All competition today starts with a clean slate. The championships will be determined by the fastest time or highest score today.
Today’s rodeo opens with steer roping, an event that has a history going back to 1898. There are two former champions in the mix, and they both have gold buckles, being the world’s best. Scott Snedecor, from Fredericksburg, Texas, won at Frontier Park in 2009, and Brodie Popino, from Big Cabin, Oklahoma, was the champion in 2018. Tuff Hardman, from Atoka, Oklahoma, was the champion here last year.
Tie-down roper Shad Mayfield from Clovis, New Mexico, is defending his championship from last year. Mayfield, the world champion all-around cowboy and 2020 gold buckle earner in the tie-down, competed here in 2019 as the national high school champion tie-down roper.
Richmond Champion is the veteran in the bareback riding. The 10-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier won here in 2014. Kade Sonnier tied for the title here in 2023, and 2022 world champion Jess Pope is gunning for his first.
The very first time that breakaway roping was part of our rodeo, Jordan Jo Fabrizio earned the championship while wearing a buckle that Raymond Hollabaugh won in the tie-down roping in 1983. Jordan got her own buckle in 2019. She also qualified for the finals last year.
The past two years, the horse that has carried a rider to a Cheyenne Frontier Days championship in saddle bronc riding has been THE Black Tie owned by Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics. That just happens to be the horse picked in a random draw for three-time CFD champion Brody Cress.
Zeke Thurston has four world championships to his credit, but has yet to win here. His father, Skeeter Thurston, won the Rookie Bronc Riding in 1982.
Tyler Wade won this rodeo in 2016 with Dakota Kirchenschlager. Two years ago, he started roping with Wesley Thorp, and they have been the most successful team in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. They have left the National Finals Rodeo as the world champions the past two years. If they win here today, it would be Wesley’s first title in Frontier Park.
We will have a new steer wrestling champion today. The 2020 world champion, Jacob Edler, is in the mix, and a win here could help him qualify for the NFR in Las Vegas next December.
If Trisyn Kalawaia is at the top of the leaderboard after today’s steer wrestling is complete, he will be the first native Hawaiian to win a championship in any event. Trisyn qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming, in 2024. He competed for Northwestern Oklahoma State University at Alva. He is 24th in the world standings.
Four former champions will be vying for a barrel racing title today. Brittany Pozzi – Tonozzi won here in 2007. Lisa Lockhart earned it in 2015. Hailey Kinsel got her Cheyenne buckle in 2021, and Sue Smith was the champion in 2023. Bristan McCarley was one of two women to stop the clock in 17.00 seconds here this year, and she did that aboard her horse Cheyenne Rumble. That should get today’s crowd going.
There are only three contestants working to earn titles for their home state of Wyoming, and a pair of them are named Brody. Along with Brody Cress, Brody Wells will compete in saddle bronc riding. Hayden Welsh is in the bulls.
Billy Bob Brown, Joseph Harrison, Luke Brown and Trey Yates are all roping for a second Cheyenne championship buckle today. Luke and Trey are roping together. Billy Bob is roping with Blaine Vick, and Joseph is partnered with Bubba Buckaloo.
