Like many sports, rodeo is becoming one for the specialists.

No matter how well-rounded you are in multiple events, to reach the National Finals Rodeo, which begins Dec. 2 in Las Vegas, a cowboy must be one of the top 15 competitors in an individual event.

Witness Kyle Whitaker, who competes in steer wrestling, tie-down roping and saddle-bronc riding. He’s so good at all three of those events that he won the prestigious Linderman Award for the top cowboy competing in both timed and riding events. It was his fourth Linderman.

But after Friday’s performance at the American Royal, he’s headed home instead of instead of preparing for a trip to Las Vegas. He wasn’t able to add any money to the $39,729 he has won this season in his top event — steer wrestling — which left him nearly $20,000 behind 15th in the standings.

“The Linderman is a great award and it is a big accomplishment, but you get a buckle for it,” said Whitaker, who didn’t qualify for tonight’s finals. “If you make the NFR, you get paid.”

Garrett Nokes doesn’t qualify for the Linderman because he doesn’t ride bucking stock. But he sits in fifth place in the association’s standings as the top all-around cowboy in the three events he does compete in. That also doesn’t get him to the National Finals.

Nokes had to specialize his his way to the National Finals by concentrating on steer wrestling. He’s also is involved in tie-down roping and team roping.

“If I quit calf roping or steer wrestling 10 years ago, I might have had a chance as a one-event cowboy to make the finals quicker,” he said. “They both have paid the bills for me. That’s why I kept doing both events.”

Nokes recorded a 10-second time Friday night after quickly hopping onto his steer. But he couldn’t wrestle the heavy animal down quickly and wasn’t able to qualify for tonight’s finals in steer wrestling. He also missed a spot in the tie-down roping when he turned in a time of 18.9 seconds.

“That doubles my odds of winning a check while I am here for the same amount of traveling expenses,” he said.

Bull rider Jarrod Ford turned in the performance of the night, riding Prefert Pride to a rodeo-best score of 88. Barrel racer Chani Payne also topped the standings with her 15.08 time. At the American Royal, bull riders and barrel racers have one go-round to qualify for the finals. The other events have two go-rounds.

Saddle-bronc rider Ira Slagowski earned an 83 score on Boomerang, which was good enough for second place in the first go.

The rodeo continues today with a matinee at noon. The finals start at 7 tonight and involve the top 12 cowboys from the rodeo’s six rounds.