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July 19-28, 2024
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Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding:
While Cheyenne Frontier Days has been hosting rookie bronc riding since 1911, today’s competition could very easily have a big impact on the rookie of the year race in the bareback riding. The top three positions in the standings are held by Jesse Pope, Leighton Berry and Garrett Shadbolt respectively. There is less than $8,000 separating them, a deficit that could be made up here.
Those three men will be competing alongside some seasoned veterans including Tilden Hooper who is 5th in the world standings and Steven Peebles, the 2015 world champion who is 17th in the world.
Brothers Jacobs and Sterling Crawley will be competing in the saddle bronc riding. Jacobs is the 2015 world champion and the 2016 champion here. Jacobs joined the PRCA in 2006. Four years later, Sterling did the same. They both competed in college where Jacobs won a national championship. Sterling has followed in Jacobs’ footsteps for most of his life. This year, for perhaps the first time in their lives, Sterling is ahead of Jacobs in the race for a championship.
Sterling is third in the world standings. Jacobs is in seventh place. Jacobs has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo eight times. He has made the trip to Las Vegas on five of those occasions with Sterling. Jacobs is also the chairman of the PRCA’s board, so while his focus in the arena is on riding, he is busy with those responsibilities outside of the competition.
Also watch for Shane Proctor in today’s saddle bronc riding. Proctor won the bull riding here in 2011, the same year he got the gold buckle in that event. Fans might not realize that he is an all-around hand that has competed in nearly every rodeo event. He only entered the saddle bronc riding here this year so will be putting all of his energy into one event.
Taos Muncy needs another Cheyenne Frontier Days championship and some big money, or he will be going back to his family’s ranch and going to work. He won here in 2007, the same year he won his first gold buckle. Dawson Hay is the next generation of saddle bronc riders and has learned from the greats. He is 12th in the world standings and if he wins a buckle here, it will be the second one for his family. His father, Rod Hay was the champion here in 2000.
Today’s bull riding will again feature some great riders including Trey Benton III, who is 10th in the world standings. Benton has qualified for the NFR on five occasions, has won nearly $1 million in his career and will be looking for his first buckle from the “Daddy.” Benton is a rodeo fan and another guy that has competed in multiple events. If he wasn’t riding bulls, he would probably be roping, so look for him to be spending time watching what is happening on the other end of the arena.
Timed Events – Steer Wrestling, Team, Tie-Down and Breakaway Roping and Barrel Racing:
Last Saturday, Shad Mayfield was roping at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs. He beat the rest of the field by over 2 seconds and earned the championship. He
Mayfield stopped the clock in 12.6 seconds which tied for second yesterday. Another top four finish will see him back here for Championship Sunday. Ahead of Mayfield yesterday was Clint Cooper of the famed Cooper roping family. Clint had a time of 12.4 seconds and the money he won yesterday will be enough to advance him to Championship Sunday no matter what he does today. Of course, he wants to add as much as he can to his checking account. He joined the PRCA in 2001, has qualified for the NFR five times and was the Cheyenne Frontier Days Champion in 2004.
The team ropers that had the best time yesterday really need to win. Brenten Hall who has yet to qualify for the NFR and Chase Tryan, who has been there twice are in 16th place in the world. They had a time of 8.8 seconds and won just over $2,200 each. They need to keep winning, move into the top 15 and stay there through the end of the regular season on Sept. 30th to be in Las Vegas in December.
Terryn Sippel has a chance to be Cheyenne’s first breakaway roping champion if she continues to rope like she did yesterday. She stopped the clock in 4.13 seconds, the fastest time clocked during the rodeo so far. There were some faster times in the qualifying competition, but not with all the pressure of the rodeo going on.
Sippel will rope again today and hope to add to her winnings before Sunday’s Championship Finals. She is a former College National Finals Rodeo qualifier who also competes in team roping. There are several former college champion breakaway ropers who came through the qualifier to compete at the rodeo here. They include Kimberlyn Fitch who was the champion in 2013. She finished fourth yesterday and will need to add to that to have any hope of winning here.
Former Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo champion and world champion Brittany Pozzi-Tonozzi is having another stellar year. She won the title here in 2007 aboard her great gelding Stitch. She has several horses she is riding now and they all are winners. The two-time world champion has been to the NFR 12 times and is likely headed there again. She is currently ranked seventh. Many things have changed for her since she won here previously. She is married to team roper Garrett Tonozzi and they have a daughter, Tinlee who keeps them on their toes.