CHEYENNE, Wyo., July 28, 2024 — The Championship Sunday crowd at the 128^th Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo (CFD) saw a mix of world champions facing adversity and unheralded cowboys ride away with 2024 championships at the Daddy of ‘em All.

The top 12 contestants from the previous rounds of competition compete on Championship Sunday where everyone starts with a clean slate. The first competition of the day was steer roping. Tuff Hardman of Atoka, Oklahoma, who came into Championship Sunday in tenth place, but clocked a time of 14.5 seconds as the third man to rope. The closest any of the rest of the field could get was a 14.6 by another Oklahoman, Chet Herren. Hardman has his sights on qualifying for the National Finals Steer Roping and the nearly $11,000 he won on Sunday will help the father of three reach that goal.

Next up was bareback riding where seven of the 12 finalists were veterans of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR). North Dakota cowboy Clay Jorgenson marked the highest score of the 2024 rodeo with 90 points Summit Pro Rodeo’s Game Trail. This is the biggest win to date for the 28-year-old cowboy and is one he’ll remember for a lifetime.

“To get my name up there with a bunch of great guys who’ve won this rodeo before, it hasn’t really processed yet,” Jorgenson remarked. “It’s an unbelievable feeling and I’m so blessed.”

In tie-down roping, world standings leader Shad Mayfield continued his successful season, clocking a time of 9.8 to win by nearly 3 seconds. Mayfield has been battling hip injuries all season and credited being able to stay in Cheyenne through the week with helping his performance. He will take a few weeks off for rest and rehabilitation to stave off surgery until after the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in December.

Mayfield, who won the world title in 2020, grew up coming to Frontier Days with his father. He has a photo of himself as a young child swinging a rope under the grandstands.

Reigning breakaway roping world champion Shelby Boisjoli-Meged was emotional on the winner’s platform after winning her event with the fastest time of this year’s rodeo – 3.7 seconds. She admitted that she had been having a rough time winning this summer.

She had to be one of the top breakaway ropers in the wild card round after she missed the cut in the qualification round.

“I missed my calf in the wild card and had to fish my rope around the neck,” she said. “I credit that “cowgirl try” with getting me to today’s finals. Today I thought I had broken the barrier for a couple of strides until I heard my husband yell.”

To see your name drawn next to Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’ THE Black Tie is a bronc rider’s dream. The 2023 Saddle Bronc Horse of the Year is known for giving cowboys a good chance to mark 90 points or more. Logan Cook of Alto, Texas, took advantage of that opportunity with a score of 90 to win the championship.

“I’ve kind of been nervous since yesterday afternoon about 4 o’clock just because you know you’ve got the one to win it on as long as you do your job,” Cook explained.

“Everybody in the world watches the Daddy of ‘Em All.  You grow up as a little kid watching it and it’s just great to come here and come out on top,” he said.

Winning Cheyenne Frontier Days is an accomplishment that has eluded team ropers Hayes Smith and Justin Davis for years, until now.

“This is one of the ones you grow up practicing to win and I’ve never even made the short round here,” Smith said, while Davis added “I’ve made the short round five or six times, but I’ve never won it.”

The field was stacked with past CFD champions along with numerous NFR qualifiers, but Smith and Davis bested them all with an 8.3 second run to win.

“This is as good as it gets. It’s a lifelong dream to win this rodeo. I’ve been here probably 16 times, and I’ve never won it, so it’s pretty special,” Davis acknowledged.

Denton Good, a 20-year-old steer wrestler from Long Valley, South Dakota, earned his first championship at Frontier Park. Rodeo is a family affair for Good. His father Allen was his hazer, riding his grandfather’s hazing horse. Denton rode his brother’s horse while his brother was at another rodeo riding Denton’s horse.

Good opened a fencing business after he graduated from high school. His foreman made the 4.5-hour drive to watch the final round while the rest of his crew worked a fencing job.

In barrel racing 2022 World Champion Jordon Briggs and her horse Famous Lil Jet that she calls Rollo took the win in Frontier Park, a place where her mother Kristie Peterson won four championships in the 1990s. Champions here get a prize package that includes a trophy buckle and trophy saddle. Peterson also took home a trophy bit from the 100^th anniversary of this rodeo. Briggs received a special three-foot tall replica of Frontier Park’s new How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls statue as did Boisjoli-Meged.

Briggs took most of the rodeo season off as Rollo recovered from an injury to a suspensory ligament and had won no money in Women’s Professional Rodeo Association competition as of June 1. Since then, she and Rollo have been taking home paychecks and the $17,000 they earned here is an important boost in her quest to return to the NFR or at least end the season in the top 30 to qualify for the big winter rodeos.

T.J. Gray, a 23-year-old bull rider from Dairy, Oregon, matched up with Dakota Rodeo’s bull No Dose for a score of 90 points.

“I’ve never been 90 before so when they said that I was, I was pretty stoked,” Gray, who is ranked seventh in the world, admitted.

“Cheyenne’s the biggest rodeo I’ve ever won,” Gray said. “There were a lot of good bull riders out today and a lot of good bulls, but I knew 90 was going to be a high mark to beat.”

The all-around race was a veteran versus rookie; timed event versus rough stock battle between two Oklahomans – roper Coleman Proctor and bareback and bull rider Wacey Schalla.

Proctor, the 2022 CFD All-Around Champion, posted a time of 24.0 seconds in steer roping which put him eighth and earned him $2,200. Schalla was the final cowboy to ride in the bareback riding. He knew he needed a big score since North Dakota’s Jorgenson had set the bar at 90 points. Schalla scored 89 points to split second and third and add $5,500 to his earnings.

In team roping Proctor and his partner Logan Medlin of New Mexico won $8,000 each for second place with a time of 10 seconds. For the second time in three years, Proctor found himself avidly watching the bull riding with an all-around title on the line.

Schalla was matched with Dakota Rodeo’s unridden bull Big Time. The rookie cowboy brought a roar from the crowd as he scored 83 points to place third for another $4,500, but that wasn’t enough to overtake Proctor who joked his 2022 buckle was getting worn and needed an update.

            The 2025 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo will be held in Frontier Park July 19-27, 2025.

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2024 Cheyenne Frontier Days Champions

Bareback Riding – Clay Jorgenson, Watford City, N.D., $11,729

Steer Roping – Tuff Hardman, Atoka, Okla., 30.8, $10,972

Breakaway Roping – Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, Miles City, Mont., $16,280

Tie-Down Roping – Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M., $16,400

Saddle Bronc Riding – Logan Cook, Alto, Texas, $10,728

Team Roping – Hayes Smith, Central Point, Ore., and Justin Davis, Cottonwood, Calif.,

$11,925 each

Steer Wrestling, Denton Good, Long Valley, S.D., $12,710

Barrel Racing – Jordon Briggs, Tolar, Texas, $17,053

Bull Riding – T.J. Gray, Dairy, Ore., $10,627

All-Around – Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla., $28,351

Rookie Bronc Riding – Clint Read, Wildwood, Alberta, $1,543

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (July 28, 2024)- The following are unofficial results from Championship Sunday at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo on Sunday, July 28.

Bareback Riding: 1, Clay Jorgenson, Watford City, N.D., 90 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Game Trail,  $8,455. 2, (tie) Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba, Canada, and Wacey Schalla, Arapaho, Okla., 89, $5,508 each. 4, Waylon Bourgeois, Church Point, La., 88, $3,074. 5, (tie) R.C. Landingham, Hat Creek, Calif.; Lane McGehee, Victoria, Texas, and Jacob Lees, Caldwell, Idaho, 84, $769 each.

Breakaway Roping: 1, Shelby, Boisjoli-Meged, Miles City, Mont., 3.7 seconds, $12,210. 2, Shelby Whiting, Paola, Kan., 4.9, $9,250. 3, Kinlie Brennise, Craig, Colo., 5.0, $6,600. 4, Jordan Jo Hollabaugh, 5.4, $4,440. 5, Chenoa VandeStouwe, Weatherford, Okla., 5.6, $2,590. 6, Jordyn McNamee, Laramie, Wyo., 6.7, $1,850.

Tie Down Roping: 1, Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M., 9.8 seconds, $9,200. 2, Chet Weitz, London, Texas, 12.5, $8,000. 3, Dontae Pacheco, Blanco, N.M., 12.9, $6.800. 4, Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas, 13.0, $5,600. 5, Brayden Roe, Wendell, Idaho, 13.1, $4,400. 6, Tyler Milligan, Pawhuska, Okla., 13.4, $3,200. 7, Britt Bedke, Oakley, Idaho, 13.8, $2,000. 8, Dylan Hancock, San Angelo, Texas, 14.4, $800.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Logan Cook, Alto, Texas, 90 points on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’ The Black Tie, $8,135. 2, Wyatt Casper, Miami, Texas, 89, $6,163. 3, (tie) Gus Gaillard, Morse, Texas, and Kolby Wanchuk, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada, 88.5,  $3,698 each. 6, (tie) Lefty Holman, Visalia, Calif., and Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, Canada, 87.5, $1,479 each.

Team Roping: 1, Hayes Smith, Central Point, Ore., and Justin Davis, Cottonwood, Calif., 8.3 seconds, $9,200 each. 2, Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla., and Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M., 10.0, $8,000 each. 3, Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga., and Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prude, Brazil, 10.8, $6,800 each. 4, Cole Thomas, Meadville, Miss., and Dylin Ahlstrom, Hooper, Utah, 13.2, $5,600 each. 5, Riley and Brady Minor, Ellensburg, Wash., 13.6 seconds, $4,400 each. 6, Billy Bob Brown, Carbon, Texas, and Josh Patton, Shallowater, Texas,  14.3, $3,200 each. 7, Dawson and Dillon Graham, Wainwright, Alberta, Canada, 15.1, $2,000 each. 8, Clayton Van Aken, Yoder, Wyo., and Cullen Teller, Ault, Colo., 17.9, $800 each.

Steer Wrestling: (seven times) 1, Denton Good, Long Valley, S.D., 6.5 seconds, $6,900. 2, Caden Camp, Belgrade, Mont.,  6.6, $6,000. 3, Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev., 6.8, $5,100. 4, Jacob Wang, Laramie, Wyo., 7.2, $4,200. 5, Trisyn Kalawaia, Hilo, Hawaii, 8.1, $3,300.  6, Jayce Doan, Hazelton, N.D., 11.9, $2,400. 7, Walt Arnold, Coleman, Texas, 15.9, $1,500. 8, Jesse Brown, Baker City, Ore., No Time, $600 (based on performance in previous rounds.)

Barrel Racing: 1, Jordon Briggs, Tolar, Texas, 17.06 seconds,  $10,751. 2, LaTricia Duke, Zephyr, Texas, 17.08, $8,897. 3, Wenda Johnson, Pawhuska, Okla., 17.24, $7,044 . 4, Leslie Smalygo, Skiatook, Okla., 17.40, $5,190. 5, Tayla Moeykens, Three Forks, Mont., 17.42, $3.336. 6, Andrea Busby, Brock, Texas, 17.54, $1,854.

Bull Riding: (five rides) 1, T.J. Gray, Dairy, Ore., 90 points on Dakota Rodeo’s No Dose, $8,247. 2, Ky Hamilton, Mackay, Queensland, Australia, 88, $6,258. 3, Wacey Schalla, Arapaho, Okla., 83, $4,498. 4, Cooper James, Erda, Utah, 78, $2,999. 5, Parker Breding, Edgar, Mont., 77, $1,749. 6, Jace Trosclair, Chauvin, La., 0, $1,250 (based on performance in previous rounds.)

Steer Roping: (eight times) 1, Tuff Hardman, Atoka, Okla., 14.5 seconds, $10,972. 2, Chet Herren, Pawhuska, Okla., 14.6, $9,326. 3, Trenton Johnson, Blue Mound, Kan., 16.2, $7,681. 4, Tyler Hargrave, Canyon, Texas, 16.5, $6,583. 5, (tie) Blake Deckard, Eufaula, Okla., and Jase Johnson, Jacksboro, Texas, 16.9, $4,663 each. 7, Jess Tierney, Hermosa, S.D., 17.9, $2,743 . 8, Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla., 24.0, $2,194. 9, Cole Patterson, Pawnee, Okla., No Time, $1,920. 10, Scott Snedecor, Fredericksburg, Texas, No Time, $1,646. 11, Vin Fisher, Jr., Andrews, Texas, No Time, $1,372. 12, Jake Clay, Sapulpa, Okla., No Time, $1,097. (places 9-12 based on performance in previous rounds.)

Wild Horse Race: 1, Team Meanus, $4,860. 2, Graves Team, $3,645. 3, Kenny Electric, $2,430. 4, Billy Scharton, $1,215.

CHEYENNE, Wyo., July 27, 2024 — Thanks to Saturday’s Semi Finals 2, the all-around cowboy race at the 128^th Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo (CFD) will come down to a Championship Sunday battle between a pair of Oklahomans.

Rough stock rider Wacey Schalla, who is from the tiny western Oklahoma town of Arapaho, won the bareback riding in Semi Finals 2 with an 88-point ride on Stace Smith Rodeo’s bucking horse named Independence. The 18-year-old cowboy is in his rookie season in professional rodeo and earned both the all-around and the bull riding championship at the College National Finals Rodeo in June.

On Friday he won Semi Finals 1 in the bull riding with 91 points, the highest score of the rodeo thus far. He will compete in both events on Sunday at Frontier Park. He has earned about $11,600 so far this year at CFD.

Schalla’s competition for the coveted all-around championship at the Daddy of ‘em All is the 2022 CFD All-Around Champion Coleman Proctor. Proctor, who is from the slightly larger eastern Oklahoma town of Pryor, is more than twice Schalla’s age at 38. He is the veteran of the pair, having qualified for eight Wrangler National Finals Rodeos (NFR) in team roping.

In Semi Finals 2, Proctor and his partner Logan Medlin of Tatum, New Mexico, placed third in team roping. They have each won nearly $7,200 in that event so far at CFD. Proctor also competes in the steer roping and comes into Championship Sunday as the top-ranked cowboy in that event with nearly $11,000 won during the earlier rounds.

While Proctor has a healthy lead in money won, Championship Sunday competition at the Daddy of ‘em All can surprise even the experts. Proctor will compete first in steer roping, with Schalla following closely in the bareback riding. Proctor is back in team roping four events later with Schalla returning in the bull riding near the end of the finals.

The highest money winner in Semi Finals 2 was bull rider Jace Trosclair of Chavin, La. He was the only bull rider to make a qualified ride on Saturday. He scored 86 points on Dakota Rodeo’s bull Bubba G and earned nearly $9,500.

Amanda Terrell of LaSalle, Colo., matched the fastest time of the 2024 CFD when she won the breakaway roping with a time of 3.8 seconds. The recent college graduate will return to Texas Tech University this fall to pursue her master’s degree in agricultural communications and continue to compete on the Red Raiders’ rodeo team.

In barrel racing Leslie Smalygo of Skiatook, Oklahoma, and her 13-year-old gelding Justaheartbeattofame that she calls Gus stopped the clock in 17.09 seconds to win Semi Finals 2. On Thursday they tied for the win in Quarterfinals 6 and on July 17^th they won the progressive round of barrel racing. The duo won the Calgary Stampede earlier in July and would love to win two of rodeo’s most iconic events in the same month.

Other event winners in Semi Finals 2 were steer wrestler Dakota Eldridge of Elko, Nevada, with 5.9 seconds; Gus Gaillard of Morse, Texas, with 87.5 points on Brookman Rodeo’s bucking horse Satisfaction in the saddle bronc riding; team roping brothers Riley and Brady Minor of Ellensburg, Wash., with 10.1 seconds; and tie-down roper Britt Bedke of Oakley, Idaho, with 12.5.

The champion of the Rookie Saddle Bronc Riding was crowned on Saturday with the title going to Clint Read of Wildwood, Alberta, Canada, who totaled 159 points on two bucking horses to take home the prize package.

            The 2024 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo begins its conclusion at 12:45 p.m. on Sunday where champions will be crowned in 10 events and the all-around and winners will take home a share of the more than $1 million purse.

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CHEYENNE, Wyo. (July 27, 2024)- The following are unofficial results from Semi Finals 2 (eighth performance) at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo on Saturday, July 26. Top six in each event advance to Championship Sunday.

Bareback Riding: 1, Wacey Schalla, Arapaho, Okla., 88 points on Stace Smith Rodeo’s Independence,  $3,154. 2, (tie) Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba, Canada, and Clay Jorgenson, Watford City, N.D., 85.5, $2,055 each. 4, (tie) Trevar McAllister, Ronan, Mont., and Waylon Bourgeois, Church Point, La., 85, $908 each. 6, Bill Tutor, Huntsville, Texas, 84, $478 .

Breakaway Roping: (five times) 1, Amanda Terrell, LaSalle, Colo., 3.8 seconds, $6,290. 2, Jordan McNamee, Laramie, Wyo., 4.5, $4,810. 3, Kelsie Domer, Dublin, Texas, 5.9, $3,515. 4, Shelby Whiting, Paola, Kan., 6.2, $2,405. 5, Eryn Maddock, Adrian, Ore., 6.6, $1,480.

Tie Down Roping: 1, Britt Bedke, Oakley, Idaho, 12.5 seconds, $5,200. 2, Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas, 13.0, $4,300. 3, Chantz Webster, Weatherford, Texas, 13.2, $3,400. 4, Brayden Roe, Wendell, Idaho, 13.4, $2,500. 5, Ryan Thibodeaux, Stephenville, Texas, 15.8, $1,600. 6, Dontae Pacheco, Blanco, N.M., and Shane Hanchey, Sulphur, La., 18.4, $450 each. (Pacheco advances on tiebreaker.)

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Gus Gaillard, Morse, Texas, 87.5 points on Brookman Rodeo’s Satisfaction, $3,035. 2, Logan Cook, Alto, Texas, 85.5, $2,299. 3, Parker Fleet, Axtell, Texas, 85,  $1,655. 4, (tie) Coleman Shallbetter, Gunnison, Colo.; Cash Wilson, Wall, S.D.; and Allen Boore, Axtell, Utah, 84.5, $736 each.

Team Roping: 1, Riley and Brady Minor, Ellensburg, Wash., 10.1 seconds, $5,200 each. 2, Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga., and Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prude, Brazil, 10.3, $4,300 each. 3, Coleman Proctor, Pryor, Okla., and Logan Medlin, Tatum, N.M., 13.4, $3,400 each. 4, Gavin and Wyatt Hershberger, Congress, Ariz., 14.4, $2,500 each. 5, (tie) Cole Thomas, Meadville, Miss., and Dylin Ahlstrom, Hooper, Utah; and Billy Bob Brown, Carbon, Texas, and Josh Patton, Shallowater, Texas, 15.8,  $1,250 each.

Steer Wrestling: 1, Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev., 5.9 seconds, $4,060. 2, Jesse Brown, Baker City, Ore., 6.3, $3,360. 3, Gus McGinn, Haines, Ore., 6.4, $2,660. 4, Trisyn Kalawaia, Hilo, Hawaii, 7.2, $1,960.  5, Jayce Doan, Hazelton, N.D., 7.2, $1,260. 6, (tie) Jay Williamson, Weatherford, Texas, and Austin Hurlburt, Norfolk, Neb., 7.3, $350 each. (Williamson advances on tiebreaker.)

Barrel Racing: 1, Leslie Smalygo, Skiatook, Okla., 17.09 seconds, $5,375. 2, Jordon Briggs, Tolar, Texas, 17.19,  $4,449. 3, Abby Phillips, Marshall, Texas, 17.30, $3,522 . 4, Julie Plourde, Saint-Gedeon, Quebec, Canada, 17.36, $2,595. 5, Wenda Johnson, Pawhuska, Okla., 17.37, $1,668. 6, Angela Ganter, Abilene, Texas, $927.

Bull Riding:  (one ride) 1, Jace Trosclair, Chauvin, La., 86 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Bubba G, $9,421. (Also advancing: Jake Garner, Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada; Parker Breding, Edgar, Mont.; Cooper James, Erda, Utah; Fulton Rutland, Westville, Okla.;  T.J. Gray, Dairy, Ore.; Ky Hamilton, Mackay, Queensland, Australia; and Marco Juarez, Anthony, N.M.)

Rookie Saddle Bronc Riding: First round winners: 1, Hank Whitaker,  81 points on Rocky Mountain Rodeo’s 463, $1,219. 2, (tie) Clint Read, Wildwood, Alberta, Canada, and Dylan Young, Sturgeon County, Aberta, Canada, 79. $794 each. 4, (tie) Skinny Parsons, Springdale, Ark., and Sid Skiver, Nogales, Ariz., 78, $351 each. 6, Tucker Bourdet, Hollister, Calif., 76, $185. Second round winners: 1. Drew Bordelon, Ville Platte, La., 84 points on Rocky Mountain Rodeo’s 507, $1,219. 2, Bourdet, 82, $924. 3, Read, 80, $665. 4, Noel Raynard Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz., 77, $443. 5, Skiver, 75, $259. 6, (tie) Josue Molina, Pampa, Texas; Beau Scarborough, Pine Bluff, Wyo., and Jackson Ford, Sturgis, S.D., 74, $62 each. Total on Two: 1, Read,  159, $1,219. 2, Bourdet, 158, $924. 3, Skiver, 153, $665. 4, Whitaker, 149, $443. 5, Molina, 148, $259. 6, (tie) Ford and Parsons, 147, $92.

Wild Horse Race: 1, Kenny Electric, $600. 2, Stillbroke, $450. 3, Team McKinney, $300. 4, Billy Scharton, $150.

From three bareback riding champions to unheralded first-time winners to repeat champions to arena records, Championship Sunday at the 127^th Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo (CFD) was a day to remember.

The record-setting day began in the bareback riding when, for the just the third time since the event began here in 1936, three cowboys were crowned champions at the “Daddy of ‘em All.” Louisiana’s Kade Sonnier, Wyoming’s Cole Reiner and California’s Clayton Biglow shared the winning stage after they each scored 87.5 points. Biglow won the title here in 2019; Sonnier is a rookie competing here for the first time and Reiner, who grew up in Buffalo and attended college in Sheridan and Casper, has three Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifications since turning pro in 2019.

Both Sonnier and Reiner felt lucky to even have a chance at the title. CFD advances 12 contestants to the finals in each event, but in the rough stock events those who tie for sixth also advance. Of the 14 bareback riders who competed on Sunday, Sonnier and Reiner were two of the three who advanced on a tie in Semi Finals 1.

Joey Williams, a rancher from Volberg, Montana, won the breakaway roping with a time of 3.8 seconds. The mom of three is a former collegiate champion who has qualified for the National Finals Breakaway Roping twice. Williams, who earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of South Dakota, won nearly $20,000 in Frontier Park.

Luke Potter of Maple City, Kansas, ranked 24^th in the tie-down roping world standings when Cheyenne Frontier Days began. He started in the qualifying round July 17 on a borrowed horse since his main mount was injured last month and did well enough to qualify for the Quarter Finals last Thursday. On Wednesday he purchased an experienced roping horse called Katniss and finished third with both his quarter-final and semi-final runs. His time of 10.6 seconds on Sunday gave him the CFD title as well as a big boost in the standings which could put him in contention for his first NFR berth.

The CFD record in saddle bronc riding had been 91 points since Louisiana’s Cody DeMoss set it in 2010 and it took another Louisianan to break the record. Ryder Sanford of Sulphur bested the mark by one and a half points when he scored 92.5 points on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Robinson Bulls’ horse named The Black Tie. Sanford, who ranked 24^th in the world when the rodeo began, was thrilled to win the championship here in the same year as Sonnier. They competed together on the McNeese State University rodeo team in their home state where Sanford earned a degree in civil engineering.

Texas team ropers Billy Bob Brown of Carbon and Kirby Blankenship of Lampasas may not be household names, but their time of 8.0 seconds gave them the CFD championship. The duo spent most of the past four years competing part time at rodeos and stand-alone ropings near home. They decided to make a month-long trip to major rodeos this month and success here has them altering their plans and staying on the rodeo trail.

Eli Lord of Sturgis, South Dakota, became the first of three men to win a repeat championship here. Some of Lord’s earliest memories are of Cheyenne Frontier Days as his father J.B. competed here for more than two decades, coming close but never winning a title. Lord took an early lead in the steer wrestling with a time of 5.9 seconds Sunday, then watched the rest of the field, including two world champions, try unsuccessfully to best his time. Lord, the 2019 winner, earned his second CFD championship.

Cheyenne Frontier Days steer roping runs in Troy Tillard’s veins. His grandfather competed here for the first time 80 years ago. “As a kid we worked all summer and got to spend the (rodeo) week in Cheyenne,” Tillard said. “Cheyenne is a huge deal for most rodeo people, but for our family it’s like 10 times.”

Tillard’s uncle Marty won the steer roping title here in 1991; his father Tim won the senior steer roping championship in 2010; and Troy won his first CFD title in 2004. Nineteen years later he was back on the winner’s platform with a 14.6-second run.

Records also fell in the barrel racing. Summer Kosel of Glenham, South Dakota, broke the long-standing record for the fastest barrel racing time here in 2022 with a 17.02-second run. On Sunday, she broke her own record with a 16.97 and it looked like she was on track to win the championship. But Sue Smith of Blackfoot, Idaho, and her mare Dashs Centerfold had other plans. They beat Kosel’s time by .08 seconds and set a new record with a time of 16.89 to win the championship.

This was the first time for Smith to run Centerfold in Frontier Park and “she likes it,” Smith said. A trainer of futurity horses who generally competes at rodeos in the Wilderness Circuit, Smith earned more than $200,000 at futurities on Centerfold and has won a similar amount at futurities on one of the sorrel mare’s colts.

Seven of the 12 bull riders made qualified rides in the finals with Tyler Taylor of Stephenville, Texas, taking the lead when he scored 89 points on Stace Smith Rodeo’s bull named Tom Horn. Stetson Wright of Beaver, Utah, who was the 2019 bull riding champion here, bumped Taylor to second with a 91.5-point ride on Dakota Rodeo’s bull Trump Train. The closest anyone came to Wright’s score was an 89.5 by Josh Frost of Randlett, Utah on Stace Smith’s Let’s Gamble.

Wright, the two-time world champion bull rider, won the bull riding here as a rookie in 2019 and added another CFD bull riding title to his trophy case this year. Wright won the saddle bronc riding at CFD the past two years and also won the all-around title in both 2019 and 2022. Although he missed qualifying for the finals in saddle bronc riding in 2023, he earned enough in that event, when added to his bull riding winnings, to take home the CFD all-around championship for the third time.

Other champions at Frontier Park included Slade Keith of Stanfield, Arizona, who earned the Rookie Saddle Bronc Riding Championship on Saturday, and Team Agin who were crowned Wild Horse Race champions for the third time.

The 128^th edition of Cheyenne Frontier Days will be held July 19-28, 2024, at Frontier Park.

2023 Cheyenne Frontier Days Champions

Bareback Riding – (tie) Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif., $10,225

Kade Sonnier, Carencro, La., $9,298

Cole Reiner, Buffalo, Wyo., $8,074

Breakaway Roping – Joey Williams, Volberg, Mont., $19,589

Tie-Down Roping – Luke Potter, Maple City, Kan., $15,737

Saddle Bronc Riding – Ryder Sanford, Sulphur, La., $12,114

Team Roping – Billy Bob Brown, Carbon, Texas, and Kirby Blankenship, Lampasas, Texas, $10,600 each

Steer Roping – Troy Tillard, Douglas, Wyo., $11,291

Barrel Racing – Sue Smith, Blackfoot, Idaho, $14,296

Bull Riding – Stetson Wright, Beaver, Utah, $15,133

Rookie Bronc Riding – Slade Keith, Stanfield, Ariz., $1,543

All-Around – Stetson Wright, $15,722 in saddle bronc and bull riding

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (July 29, 2023)- The following are unofficial results from Championship Sunday at the 127^th Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo on Sunday, July 30.

Bareback Riding: 1, (tie) Kade Sonnier, Carencro, La., on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Robinson Bulls’ MLW’s Irish Eyes; Clayton Biglow, Clements, Calif., on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Robinson Bulls’ Atomic Blonde; and Cole Reiner, Buffalo, Wyo., on New Star Pro Rodeo’s Chosen One, 87.5 points, $6,470 each. 4, Ben Kramer, Max, N.D., 87, $3,065. 5, (tie) Waylon Bourgeois, Church Point, La., and Leighton Berry, Weatherford, Texas, 86.5, $1,022 each.

Breakaway Roping: 1, Joey Williams, Volberg, Mont., 3.8 seconds, $11,966. 2, Martha Angelone, Stephenville, Texas, 3.9, $9,065. 3, Shayla Hall, Belle Fourche, S.D.,  4.0, $6,527. 4, Brandy Schaack, Chadron, Neb., 4.4, $4,351. 5 Bryana Lehrmann, Lexington, Texas, 4.5, $2,538. 6, Cassidy Boggs, Stephenville, Texas, 4.7, $1,813.

Tie Down Roping: 1, Luke Potter, Maple City, Kansas, 10.6, $9,200. 2, (tie) John Douch, Huntsville, Texas, and Britt Bedke, Oakley, Utah, 10.9, $7,400 each. 4, Marcos Costa, Tolar, Texas, 11.2, $5,600. 5, Carsyn Sunvision, McDade, Texas,12.0, $4,400. 6, Taylor Santos, Creston, Calif, 13.0, $3,200. 7. Westyn Hughes, Caldwell, Texas, 14.6, $2,000. 8. Haven Meged, Miles City, Mont., 15.7, $800.

 Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Ryder Sanford, Sulphur, La., 92.5 points on Sankey Pro Rodeo’s Black Tie, $8,068. 2, (tie) Q Taylor, Casper, Wyo., and Sage Newman, Melstone, Mont., 89.5, $5,256 each. 4, Lefty Holman, Visalia, Calif., 88.5, $2,933. 6, Stu Wright, Coalville, Utah, 85.5, $1,711. 7, Cameron Messier, Herald, Cali., 85.5, $1,222.

Team Roping: 1, Billy Bob Brown, Carbon, Texas, and Kirby Blankenship, Lampasas, Texas, 8.0 seconds, $9,200. 2, Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga., and Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prude, Brazil, 8.2, $8,000. 3, Bubba Buckaloo, Kingston, Okla., and J.R. Gonzales, Maypearl, Texas, 9.0, $6,800. 4, Clayton Van Aken, Yoder, Wyo., and Cullen Teller, Ault, Colo., 9.5, $5,600. 5, Edgar Aguilar, Greeley, Colo., Edgar Villegas, Denver, Colo., 10.6, $4,400. 6. Jr. Dees, Aurora, S.D., and Ross Ashford, Lott, Texas; Billy Bob Brown, Carbon, Texas, 13.2, $3,200. 7, Andrew Ward, Edmond, Okla., and Buddy Hawkins II, Stephenville, Texas, 14.6, $2,000. 8. Corben Culley, Muse, Okla., and Blayne Horn, McAlester, Okla., 14.8, $800.

Steer Wrestling: 1, Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D, 5.9 seconds, $6,900. 2, Tristan Martin, La, 6.6, $6,000. 3, Walt Arnold, Coleman, Texas, 6.7, $5,100. 4, Tate Petrak, Martin, S.D., 6.8, $4,200. 5. (tie) Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev., and Cameron Moorman, Glen Ullin, N.D., 7.3, $2,850 each. 7. (tie) Chisum Docheff, Mead, Colo., and Newt Novich, Twin Bridges, Mont., 7.5, $1.050 each.

Steer Roping: 1. Troy Tillard, Douglas, Wyo., 14.6 seconds, $11,291. 2. Duck Benson, Worden, Mont., 15.5, $9,597. 3. Paul Tierney, Oklahoma City, Okla., 16.4, $7,904. 4, Tuff Hardman, Atoka, Oka., 16.80, $6,775. 5. Austin Posey, Jourdanton, Texas, 18.0, $5,645. 6, Don Eddleman, 20.90, $3,952.

Barrel Racing: 1, Sue Smith, Blackfoot, Idaho, 16.89, $10,495. 2, Summer Kosel, Glenham, S.D., 16.97, $8,685. 3, Kassie Mowry, Dublin, Texas, 17.16, $6,876. 4, Lacinda Rose, Willard, Mo, 17.54, $5,066. 5, Tarryn Lee, St. David, Ariz., 17.55, $3,257. 6, Taycie Matthews, Wynne, Ark., 17.56, $1,809.

Bull Riding: 1, Stetson Wright, Milford, 91.5 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Trump Train, 8,334. Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah, 89.5, $6,314. 3, Tristen Hutchings, Monteview, Idaho, 89.0, $4,546. 4, Trey Holston, Fort Scott, Kansas, 87.0, $3,030. 5, Parker Breding, Edgar Mont., 86.5, $1,768. 6, Riggin Shippy, 86.0, $1,262.

Wild Horse Race: 1, Cowboy Chaos, $880. 2, Team Agin, $660. 3, CLS Team, $440. 4, Wagon Burners, $220. (Total money) 1, Team Agin, $4,510. 2, Cowboy Chaos, $3,382. 3, CLS Team, $2,255. 4, Wagon Burners, $1,127.

Idaho’s Sue Smith won her first Cheyenne Frontier Days title aboard her great mare that she calls Centerfold on Sunday. The duo also set a new arena record with a blazing fast time of 17.89. PRCA photo by Click Thompson

• 2018 CFD Champions who will be defending their titles today include bareback rider Will Lowe, bull rider Ruger Piva, saddle bronc rider Brody Cress, team ropers Chad Masters and Joseph Harrison and barrel racer Nellie Miller.
• Today’s field also includes 11 former CFD champions: four more in bareback riding – Richmond Champion (2014), Tanner Aus (2015), Orin Larsen (2016); two in saddle bronc – Wade Sundell (2013) and Jacobs Crawley (2016); team roper Cesar de la Cruz (2010); senior steer roper Dan Fisher ( 2013); three barrel racers – Brittany Pozzi-Tonnozzi (2007), Lisa Lockhart (2015) and Stevi Hillman (2017); and all-around cowboy Trell Etbauer (2014).
• Will Lowe could win CFD for the fourth time in bareback riding, a feat no other cowboy has managed since bareback riding began here in 1936. He won here in 2009, 2012 and 2018.
• Local favorite Brody Cress could also set a CFD record should he win the saddle bronc riding championship for the third consecutive year. Since saddle bronc riding began here in 1897, no one has won the title three times in a row. Cress still would trail Earl Thode, who won the event four times between 1927 and 1934.
• Chad Masters has a chance for his own CFD records. If he and Harrison win first, they would be the first back-to-back champs here in team roping. Masters would become the first team roper to win this rodeo three times since the team roping was first offered in 2000.
• Three sets of Texan siblings will compete against each other today. Rylea and Jordan Jo Fabrizio in breakaway roping; Jacobs and Sterling Crawley in saddle bronc riding and Vin Fisher, Jr., and J. Tom Fisher in steer roping. The Fishers will also be competing against their father, Dan Fisher, meaning that one-fourth of the steer roping field are members of the Fisher family.
• The husband-wife duo of Garrett Tonnozzi (team roping) and Brittany Pozzi-Tonnozzi (barrel racing) will be aiming to take home a pair of CFD titles today.
• While breakaway roper KL Spratt may be listed from Arizona on the daysheet, she grew up in Lysite, Wyoming. That means every event today will have at least one Wyoming connection.
• Two college rodeo coaches will compete today. Linsay Sumpter in breakaway roping is the head coach for both men and women at Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colorado. Beau Clark, former head coach for Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, now is the head coach at the University of Wyoming.
• Two people named Cheyenne will be trying to win a championship at Frontier Park today – tie-down roper Cheyenne Stanley from Oklahoma and barrel racer Cheyenne Wimberly from Texas. Wimberly last competed here in 1999.
• Two men named Stetson will be aiming for CFD titles today. Stetson Vest competes in tie-down roping. Stetson Wright is the only cowboy we will see twice today as he qualified for Championship Sunday in both saddle bronc riding and bull riding and is a favorite to win the all-around title.

Three 2017 CFD Champions have a chance to defend their titles- saddle bronc rider Brody Cress, team roping header, Erich Rogers, team roping heeler, Cory Petska (Rogers and Petska are now roping with different partners)

Today’s field includes 13 more former CFD champions: Tanner Aus (bareback-2015), Will Lowe (bareback- 2009, 2012), Jacobs Crawley (saddle bronc- 2016), Nick Guy (steer wrestling- 2015), Chad Masters (team roping header- 2009), Derrick Begay (team roping header- 2010), Clint Cooper (tie-down roping- 2004), Scott Kormos (tie-down roping-2013), Sherry Cervi (1995), Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi (barrel racing- 2007), Lisa Lockhart (barrel racing- 2015), Matt Herbbert (competing in steer roping, rookie saddle bronc- 2003) Jarrett Blessing (steer roping- 2016)

2008 CFD bull riding champion Steve Woolsey will not be competing. He broke his leg in Deadwood, S.D.

Wyoming will be cheering for three of their own cowboys, steer wrestler Miguel Garcia from Kaycee, bareback rider Seth Lee Hardwick who makes his home in Ranchester, and hometown hero, Brody Cress will be defending his title in saddle bronc riding.

Trevor Brazile virtually has the all-around title sewn up. None of the other contestants in the running have won money in two events.

Fourteen current or former world champions qualified for today’s finals.

Several bucking horses and bulls from different stock contractors in today’s draw were selected for the 2017 National Finals Rodeo.

None of today’s bull riders have won CFD titles.

Championship Sunday is a family affair in the team roping, barrel racing, saddle bronc, steer roping and tie-down roping.
Cory Petska (team roping heeler) and his wife Sherry Cervi (barrel racing)
Brothers Jacobs and Sterling Crawley (saddle bronc)
Rusty Wright will compete against his Uncle and 2014 World Champion Spencer Wright (saddle bronc)
Brothers Tuf Cooper (steer roping) and Clint Cooper (tie-down roping), sons of Roy Cooper (eight-time world champion and six-time CFD champion)

Former world (1985 -1086) and CFD (1998 – 1999) champion steer roper Jim Davis’ son, Bryce Davis will be competing in the steer roping.

• Championship Sunday is an international affair.
• Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta and Straws Milan, Cochrane, Alberta (steer wrestling)
• Layton Green, Meeting Creek, Alberta (saddle bronc)
• Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prude, Brazil (team roping heeler)
• Silvano Alvez, Pilar do Sul,Brazil (bull riding)