July 18-27, 2025

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CFD Gears Up for 2022 Season

Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) announced tickets for the 2022 event will go on sale December 15. Tickets for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Rodeo, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Last Cowboy Standing series, CFD Ticket Packages, Carnival Armbands and Gift Cards (redeemable for tickets or merchandise) will go on sale.

Tickets go on sale December 15 at 9 a.m. MT at www.cfdrodeo.com, and by calling (307) 778-7222. The CFD Ticket Office will not be open for in-person sales at this time.

The 126th annual “Daddy of ‘em All®” will feature nine days of fast-paced PRCA rodeo culminating in Championship Sunday where champions are crowned, and legends are made.

For two nights, the Top-40 stars of the PBR will return to attempt to conquer the sport’s rankest bulls on the historic Wyoming Dirt. The grueling match between Man and Beast continues until one prevails and is crowned the Last Cowboy Standing.

There will be hundreds of vendors, a full carnival, artists, food, and music that celebrate the history and culture of the American West.

Daily rodeo tickets range from $18 – $43. A $3 discount is offered on rodeo tickets purchased before July 1. PBR tickets range from $25 – $105 with special Elite Seating and V.I.P. tickets also available at various prices. Carnival Armbands will be $35 per session or $140 for all 10 days.

Cheyenne Frontier Days has partnered with AXS, a global leader in ticketing for the entertainment world. Through this partnership, the latest innovations in mobile ticketing, ticket forwarding, online account management, payment plans and resale are available to our ticket purchasers.

2022 event attendees will use AXS Mobile ID technology through the AXS App which provides contactless, secure, and personalized fan experiences. Attendees will need to download the AXS App to access digital ticket purchases for 2022.

Artist Announcements are coming in Spring 2022. For the full range of pricing and more event information, please visit www.cfdrodeo.com.

Call for Nominations: CFD Hall of Fame Class of 2022

The nomination forms for the 2022 Cheyenne Frontier Days™ Hall of Fame Class are currently available. Don’t miss your opportunity to nominate the person or entity that you believe has helped shape Cheyenne Frontier Days™ into the “Daddy of ‘em All.” All nominations must be postmarked by January 19, 2022. Nominations are open to the public (you don’t have to be a member of the CFD Old West Museum to nominate) and are limited to past and present Cheyenne Frontier Days™ contestants, contract personnel, entertainers, livestock, families, organizations, and volunteers.

Cheyenne Frontier Days™ plays an important role in the community and it’s time to honor those that have helped make it what it is today.

Nomination forms are available at the Cheyenne Frontier Days™ Old West Museum or online at https://cfdrodeo.com/event/hall-of-fame-nomination-forms/

Call the CFD Old West Museum at (307) 778-7236 or visit us online for more information.

Quick Facts:

Who: CFD Hall of Fame Nomination Forms are open to the public.

What: The CFD Hall of Fame honors those who have made a distinctive contribution to Cheyenne Frontier Days™.

When: Nomination forms are available now and are due by January 19, 2022.

Where: Find your nomination form at the CFD Old West Museum or online at https://cfdrodeo.com/event/hall-of-fame-nomination-forms/

How: Fill out your nomination form and either mail it or bring it to the CFD Old West Museum. You can also send a letter explaining why your candidate is the best choice for the Cheyenne Frontier Days™ Hall of Fame.

Contact: Curtis Olson, Registrar, at curtis.olson@oldwestmuseum.org

CFD Invites You to Join the Club

WPRA Announces 2021 Committee & Contract Awards

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – The WPRA is pleased to announce their contract award winners that work tirelessly behind the scenes to make it all happen and keeps the Association alive and well. Each winner will be officially recognized during the WPRA Star Celebration at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on December 2.

Honored this year with the WPRA Outstanding Rodeo Committee Partner is the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. The Daddy of ’em All celebrated 125 years in 2021 and in doing so they also added ladies breakaway roping offering equal money to the rest of the events. This was a huge step in keeping the ball rolling for WPRA Breakaway Roping to not only add the event but allow the ropers to run at equal money as the barrel racers and all the men’s events. In 2020, breakaway roping was added to 54 PRCA rodeos and in 2021 that number grew to an astonishing 214. The ladies of the WPRA thank Cheyenne for being a leader and to all the other committees who have included this second women’s event to their line-up.

Another leader in the rodeo industry this past year was stock contractor Pete Carr, who has been an advocate for improving the ground conditions for the barrel racers at his rodeos with a drag or hand rake. Carr will be honored for the second time with the WPRA Stock Contractor of the Year Award. He last earned the honor in 2014.

This year’s Corporate Partner of the Year award goes to Resistol. Each year they have honored the barrel racing rookie of the year and beginning this year they are now also recognizing the breakaway roping rookie of the year. Both ladies (Kylee Scribner and Madison Outhier) will be officially recognized at the Resistol Rookie luncheon in Las Vegas and during the seventh performance of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame will be receiving the Distinguished Partnership award. The award is given in recognition for the years in keeping the history of women in the western industry alive and well and for being gracious hosts for the WPRA luncheons last year when the NFR was moved to Arlington due to the pandemic.

Rodeo committees have long been the backbone of the rodeo industry and that has never been more apparent given all the challenges the pandemic has inflicted over the last two years. Without the hardworking rodeo committees, the industry would have a hard time existing. Winning the WPRA Large Rodeo of the Year award in 2021 is the San Angelo (Texas) Stock Show and Rodeo. The Golden Spike Rodeo in Tremonton, Utah, will be honored as the Medium Rodeo of the Year and the Will Rogers Stampede in Claremore, Oklahoma, will take home the Small Rodeo of the Year.

The WPRA would like to congratulate each of the award recipients as well as those that were nominated for these prestigious awards.

Below is a full list of those that will be recognized by the WPRA in 2021:

Announcer of the Year  Will Rasmussen

Stock Contractor of the Year  Carr Pro Rodeo – Pete Carr

Judge of the Year  Wade Woolstenhulme

Mildred Farris Secretary of the Year  Dottie Hayes

Small Rodeo of the Year (added money of $5,000 or less)  Will Rogers Stampede (Claremore, OK)

Medium Rodeo of the Year (added money of $5,001 – $9,999)  Golden Spike Rodeo (Tremonton, UT)

Large Rodeo of the Year (added money over $10,000)  San Angelo (Texas) Stock Show and Rodeo

Corporate Partner of the Year  Resistol                                                    

Media Award  Julie Mankin

Lenora Reimers’ Heritage Award  Doreen Wintermute

Outstanding Individual of the Year  Jason Jenson

Outstanding Service & Dedication Award  Jimmie Munroe

Distinguished Partnership  National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame

Lifetime Family Heritage Award  Lori Todd Family

NFR Achievement Award  Heidi Schmidt

Outstanding Rodeo Committee Partner  Cheyenne (WY) Frontier Days

Innovative Media Partner  The Cowboy Channel

Innovative Rodeo of the Year  Mesilla Valley Stampede (2020 standalone Turquoise Circuit Barrel Racing Finals) – Mesquite, NM

CFD Names New Committee Chair

Jordan Johnson named 2022 Lady-In-Waiting

Cheyenne Frontier Days™ Names New Committee Chairs for 126th Celebration

Lady-In-Waiting Application Deadline

Cheyenne Frontier Days is currently accepting applications for the 2021 Lady-In-Waiting. Applicants must be a resident of Laramie County, and a high school graduate at the time of application. Completed applications are due at Cheyenne Frontier Days Headquarters on Friday, August 20 by 4 p.m.

The Lady-In-Waiting will be under the direction of the Cheyenne Frontier Days Indians Committee. Miss Frontier will assist the Lady-In-Waiting in learning her role as spokesperson for Cheyenne Frontier Days.

In addition to submitting a written application, candidates will need to demonstrate horsemanship skills on Sunday, August 29 and participate in a personal interview on Monday, August 30.

Lady-in-Waiting Application

Lady-in-Waiting Schedule of Events

125th Anniversary is one for the record books

Cheyenne Frontier Days welcomed fans back to Frontier Park with at or near capacity crowds throughout the week.  Both Saturday rodeos and the Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton concerts were sold out.  A record number of 267,369 rodeo and concert tickets were sold overall – rivalling the 100th Anniversary in 1996.

The “Daddy of ‘em All” returned after cancelling in 2020 due to the global pandemic.  This year, organizers introduced a clear bag policy, emphasized digital tickets, and increased sanitation to make the event as safe as possible for everyone involved.  The University of Nebraska Global Center for Health Security provided recommendations for health and safety protocols. Security measures were also modified and increased.

This year’s event was dedicated to Chris LeDoux, the rodeo and recording legend. Garth Brooks and Ned LeDoux spoke at the dedication of the bigger than life bronze statue Just LeDoux It that was added to Frontier Park to commemorate the event’s 125th anniversary.

The 2021 rodeo had 1,403 contestants competing for over $1 million in prize money. Women’s breakaway roping and a tournament-style format returned for the second time.

At the Championship Finals on Sunday, 14,925 fans witnessed history when reigning all-around champion Stetson Wright won consecutive titles. It is the first time in over 60 years a cowboy competing from the bucking chutes has done that. Wright also became the first member of his famous saddle bronc riding family to win that event here. His father Cody Wright started competing here in 2001 and there have been family members on the roster every year since.

The two Saturday rodeo performances on July 24 and 31 were sold out.  All rodeo performances were broadcast worldwide on the Cowboy Channel. Competition was sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association.

Animals are an important part of CFD.  An estimated 6,000 make their way through the rodeo arena, parades and the bull riding. All animals are checked multiple times throughout the day with their health and welfare being of primary concern. CFD veterinarians treated seven animals and all but two were expected to make a full recovery.

Rodeo attendance through nine performances was 111,617 compared to 97,373 two years ago, an increase of over 14 percent. Total attendance for Frontier Nights was 155,618 compared to 120,518 in 2019, a 29 percent increase. Total attendance increased as well, but numbers aren’t available as much of the gate admission was free.

Professional Bull Riders (PBR) hosted their Last Cowboy Standing competition as part of Frontier Nights July 26-27. The last bull rider standing on Tuesday night was Brazilian Jose Vitor Leme. It was one of the best crowds since CFD added bull riding with 20,257 in attendance. Events were broadcast on PBR’s Ride Pass and CBS Sports.

Other numbers were in line with previous years. Four parades were extremely well attended.  Two of those parades were broadcast by the Cowboy Channel. Three pancake breakfasts saw 19,025 meals served and approximately 50,000 visited the Indian Village.

Military Monday again honored all branches of the military with active personnel and veterans receiving free admission. The USAF Thunderbirds performed Wednesday over F.E. Warren Airforce Base with approximately 5,756 people in attendance on base.

“After missing a year, it was amazing to see how our volunteers and everyone involved came together to produce a fantastic event,” said Jimmy Dean Siler, General Chairman of Cheyenne Frontier Days. “I can’t say thank you enough to the fans, competitors, performers and volunteers and most of all this great Cheyenne community.”

Anderson Dominates Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo Saddle Bronc Riding

On a day when a majority of the saddle bronc riders at the 125th Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo (CFD) scored 80-plus points, Ben Anderson managed to best them all.

The Rocky Mountain House, Alberta cowboy recorded an 88.5-point ride on the back of Championship Pro Rodeo’s Damaged Goods to win Friday’s CFD Semi Final round and propel himself into Sunday’s Championship Finals.

Of the nine saddle bronc riders who stayed on for eight seconds, six were 83 points or higher. Anderson held off Milford, Utah’s Stetson Wright (88 points) who put himself in position to be the first of his famous saddle bronc riding family to win a championship in that event since his father Cody Wright started competing here over 20 years ago.

This wasn’t the first time Anderson had been on the back of Damaged Goods as the two met at the Mandan (North Dakota) Rodeo Days earlier in July. Anderson hit the ground in less than two seconds, leading to his moment of revenge on Friday.

“I knew he was good. Actually, my travel partner, Layton Green, got on him the other day and had a really good trip with him. He was 85. He was good with me (the first time), just bucked me off really quick,” Anderson said. He also previously won a qualifying round by posting an 88 in the quarterfinals. “I saved it all for Cheyenne I guess.”

Tight races were the norm during the first Semi Final round at the “Daddy of ’em All”, as bareback riders Tim O’Connell (Zwingle, Iowa) and Tilden Hooper (Carthage, Texas) set the tone in the day’s first event. Both cowboys rode for 86 points to tie for the top spot, keeping the battle between the No. 1 and No. 2 bareback riders in the world extremely close. The gap between the two men in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association standings is less than $20,000, meaning money in Cheyenne could play a big role in how the season finishes. It took an 80.5-point or better ride just to qualify for Sunday.

Five team roping duos managed to finish their runs in under 12 seconds, with the pairings of Dustin Egusquiza (Marianna, Florida) and Travis Graves (Jay, Oklahoma), and Levi Simpson (Ponoka, Alberta) and Tyler Worley (Berryville, Arkansas) tying for the Semi Final’s top time at 9.5 seconds.

A similar pattern emerged in steer wrestling as five of the six qualifiers finished in under seven seconds, with Hallsville, Texas cowboy Justin Shaffer posting a time of 5.5 seconds.

In women’s breakaway roping, 10 of the 12 competitors recorded a time and everyone went for 6.1 seconds or less, making the race for the top six spots extremely narrow. Stephenville, Texas’ Kayelen Helton edged out Buffalo, South Dakota’s Sawyer Gilbert to win the day. Helton finished in 4.3 seconds, just ahead of Gilbert’s 4.6.

While tight scores among the top six competitors were the norm in most events, bull riding proved to be the exception as the pen turned out to be extremely difficult. Of the 13 cowboys to climb on, only four were able to last eight seconds. Still, it turned into a close competition as Grand Coulee, Washington’s Shane Proctor held off Randlett, Utah’s Josh Frost to win the day. Proctor, who won this rodeo in 2011, was at the top of the leaderboard with an 86.5-point ride on the back of Dakota Rodeo’s Big Red, while Frost was 86 on Stace Smith’s 637D.

The Semi Finals 2 will start at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday at Frontier Park. Six competitors in an event qualify for Championship Sunday from each Semi Final.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (July 30, 2021) – The following are unofficial results from the Semi Finals One (seventh performance) at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo on Friday. All money winners advance to Sunday’s Championship Finals. Payoff subject to change.

Bareback Riding: 1, (tie) Tim O’Connell, Zwingle, Iowa, on Sankey Pro Rodeo’s Prairie Rose, and Tilden Hooper, Carthage, Texas, on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Hooey Rocks, 86 points, $2,780 each. 3, Cole Franks, Clarenden, Texas, 82.5, $1,726. 4, (tie) Caleb Bennett, Corvallis, Mont., and Kaycee Feild, Genola, Utah, 81, $911 each. 6, Bill Tutor, Huntsville, Texas, 80.5, $479.
Breakaway Roping: 1, Kayelen Helton, Stephenville, Texas, 4.3 seconds, $6,088. 2, Sawyer Gilbert, Buffalo, S.D., 4.6, $4,612. 3, Makayla Mack, Hennessey, Okla., 5.1, $3,321. 4, (tie) Tibba Smith, Hobbs, N.M., and Nicole Baggarley, Las Cruces, N.M., 5.2, $1,753. 6, (tie) Bradi Good, Abilene, Texas, and Coralee Spratt, Shoshoni, Wyo., 5.3, $231 each.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, Trenton Smith, Bigfoot, Texas, 10.4 seconds, $2,328. 2, Ladd King, Kaysville, Utah, 10.5, $1,927. 3, John Douch, Huntsville, Texas, 11.6, $1,525. 4, (tie) Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah, and Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 12.1, $923. 6, Ryan Thibodeaux, Stephenville, Texas, 12.5, $401.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Ben Anderson, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, 88.5 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Damaged Goods, $3,043. 2, Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah, 88, $2,305. 3, (tie) Kolby Wanchuk, Sherwood Park, Alberta, and Hardy Braden, Welch, Okla., 82, $1,383. 5, Dawson Hay, Wildwood, Alberta, 84, $645. 6, Sterling Crawley, Huntsville, Texas, 83, $461.
Team Roping: 1, (tie) Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alberta, and Tyler Worley, Berryville, Arkansas; and Dustin Egusquiza, Marianna, Fla., and Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 9.5 seconds, $1,876 each. 3, Jason Stewart, Pendleton, Ore., and Jason Duby, Klamath Falls, Ore., 10.7, $1,484 each. 4, Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, Ariz., and Kyle Lockett, Visalia, Calif., 10.8, $1,093 each. 5, Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., and Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev., 10.9, $703 each. 6, Cody Snow, Los Olivos, Calif., and Wesley Thorp, Throckmorton, Texas, 20.8, $390 each.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Justin Shaffer, Hallsville, Texas, 5.5 seconds, $2,121. 2, (tie) Brian Snell, Wheatland, Wyo., and Chance Howard, Sadler, Texas, 6.2, $1,574. 4, Kalane Andrews, Bayard, Neb., 6.3, $1,390. 5, Mike McGinn, Haines, Ore., 6.8, $658. 6, Kyle Whitaker, Chambers, Neb., 7.5, $366.
Barrel Racing: 1, Michelle Darling, Medford, Okla., 17.49, $4,839. 2, Kassie Mowry, Dublin, Texas, 17.64, $4,004. 3, Lindsay Sears, Ropesville, Texas, 17.68, $3170. 4, Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., 17.69, $$2,336. 5, Jordon Briggs, Chilton, Texas, 17.70, $1,502. 6, Hailey Kinsel, Cotulla, Texas, 17.71, $834.
Bull Riding: (four rides) 1, Shane Proctor, Grand Coulee, Wash., 86.5 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Big Red, $3,098. 2, Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah, 86, $2,347. 3, Dustin Boquet, Bourg, La., 84.5, $1,690. 4, J.C. Mortensen, Paulden, Ariz., 79, $1,127.
*Rookie Saddle Bronc Riding:  First round winners – 1, (tie) Reed Neely, Sanger, Calif., on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s #253, and Garrett Long, Valentine, Neb., on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s #254, 81 points, $1,081 each. 3, Colt Cunningham, Rose, Okla., 80, $671. 4, Jade Taton, Kersey, Colo., 78, $447. 3, Locky Sheppard, Snyder, Texas, 77, $26.. 4, Wyatt Lohman, Weatherford, Okla., 76, $186.
Second round leaders – 1, Triston Eklund, Valentine, Neb., 83 points. 2, Matt Shannon, Prineville, Ore., 75. 3, Bailey Bench, Oakley, Idaho, 71. 4, (tie) Brody Wells, Powell, Wyo.,69. 4, Karson Mebane, Bakersfield, Calif, 68. Total on two: 1, Cunningham, 147.5 points. 2, Wells, 143. 3, Sheppard, 142. 4, Mebane, 138. 5, Lucas Macza, High River, Alberta, 136. 6, Jacob Coates, Aurora, Utah, 134.
*Wild Horse Race: 1, Team Harmon, $782. 2, Team Agin.com, $587. 3, Pierce Trucking, $291. 4, Pat Vargus Team, $196. Overall leaders: 1, 3-N $1,173. 2, (tie) James Federer and Shockers, $978 each. 4, (tie) Butin Pump, Team Harmon, Cowboy Dream, Crazy Rayz, Team Meanus, New Mexico Playboys, $782 each.

 

Canada’s Ben Anderson had the highest marked saddle bronc ride of this year’s Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo at 88.5 points. The Rocky Mountain House resident rode Championship Pro Rodeo’s Damaged Goods for the win.  – PRCA photo by Click Thompson