Thurston Rode the Wave to 2023 Gold Buckle and Fourth World Title

Writer Brian Hurlburt takes us into the minds and hearts of the PRCA World Champions who clinched titles during the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo®. This is the final of the 2023 series, so be sure to click to the other articles in the Gold Buckle Buzz.

Zeke Thurston went “surfing” at the 2023 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo®, and it culminated with yet another PRCA Saddle Bronc Riding World Championship.

“It was a really cool year, a storybook year,” Thurston said about 2023. “I had a solid regular season and consistently won throughout the whole year from start to finish. Then I showed up at the NFR in a good spot and kicked it off with a round win (split). That got the NFR ball rolling. From there, I rode that wave the rest of the week. I had a great Finals. I felt like I rode strong and didn’t slip up at all.”

He has continued to ride the wave into the 2024. As of August, Thurston stood fifth in the 2024 World Standings. He was in strong position to head back to Vegas. In his career, he has earned more than $2.3 million and won four world titles.

It is easy to track Thurston’s wave back to 2022 when he also won the world title. His other gold buckles came in 2016 and 2019.  He also continues to prove he is one of the most consistent performers in NFR history, as he also won the NFR average in 2022 and 2023 (and 2016) to go along with the world titles.

If—when?– he qualifies for the 2024 NFR, it will mark his 10^th appearance at the Thomas & Mack Center. Vegas always signals a magical time for Thurston.

“There’s no other building I have ever rode in that’s quite like the Thomas & Mack Center,” Thurston said. “The arena seats are so steep and the sides of it are so high that everything is just right on top of you. If you show up and show out at the NFR, the fans go nuts.”

Thurston ignited those Vegas fans during round five in 2023. He went 91 points on Calgary Stampede’s Xplosive Skies and the place exploded.

“That’s probably the loudest I’ve ever heard that building when I rode that world champion bucking horse,” Thurston said. “I’ve had pretty good history with Xplosive Skies. That horse is outstanding, and when you put on a ride on like that, the fans will sure let you know that they liked it. Half the building was standing on its feet. That was a great feeling.”

With so many titles to remember, it might seem a challenge for Thurston to pick a favorite. You would be correct. Thurston remembers each with clarity and even mentions two as his “favorite” during one conversation.

“The first one came pretty early in my career in my second year rodeoing and I will never forget that,” Thurston said. “I came from behind and nobody was expecting me to be the champ, but I ended up winning it. That was really cool. But when I got that first one, then I wanted another one badly. It seemed like a long time between 2016 and 2019 when I won the world title again.

“In 2019, I came into the NFR as the leader, and by the ninth go-round, nobody could catch me, so the first two titles were completely different. But the 2022 title might be my favorite. I came into the NFR not too far down, about $116,000 back from first. I showed up and rode really well and kicked butt the whole week. That was the best Finals I ever had. I ended up winning the RAM Top Gun Award, so that was very special. But then this fourth one in 2023 could be my favorite gold buckle to win just because there are a lot of guys who win one, some win two, not very many win three and there is a very, very short list of them who have four or more.”

The list of those who have four or more world titles includes Casey Tibbs (5), Dan Mortenson (6) and Billy Etbaur (4).  And Zeke Thurston …

Thurston understands the history and the big picture of his sport, but doesn’t let that get in the way of his planning and prep. His focus is a key to his consistency.

“I just take it one bronc at a time,” Thurston said of his NFR strategy but also how be approaches each rodeo. “It is easy to come out here and blow it up in your mind bigger than it is. The NFR is the biggest stage for a rodeo athlete, but the key is to take care of business and do the job in front of you, which is riding that horse that you have drawn for that night.”

Simple and magical.