Minton builds up roping career to NFR level

The probability that Brushton Minton was going to be involved in rodeo was high. What that looked like took some time to sort itself out.

His father, Casey, was a regional PRCA competitor for years, winning the Linderman Award in 1993. That accolade honors a PRCA cowboy who earns at least $1,000 in three events during the season, with at least one in roughstock events and one in timed events. Minton’s grandfather, Rex, was an accomplished roughstock rider during his career.

Like his elders, Minton eased into the bucking chutes as a kid. Unlike his family members, roughstock competition didn’t suit him.

“I rode steers in high school and juniors, and got on some junior bulls, but I didn’t like it,” Minton said with a laugh. “I was actually really good at it, but I just did not crave getting on it. When I had to step up to the big bulls, I was like, ‘I think I’m just gonna be a roper.’”

Focusing solely on timed events proved to be the right path for Minton, who earned his second trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo this season in tie-down roping. Ahead of competing at the Thomas &Mack Center, Minton was already having his best season, earning a little more than $145,600. That bested his 2023 total of $134,476, which included the NFR.

At this year’s NFR, Minton has collected $25,377 in prize money, putting him at $171,020 for the season, 13th in the world standings. But Minton is No. 3 in the NFR tie-down average, which would be worth $60,325 if he can hold up through Saturday night.

That would send Minton way up in the world standings.

Regardless, two NFR qualifications in a three-year span is an impressive feat for any PRCA competitor. For Minton, it is proof that his dedication is paying dividends.

While he knew early on that he intended to focus on timed events, Minton was still like his father and grandfather, opting to compete in multiple disciplines. He qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo in 2018 as a team roping heeler, tie-down roper and steer wrestler for West Hills College, finishing second in the all-around cowboy race.

As he transitioned to the professional side, Minton knew he needed to home in. He just wasn’t sure on what.

“I was kind of an all-around cowboy. Tie-down wasn’t even really my main event. I was more of a heeler than anything,” Minton said. “But I liked calf roping because it was all on you. You didn’t have to rely on a partner or anything. Once I got done doing the college deal, I wasn’t really good enough to go tie-down out there with the best guys in the world, so I started shoeing horses for about two or three years and practicing my skills. And then, I finally gave it a shot.”

Those years after college were admittedly a lot of trial and error. Minton and his father would practice together, filming his runs and dissecting every detail. He competed at a lot of smaller events, trying to figure out rhythm and timing.

Through his first three years as a full PRCA member, Minton was unranked in tie-down, with less than $30,000 in combined regular season earnings. In 2022, he cracked the top 50, finishing 37th in the standings.

The following year, he eked his way into NFR the last qualifier, claiming 15th in the final world standings. It was a surreal moment that left Minton with mixed emotions and a renewed focus.

“The first time I made it, I didn’t even feel like I was good enough yet. I felt like there were a lot of other guys way better than me,” Minton admitted. “The first time I made it, I sold a horse to buy this horse (I ride now), and he must’ve been the difference maker. I didn’t feel like I was going to make it, honestly. I thought I still had a lot more work to do to compete with those guys and make the NFR. I guess I surprised myself.”

Last year, an injury to his horse left Minton outside the top 15 at the end of the regular season, as he missed another NFR qualification by just a few thousand dollars.

The disappointment of 2024 transformed into momentum for 2025. Minton wasted no time staking his claim to a spot in the PRCA rankings.

He won the average at the California Circuit Finals Rodeo just before the new year, then posted the best time in the final go at the Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver in January. He picked up four figures or more in Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston during the winter.

Over the final months of the season, he captured $13,000 at the NFR Open and took home $18,000 thanks to a win in the finals at the Days of ’47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City. It all added up to that career year and a place inside the top 10 of the standings.

Now, he’s back in Las Vegas, competing among ProRodeo’s best. And even as his attention is focused on tie-down roping, he’s still balancing things.

He occasionally steer wrestles, and Minton still does about 10-20 team ropings each year, mostly in California for circuit purposes. He earned enough money in 2025 to qualify for the California Circuit Finals as a heeler later this December. It also led him to the No. 4 spot in the PRCA’s all-around world standings.

“It’s hard to beat Stetson Wright and some of them guys. But I throw my name in the ring, I guess,” Minton joked.

Just a few years ago, he was uncertain of what was next. Now, Minton is back at the NFR for a second time, looking to show he belongs among the sport’s elite.

It’s a journey he’s still trying to process, but one he is certainly grateful to be on.

“It’s kind of crazy that I actually get to (be here), that I made it. I feel like it hasn’t really set in that (I’m) back for my second NFR,” Minton said.