You all know we love crunching numbers, so now that the official list of competitors for the 2019 Canadian Finals Rodeo is in (see the entire list with back numbers HERE) we wanted to know just how much of a fight we’re about to see between the competitors in each of the events – starting with the roughstock competitors.

Watch the 2019 Canadian Finals Rodeo in Red Deer, Alberta LIVE on FloRodeo October 29 to November 3. Click HERE to sign up. 

We’ll start by filling you in on the whopping payout at this year’s CFR: 

With those huge payout numbers in mind, some competitors may only be one small round placing away from the lead, while others have their work cut out for them if they want to walk away with Canadian titles in 2019. When looking at the spread between first and 12th in all events one thing is certain, everyone has a chance to do it and no one is safe. 

Check out our lists below to see how far behind the lead each of the 2-12 competitors are, and what that difference equates to when you look at the round placings each night. (For sake of simplicity, we’ve only translated the dollar amounts into round placings, instead of including the aggregate breakdowns). 

Bareback Riders: Top Five Could Own Lead After Round One

Leading the charge in the bareback riding is Caleb Bennett with $33,512.22 in earnings. Bennett has been a regular at the Canadian Finals the last few years and is also en route to his eighth consecutive National Finals Rodeo.

Bennett has already earned a title on Canadian soil this year as the 2019 Finning Pro Tour bareback riding champion. Watch the entire season of tour events HERE. 

The bareback rider has rarely stubbed his toe all year (we're saying rarely because it's a long season, but we sure haven't seen him do it), but the competition among the top bareback riders is so tight that five competitors – Bennett, Champion, Marshall, Taypotat, and Laye – could own the lead after just one round of competition is paid out. 

 Looking down the entire list of bareback riders, CFR fans better get ready for this dog fight to the finish.

Saddle Bronc Riders: Zeke Thurtson Has Minimum Three-Round Hold On The Lead

For the first time in his career, the 2016 World Champion Zeke Thurston is going into the Canadian Finals Rodeo in the No. 1 spot, and he’s doing it by over $25,000. After a runaway season like this, we pondered if winning a Canadian title might be inevitable for Thurston this year (read the article HERE).

This thought came about shortly after we finished this interview with Thurston — who won $20,000 when he "40-percented" the Ponoka Stampede. Watch full archives from the Ponoka Stampede HERE.

While the title is not solidified yet, Thurston’s lead does buy him three rounds of leeway from his nearest competition – Ben Anderson – who’d have to win two rounds and place third in another to overtake Thurston’s current season earnings. But knowing Thurston, he – nor the other 11 competitors – isn't going to call it quits until the final night of competition when the Canadian champion saddle bronc rider is announced.

Bull Riders: Edgar Durazo Or Jordan Hansen Could Immerge As Leader After Round One

While all 12 of the bull riders are mathematically just three rounds or less away from Canada’s No. 1 bull rider, fans should be paying close attention to two competitors on the first night of competition to see who will leave it in the top position. No. 1 Edgar Durazo and No. 2 Jordan Hansen are just $2,828.26 apart in the Canadian standings – meaning if Durazo weren’t able to cash in on night one, Hansen would have to place no worse than third in the round to overtake him.

Flipping that coin over, you could also say that if Hansen were to place in the top three on night one, Durazo would have to just stay one placing behind him to hold his lead (For example: If Hansen placed third on night one and Durazo placed fourth, their totals would be at $50,217.75 and $50,346.01, respectively).

Durazo already took home the 2019 Finning Pro Tour bull riding title after this spectacular ride at the tour final. Watch the entire Finning Pro Tour season HERE.

The top 12 is littered with Canadian champions, world champions, PBR champions, and many-time finals qualifiers so you can bet this fight will not be contained to those two after the first performance.