Rodeo is a lucrative sport for those at the top of the professional ranks, and the PRCA’s highest earners in 2017 exited Wrangler Nationals Finals Rodeo with some of best year-end totals in history.

The top five rodeo money winners this season combined to tally nearly $1.8 million, with four-time bull riding world champ leading the way as the first-ever bull rider to take home more than $400,000. He broke his old earnings record by more than $100,000.

Kimzey was far and away the top earner this season, thanks in large part to the $192,134 he won at NFR alone, but his fellow elite colleagues aren’t exactly leaving Las Vegas thin in the wallets.

Here’s a look at the five top pro rodeo money earners in 2017:

1. Sage Kimzey | Bull Riding | $436,479.19

At just 23 years old, Sage Kimzey is well on his way to one of the all-time great rodeo careers. The Oklahoman departs NFR a whole lot richer after becoming the first bull rider to ever win four straight NFR world titles. Kimzey won the NFR average for the second time in his career, which keyed his huge money total, and now he is just four gold buckles short of Don Gay’s title record of eight. Gay won his eighth and final buckle at the age of 31. Given his dominance so far, Kimzey just may be into the double-digits by the time he reaches his 30th birthday.

2. Tim O’Connell | Bareback | $371,415.80

Despite defending his bareback world and average titles at the Thomas & Mack Center, Iowa cowboy Tim O’Connell came up just shy of the $374,271.53 record mark he set a year ago. Of course, that’s a minor consolation for the 26-year-old, who, like Kimzey, outpaced his competition by more than $100,000.

3. Tuf Cooper | All-Around | $341,560.29

It’s no surprise to see 2017’s most versatile cowboy high on this list, as all-around world champion Tuf Cooper collected big paychecks in both tie-down and steer roping this season. The 27-year-old held leads in the all-around and tie-down standings entering NFR, with a 13th-place finish in November’s steer roping finals tacking adding to his record season.

4. Trey Benton III | Bull Riding | $322,208.13

Benton is the only cowboy on this list without a world title buckle to his name, but regardless the 26-year-old’s 2017 campaign was a massive improvement from his previous season. The Texas bull rider enjoyed a breakout year to finish second in the world standings, and he nearly doubled his career earnings as he ultimately finished third in the NFR average. The injury-plagued rider persevered to pocket his big payday, a year after only taking home $15,000.

5. Trevor Brazile | All-Around | $319,337.02

The richest career cowboy by a country mile on this list — $6 million and counting — Brazile is still one of the world’s most complete rodeo stars some 20 years after turning professional. The 41-year-old stumbled a bit at NFR this year, failing to win the all around for the time since 2005 (he didn’t compete last season). But Brazile is no doubt a legend, and another successful money-earning season inches him higher up the list of the richest cowboys in history.

By Lincoln Shryack