2026 Cowboys to Watch – Finals Sunday

All competition today starts with a clean slate. The championships will be determined by the fastest time or highest score today.

Steer Roping

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. Scott Snedecor, a former world champion from Fredericksburg, Texas, won at Frontier Park first in 2009, then again in 2025. Troy Tillard from Douglas, Wyoming, was the champion here in 2023.

Bareback Riding

Kade Sonnier tied for the title here in 2023 and is hoping to be on stage all by himself today. He has a really good opportunity as the horse that he will ride is the reigning world champion bareback horse. Lunatic Heaven, owned by Montana’s Brookman Rodeo Company, took Kade Berry to an arena-record win here last year.

Team Roping

Today’s team roping has several former CFD champions in the mix. The most recent is Billy Bob Brown, who won the heading in 2023. This year he is roping with Blaine Vick, who is hoping for his first title. Luke Brown is in a similar situation. He won in 2015 heading for Kollin VonAhn. This year he is roping with Hunter Koch. Erich Rogers and Cory Petska are the only header and heeler that have made the victory lap together in Frontier Park. They earned the title in 2015. Former world champions Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira are roping for their first title here.

Saddle Bronc Riding

The saddle bronc riding is the most star-studded event of the day with three world champions – Statler Wright, Ryder Wright and Zeke Thurston – who hold a total of eight titles. All three have family members who have earned CFD titles. Thurston’s dad Skeeter won the rookie bronc riding in 1982. Statler and Ryder’s brother Stetson has won all-around, saddle bronc and bull riding titles here.

Brody Cress hasn’t won a world title, but he has owned the saddle bronc riding at his hometown rodeo with four CFD championships – three consecutive from 2017 to 2019 and another last year

The past three 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 Montana’s Sage Newman.

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.

Breakaway Roping

In 2019, the very first time that breakaway roping was part of our rodeo, Jordan Jo Fabrizio, now Hollabaugh, earned the championship while wearing a buckle that Raymond Hollabaugh won in the tie-down roping in 1983. She has qualified for the finals the past three years. Sawyer Gilbert won here in 2021.

Tie-Down Roping

A pair of CFD champions are part of the tie-down roping field. Shane Hanchey, the 2013 world champion, won his buckle in 2018, and Cory Solomon was the winner in 2022.

Steer Wrestling

Nick Guy is the only former CFD champion in steer wrestling. He won the title in 2015.

Barrel Racing

Three former CFD champions are vying for the barrel racing championship. Reigning champ Lisa Lockhart won in 2015, then again a decade later. Four-time world champion Hailey Kinsel got her Cheyenne buckle in 2021 and Wyoming native Andrea Busby was the champion in 2022.

Wyoming Contestants

Nine contestants will be working to earn titles for their home state of Wyoming. Troy Tillard in steer roping; Roedy Farrel in bareback riding; Brody Cress and Brody Wells in saddle bronc riding; Cameron Irwin, Coley Nichols and Sid Sporer in team roping; and Hayden Welsh and Cheyenne cowboy Brenson Bartlett in bull riding.