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Zeke Thurston

2018 world standings place: 3rd
2018 Wrangler NFR standings place: 3rd
2018 Wrangler NFR earnings: $149,404
2018 earnings: $262,041
Wrangler NFR average titles: 1 (2016)
RNCFR qualifications:1 (2015)
Education: Sheridan (Wyo.) College

Professional
2019 Career Highlights
• Won the Ponoka (Alberta) Stampede
• Won the Williams Lake (Alberta) Stampede
• Won the Rodeo Corpus  Christi (Texas) 
• Won the Red Bluff (Calif.) Round-Up
• Won the Drayton Valley (Alberta) Pro Rodeo
• Won the Hand Hills Lake Stampede (Craigmyle, Alberta)
• Won the Grande Prairie (Alberta) Stompede
• Won the Hard Grass Bronc Match (Pollockville, Alberta)
• Co-champion at the Innisfail (Alberta) Pro Rodeo
• Co-champion at the Leduc (Alberta) Black Gold Pro Rodeo
Career Highlights
• 2018: Won Round 9 and split the win in Round 6 while placing in eight rounds of the Wrangler NFR with 693.5 points on eight head. Won the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo (Denver, Colo.), the Wainwright (Alberta) Stampede, the Red Bluff (Calif.) Round-Up, the Lea Park Rodeo (Marwayne, Alberta), the Innisfail (Alberta) Pro Rodeo and the Wildwood (Alberta) Bronc Bustin'. Co-champion at the Fallon County Xtreme Broncs (Baker, Mont.)
• 2017: Placed in two rounds to place 10th in the average with 563 points on seven head at the Wrangler NFR and seventh in the world standings with $199,917. Won the K-Days Rodeo (Edmonton, Alberta), the Ponoka (Alberta) Stampede; Rodeo Austin (Texas), the Redding (Calif.) Rodeo, the IPE and Stampede (Armstrong, British Columbia), the Lewiston (Idaho) Roundup, the Wrangler Champions Challenge presented by Justin Boots (Rapid City, S.D.), the Camrose (Alberta) Spring Rodeo, the Daines Ranch Pro Rodeo (Innisfail, Alberta), the Rocky Pro Rodeo (Rocky Mountain House, Alberta), the Elgin (Ore.) Stampede, the Jasper (Alberta) Heritage Rodeo, the Kitsap Stampede (Bremerton, Wash.), the Golden Spike Rodeo (Tremonton, Utah) and the Iron County Fair and PRCA Rodeo (Parowan, Utah). Co-champion at the World's Oldest Rodeo (Prescott, Ariz.). 
• 2016: Won Round 6 and placed in six rounds to rank first at the Wrangler NFR. Won the world title with $265,449. Won the Justin Boots Playoffs (Puyallup, Wash.), the Canby (Ore) Rodeo, the Southeastern Livestock Exposition (Montgomery, Ala.), the Hand Hills Lake Stampede (Craigmyle, Alberta), the Rodeo of The Ozarks (Springdale, Ark.), the Kitsap Stampede (Bremerton, Wash.), the Rodeo de Santa Fe (N.M.), the Missoula (Mont.) Stampede, and the Home On the Range Champions Ride (Sentinel Butte, N.D.). Co-champion at the 22nd Glen Rose (Texas) PRCA Rodeo
• 2015: Placed in two rounds at his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Polaris RANGER, finished 11th in the world standings with $127,970. Won the World’s Oldest Rodeo (Prescott, Ariz.), the Oakley Independence Day Rodeo (Oakley City, Utah), La Fiesta de los Vaqueros (Tucson, Ariz.) with 168 points on two head, A Tribute to the Great American Cowboy (Casper, Wyo.), the Lake County Round-up (Lakeview, Ore.), the Rocky ProRodeo (Rocky Mountain House, Alberta) and the Oldstoberfest (Olds, Alberta). Co-champion at the Farm-City Pro Rodeo (Hermiston, Ore.), the Strathmore (Alberta) Stampede, the Oakdale (Calif.) Saddle Club Rodeo. 
• 2014: Won the RAM Montana Circuit Finals Rodeo (Great Falls); A Tribute to the Great American Cowboy (Casper, Wyo.); the Rocky Mountain Classic (Kalispell, Mont.); the Richland County Fair (Sidney, Mont.) and the Dawson County Fair & Rodeo (Glendive, Mont.). Earned $18,239 on his permit
• 2013: Earned $6,204 on his permit in PRCA competition and qualified for the Canadian Finals Rodeo despite being sidelined by a broken ankle in June, which broke during the College National Finals Rodeo (Casper, Wyo.)

Amateur 
Canadian Finals Rodeo Steer Riding Champion in 2008; three-time qualifier for the National High School Finals Rodeo and a qualifier for the College National Finals Rodeo

Awards 
Canadian Contract Act of the Year in 2005 and 2007 with his brothers, Sam and Wyatt, performing trick riding and trick roping as The Thurston Gang. They appeared at the CFR five times and performed for both the Queen of England and Prince William and Princess Kate
 
Personal 
5-9, 145 … Wife, Jayne; daughter, Lucy (born in 2018) … Father, Skeeter, qualified for the NFR six times (1986-87, 1989, 1991, 1994-95) as a saddle bronc rider; mother, Lynda; brothers, Wyatt and Sam, also compete in saddle bronc riding; younger sister, Tess, competes in barrel racing and goat tying … Special interests are ranching, roping, deer hunting and fishing … Enjoys drawing and tends to produce art of “real good cowboy wrecks” … Suffered a broken femur when stepped on by a bull in 2011 and has a rod in his leg … Played hockey in high school and still plays in a Sheridan (Wyo.) recreational league every Sunday he’s home … Favorite sports team is the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League … Lists his dad, Ty Murray and the Etbauer brothers as his rodeo idols