Haven Meged stays golden with win in Tremonton, Utah
This time of year, every rodeo competitor seems to be making a late-season push. The goal is to add to their earnings and move up in the standings to secure a better position for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
Haven Meged isn’t immune to that chase. His pursuit just seems to be going better than most.
The Miles City, Mont., cowboy continued to add to his earnings over the weekend with a victory at the Golden Spike Rodeo in Tremonton, Utah. He finished his run in 6.9 seconds, well ahead of the runner-up effort of 7.7 seconds.
Meged also placed second in the average at the Horse Heaven Roundup in Kennewick, Wash., and third at the Eastern Montana Fair Rodeo in Miles City. All told, the Aug. 26 weekend was worth more than $14,000.
“I just drew a good calf and hit the barrier and the horse worked good and I guess it just all worked out,” Meged said with a laugh. “The season has been great. I can’t complain. But it’s winding down and I’m just trying to keep pushing forward and win as much as possible.”
And that’s what makes the last few days of August and the Labor Day weekend so important, as the big push for most cowboys comes to a close.
Meged will follow his Aug. 26 success with another packed schedule just before Labor Day. In all, he has hopes of reaching up to six different rodeos before the Monday holiday wraps up. The goal – keep adding to the money total.
For the season, the four-time NFR qualifier has firmly entrenched himself in the second-place spot in the PRCA | RAM World Standings. He’s closing in on $200,000 earned for the year thus far, but still finds himself more than $40,000 back of tie-down roping leader Riley Webb.
While it’s unlikely Meged will be able to overtake Webb for the top spot in the standings before the start of NFR, his goal is to remain within striking distance, as the 10 days in Las Vegas can change everything.
A 2019 PRCA Tie-Down Roping World Champion, Meged knows just how season-changing the money at NFR can be. While what happens in December can reshape the standings quickly, Meged knows that success today is the key to being in position when the time is right.
“It’s all about just continuing to push forward. It either comes down to dollars or thousands – you just don’t know until after Round 10 at NFR,” Meged said. “So, you’re just trying to keep your foot on the gas and don’t let up until Round 10 is over.”
Other winners at the PRCA Playoff Series rodeo were all-around cowboy Cole Eiguren ($3,513, tie-down roping and team roping); bareback rider Clayton Biglow (85 points on Legacy Pro Rodeo’s Fire Man); steer wrestlers Gage Hesse and Tristan Martin (3.4 seconds each); team ropers Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin (4.0 seconds); saddle bronc riders Tanner Butner (85.5 points on Legacy Pro Rodeo’s Flirting With Disaster) and Stran Nielson (85.5 points on Legacy Pro Rodeo’s Bitter Dan); barrel racer Carlee Otero (16.94 seconds); breakaway roper Danielle Lowman (2.0 seconds); and bull rider Clayton Sellars (89 points on Legacy Pro Rodeo’s Grey Eagle).
–PRCA
