JULY 25, 2025: COWBOYS TO WATCH

Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding

The field is as stacked in bareback riding as in any event. A couple of former CFD champions, Orin Larsen (2016) and Kade Sonnier (2023) and former world champion Jess Pope lead a group that includes five of the top 15.

Wacey Schalla’s bid for the 2025 All-Around World Championship could get a big boost if he does well in the bareback riding. The number 1 bull rider in the world standings did not qualify for the semifinals in that event, but he’s second in the all-around and 22nd in the bareback riding.

A pair of Wyoming bareback riders – Tuker Carricato of Saratoga and Myles Carlson of Evanston – should have the crowd’s full support today. Carricato is a two-time national champion at the high school level and is excited to be riding here with guys that he has looked up to.

Ryder Sanford holds the CFD record in saddle bronc riding, set when he won the championship here in 2023. He’d love to repeat, but to get to Championship Sunday he’ll need to do well in a field that includes four-time world champion Zeke Thurston and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th ranked bronc riders in the world standings – Canadian Dawson Hay (whose dad Rod won the title here over 25 years ago), Australian Damian Brennan and Idaho’s Kade Bruno – plus three other Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifiers.

The bull riding roster includes two cowboys who did not make the initial cut for CFD and were walk-up replacements at the last minute. Louisiana’s Walon Buquoi and Texan Tyce Willis both capitalized on the opportunity in the Quarter Finals and, with continued success, have a good chance to make the finals.

Tristen Hutchings has finished among the top 5 in the world for the past two seasons and is currently ranked third in the world bull riding standings.

Hayden Welsh of Gillette has already become a crowd favorite at Frontier Park this year and is hoping to follow in his dad Bobby’s footsteps. (Bobby Welsh qualified for the NFR seven times.) The Cheyenne championship never happened for Bobby, so for a Welsh to win it would be gratifying for the whole family. Thayne Elshere of Hereford, S.D., was also inspired by his family. His father JJ Elshere rode saddle broncs at the NFR many times and his cousin Cole Elshere had success in both saddle bronc and bull riding. Don’t count out Hayes Weight who finished second in the world last season.

Timed Events – Steer Wrestling, Team, Tie-Down, Breakaway Roping and Barrel Racing

The tie-down roping features reigning CFD and world all-around champion Shad Mayfield who could make history as the first roper to win back-to-back championships in Frontier Park. Aiming to spoil that is a field of top ropers, including two-time world champion Riley Webb and 2004 world champion Monty Lewis. Also among today’s ropers are three others in the top 15 – John Douch, Kyle Lucas and Riley Pruitt. All three of them have champion mentors – five-time world champion Joe Beaver, seven-time NFR qualifier and 1985 CFD champion Joe Lucas, and 1990 world champion Troy Pruitt, respectively.

New Mexico’s Rooster Yazzie has a chance at the CFD all-around, steer wrestling and team roping titles. He has already won money in both events, is in the steer wrestling today, and will rope tomorrow. Paul Melvin’s father Marty Melvin was all-around champion at CFD in 1983, and Paul would love to bring home a second title for the family from Frontier Park. Cash Robb, 22, already has one NFR under his belt, and he won the coveted average title in Las Vegas last year. Kyle Irwin has been to six NFRs and won the average there in 2022.

A pair of Oklahomans, Mason Appleton and Rance Doyal, set a new PRCA record in team roping of 3.2 seconds at Nampa, Idaho, last month. Although the start of the cattle are given here means times are much longer, they are capable of winning under any circumstance. Reigning world champions Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp are among today’s teams. Wade won the title here in 2016 with Dakota Kirchenschlager. Nelson Wyatt and Jonathan Torres, a pair of NFR veterans, were featured on ESPN’s SportsCenter last night when the iconic news show broadcast live from CFD.

Four-time World Champion Hailey Kinsel headlines a stellar field of barrel racers. She won the CFD championship in 2021. Also competing today is Sue Smith of Blackfoot, Idaho, who won CFD in 2023 and holds the arena record at 16.89. South Dakota’s Summer Kosel and her horse Apollo tied the fastest time of this year’s rodeo yesterday with a 17.00. They set the arena record here in 2022 and broke their own record in 2023 which held for two runs until Smith broke it.

Anita Ellis, also of Blackfoot, Idaho, may be the hottest barrel racer in the world right now. She rocketed from 32nd in the standings to 5th on the strength of winning everything she could, including the championship at the Calgary Stampede early this month.

Jordan Jo Hollabaugh won the inaugural breakaway roping at CFD as Jordan Jo Fabrizio. Since then, she has married former CFD tie-down champion Raymond Hollabaugh and is known for her breakaway roping podcast “In the Loop.” Hope Thompson qualified for the National Finals Breakaway Roping in 2020 and wants to be back there this year. A win here could boost her chances of returning to breakaway’s world championship. Oklahoma college cowgirl Hannah Giger has already won more than $7,800 at Frontier Park this year. She won one pool of the qualifying round with a time of 3.5 seconds then won her quarterfinals with a 4.6.