July 17-26, 2026
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July 17-26, 2026
Saddle bronc riders steal the show at Cheyenne Frontier Days
CHEYENNE, Wyo., (July 24, 2026) — To say that the competition at the 130th Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo has been fierce might be an understatement – especially in the saddle bronc riding on Friday.
The top four scores ranged from 91.5 to 90 points and four Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifiers earned the top spots. Leader of the pack was Zeke Thurston from Big Valley, Alberta with a 91.5-point ride aboard Three Hills Rodeo’s horse named Harry Rocks. That top spot earned Thurston $3,000 at a time that is critical in the season.
Thurston, who has won four gold buckles for being the world’s best, has yet to win a championship at Cheyenne. And, he is 10th in the world standings, a position that does not guarantee him a spot at the NFR with just two months left in the regular season. The top 15 in the world standings will be in Las Vegas in December to compete at rodeo’s championships. Cheyenne’s rodeo could seal the deal for Thurston and see him competing at his 12th consecutive NFR.
Brody Wells of Powell, Wyoming, and Q Taylor, from Nanton, Alberta, tied for second place at 90.5. A third Canadian – Kole Ashbacher from Arrowwood, Alberta – captured the fourth spot with a 90-point effort. Ashbacher and Taylor have each been to the NFR one time. Wells has two qualifications to his credit. Taylor is highest in the world standings at 8th while Wells is 13th and Ashbacher is 28th.
Former CFD champions finished at the top of the leaderboard in bareback riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association barrel race. The men’s events are sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
In the bareback riding, Kade Sonnier, from Carencro, Louisiana finished on top with an 89.5 point ride on Penthouse Pro Rodeo’s horse named Brazos. Sonnier was part of a three-way tie for the championship in 2023.
Tie-down roper Shane Hanchey won the championship here in 2018. Hanchey, who was the 2013 world champion, stopped the clock in 11.2 seconds for the win. Nick Guy, who grew up playing hockey in Wisconsin, was the champion steer wrestler here in 2015. He stopped the clock in 5.6 seconds for the top spot on Friday.
In the women’s barrel race, it was all about Lisa Lockhart and Rosa’s Cantina “Rosa.” The Oelrichs, South Dakota, duo won the title here last year. That was Lockhart’s second CFD win. She also won the title in 2015.
All these competitors will be back here on Sunday for the Championship Finals where they will start with a clean slate and the fast time or high score wins. Semi-finals 3 starts on Saturday at 12:45 where the final four spots for Championship Sunday will be determined.
The following are unofficial results from Semi-Finals 2, the eighth performance of the 130th Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo on Friday, July 24.
Bareback Riding: 1, Kade Sonnier, Carencro, La., 89.5 points on Penthouse Pro Rodeo’s Brazos, $3,000. 2, (tie) Mason Yancy, Fruitland, Idaho; Jayco Roper, Oktaha, Okla., and Ethan Mazurenko, Thorhild, Alberta, Canada, 88.5 points $2,000 each. 5, R.C. Landingham, Hat Creek, Calif., 88, $1,000. 6, (tie) Darien Johnson, Tremonton, Utah, and Leighton Berry, Weatherford, Texas, 87.5, $250 each. Finals Qualifiers: Sonnier, Yancy, Mazurenko and Roper.
Tie Down Roping: 1, Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 11.2 seconds, $3,000. 2, Britt Bedke, Oakley, Idaho, 11.5, $ 2,500. 3, Tyler Boxleitner, Loveland, Co., 12.2, $2,000. 4, Brayden Roe, Wendell, Idaho, 12.6, $1,500. 5, Chet Weitz, London, Texas, 13.4.3, $1,000. 6, Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont., 14.3, $500. Finals Qualifiers: Hanchey, Bedke, Boxleitner and Roe.
Breakaway Roping: 1, Cheyanne McCartney, Kingston, Okla., 5.1 seconds, $3,006. 2, Maddy Jacobs, Hope, N.M., 5.5, $2,487. 3, Jordan Hollabaugh, Springtown, Texas, 5.6, $1,969. 4, Jill Tanner, Stephenville, Texas, 5.9, $1,451. 5, Josie Conner, Iowa, La., 6.0, $933. 6, Hali Williams, Comanche, Texas, 6.5, $518. Finals Qualifiers: McCartney, Jacobs, Hollabaugh and Tanner.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, Canada, 91.5 points on Three Hills Rodeo’s Harry Rocks, $3,000. 2, (tie) Brody Wells, Powell, Wyo., and Q Taylor, Nanton, Alberta, Canada, 90.5, $2,250. 4, Kole Ashbacher, Arrowwood, Alberta, Canada, 90, $1,500 each. 5, Darcy Radel, Injune, Queensland, Australia, 89.5, $1,000. 6, Weston Patterson, Waverly, Kan., 88.5, $500. Finals Qualifiers: Thurston, Wells, Taylor and Ashbacher.
Team Roping: 1, Tyler Tryan, Lipan, Texas, and Nicky Northcott, Stephenville, Texas, 7.9 seconds, $3,000 each. 2, Brye Crites, Welch, Okla., and Ross Ashford, Lott, Texas, 8.9, $2,500 each. 3, Jr. Dees, Orange Texas, and Landon Glenn, McAlester, Okla., 9.0, $2,000 each. 4, Corben Culley, Lawton, Iowa, and Calgary Smith, Adams, Ore., 9.2, $1,500 each. 5, (tie) Clay Tryan, Billings, Mont., and Will Woodfin, Marshall, Texas; and Tanner Tomlinson, Mineral Wells, Texas, and Wesley Thorp, Stephenville, Texas, 9.3, $750 each. Finals Qualifiers: Tryan and Northcott; Crites and Ashford; Dees and Glenn; and Culley and Smith.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Nick Guy, Sparta, Wis., 5.6 seconds, $3,000. 2, Zach Hamar, Yuma, Colo., 6.3, $2,500. 3, Dirk Tavenner, Rigby, Idaho, 7.6, $2,000. 4, Traver Johnson, Eltopia, Wash., 7.7, $1,500. 5, Tanner Scheevel, Lester Prairie, Minn., 7.8., $1,000. 6, Cash Robb, Altamont, UT., 11.4, $500. Finals Qualifiers: Guy, Hamar, Tavenner and Johnson.
Barrel Racing: 1, Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 17.57, $3,064. 2, Katelyn Scott, Odessa, Texas, 17.60, $ 2,536. 3, Andrea Busby, Brock, Texas, 17.64, $2,008. 4, Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas, 17.73, $1,479. 5, Katie Halbert, Port Lavaca, Texas, $17.83, $951. 6, BryAnna Haluptzok, McAlester, Okla.,17.84, $528. Finals Qualifiers: Lockhart, Scott, Busby and Kinsel.
Bull Riding: (two rides) 1, Luke Mackey, Ignacio, Colo., 87 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Paper Cut, $5,500. 2, Brenson Bartlett, Cheyenne, Wyo., 86, $5,000. Finals Qualifiers: Mackey and Bartlett.
Rookie Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round winners) 1, Lanny Brooks, Faith, S.D., 83 points, $1,122. 2, Rylan Cherry, Buna, Texas, 81.5, $850. 3, Kaden Wood, Whitewood, S.D., 81, 612. 4, Quay Lloyd, Sweetwater, Texas, 78, $408. 5, (tie) Cade Costello, Newell, S.D., and Kaden Miranda, Mule Creek, N.M., 77, $204 each. (second round winners) 1, Dane McPhail, Snyder, Okla., 85 points, $1,121. 2, Jack Kissel, La Junta, Colo., 84, $850. 3, Clay Nyhus, Torrington, Wyo., 82, $612. 4, Colt Bass, Statesville, N.C., 81, $323. 6, Try Shadlock, Torrington, Wyo., and Rylan Cherry, Buna, Texas, $85 each. (overall leaders) 1, Cherry, 160.5 points. 2, Bass, 154. 3, Holden Eisemann, Glenham, S.D., 153.5. 4, Brooks, 150.
Wild Horse Race: 1, Pierce Trucking, $589. 2, Team Young Gunz, $442. 3, New Mexico PlayBoyz, $294. 4, Gotta Go, 147.
