his chops, hitting the top of the bareback rankings, just five months into the season.
Hayes, who describes himself as 鈥渏ust (a) Colorado cowboy,鈥� is now the No. 1 bareback rodeo cowboy in the world. He ascended to the top on Saturday, February 25 at the San Antonio Stock Show.
鈥淚t's just a big confidence boost coming into the rest of the year,鈥� Hayes said. 鈥淗aving that much won this early takes a big weight off the shoulders.鈥�
While 2023 is Haye鈥檚 first season as a professional rodeo cowboy, his horseback expertise didn鈥檛 exactly come out of nowhere. He鈥檚 been riding since he was nine-years-old.
鈥滻 was knee-high to a grasshopper,鈥� Hayes recalled. 鈥淚 grew up on mutton-busting and got on calves and steers and junior bulls.鈥�
Tanner Barth, a media coordinator with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, said Hayes鈥� rise in the rankings has been fun to watch.
鈥淵ou don't see rookies leading the world standings,鈥� Barth said.
Hayes isn鈥檛 the only young gun at the highest levels of the sport. Two other rookies are also in the top six.
鈥淭here's a youth movement right now in bareback riding,鈥� Barth said. 鈥淜eenan Hayes seems to be leading it.鈥�
That place at the top shouldn't be taken for granted, though. Rodeo rankings, which are based on cumulative earnings throughout the season, are notoriously shifty.
Hayes is at No. 1 with almost $48,000 in prize money. But 鈥渢he guy behind him is only a couple hundred dollars back,鈥� Barth said. 鈥淭he crazy thing is, he has it right now and he can lose it in two days.鈥�
Hayes must remain among the 15 top-earning bareback cowboys through the end of the season, which runs through September, to secure his spot at the championship in December, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. That means he won鈥檛 have much time to bask in the glory of being No. 1 before getting back up on the horse to defend that position.
鈥淚t's awesome to feel being the No. 1 guy in the world right now,鈥� Hayes said. 鈥淚t's always been a goal of mine, so I鈥檒l just keep working at it and don't let the foot off the gas.鈥�
