Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding:

Cole Reiner would love nothing more than winning the rodeo at Cheyenne Frontier Days. The bareback rider is currently second in the world standings thanks in part to a win over the Fourth-of-July at Cody, Wyoming. A native of the Cowboy State, Cole makes his home at Buffalo. He has qualified for the NFR the past two years and finished fifth and seventh respectively. He has his eye on the gold buckle and a win here in Cheyenne would certainly help him accomplish that goal. Other bareback riders competing today that have qualified for the NFR include another Wyoming cowboy Seth Lee Hardwick, Garrett Shadbolt, Trenton Montero, Bill Tutor, Taylor Broussard and Cole Franks.

Today’s saddle bronc riding is also full of NFR qualifiers. Chet Johnson, another native of Wyoming has been a member of the PRCA for 22 years. Most of those he has competed in Frontier Park but he has never left with a championship. It would mean the world to Johnson who is on the back side of his career. He also is using his experience to help the sport of rodeo and saddle bronc riding as a member of the PRCA Board of Directors. There are two former CFD champions in the mix as well. Jacobs Crawley who won here in 2016 and Jesse Bail from 2011. Cort Scheer’s saddle bronc riding career got a jump start here when he won the rookie bronc riding in 2008. He would go down in history if he added a saddle bronc riding title from Frontier Park to his rodeo resume.

Bull riders will have one more chance to qualify for the Semifinals today with the top 6 scores advancing. Florida cowboy Ernie Courson, Jr., just missed the top 6 yesterday and will try to better himself when he matches up with Dakota Rodeo’s bull Ponotoc. Needing to put a big score on the board is former CFD and world champion Shane Proctor along with former cage fighter turned bull rider Cole Fischer of Jefferson City, Missouri, and several other cowboys. While the riders who snared a semifinal berth on Wednesday are facing less pressure, they would still like to earn a paycheck with a top four finish today, especially Minnesotan Reid Oftedahl who is currently ranked 15th and needs every dollar possible to qualify for his first NFR.

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

Marty Yates has won two tie-down roping championships at the “Daddy of ‘em All,” in 2015 and again last year. He would love to have his name in the record books as a three-time winner and for getting the buckle in back-to-back years. Known for taking chances and throwing fast, Yates will need to do that today as he has CFD champions Clint Robinson (2006) and Lane Livingston (2017) to rope against. Hunter Herrin who is one of the fastest men on the ground and is an NFR qualifier along with John Douch who has led the world standings most of the season and world champion Monty Lewis are all looking to be at the top of the leaderboard.

“Rope Like a Girl,” is a campaign that began because of Lari Dee Guy who will be in today’s breakaway roping. Guy is a nine-time world champion WPRA roper and has earned those in a variety of disciplines. Like many women who want to rope, she is excited to be participating in rodeos like Cheyenne and winning a title here would not only be a special one for her, but for all the women that she has inspired in her career.

A win here would also mean the world to Coralee Spratt who is a native of Wyoming. She finished in sixth place a year ago and if she would win would be the first Wyoming cowgirl to win a CFD breakaway roping title.

The team roping is star-studded today with six world champions and multiple NFR qualifiers here. What’s even more impressive is the list of former CFD champions on the roster. Jade Corkill has won the title three times with three different partners. One of those is Clay Tryan who he is roping with today. They earned the title here in 2013, then roped with other partners and are now back together again. Erich Rogers won the heading here in 2017 with Cory Petska. NFR qualifier Payden Bray will be heeling for Rogers today. Kollin VonAhn is a world champion heeler who got the CFD win in 2015 roping with Luke Brown. Today, Kollin will be roping with his younger brother Ryan who earned the college title in 2009, the same year Kollin won the gold buckle.

Barrel racer Kelly Yates hopes to add her name to the list of family members who have won titles here. She will compete in the WPRA sanctioned barrel race. Her brother J.D. was the all-around champion in 2016. Three years later, J.D.’s son and Kelly’s nephew, Trey won the team roping title.

Kyle Irwin has qualified for five NFRs in steer wrestling. After missing rodeo’s premiere event for the past two seasons, he is back among the top 10 this season with help from a Wyoming win at Cody. A winning streak in Cheyenne would virtually guarantee him a return trip to Las Vegas in December. Laramie cowboy Ty Everson competed on the University of Wyoming’s rodeo team and qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo three times finishing as high as fourth in 2019 as a junior. His favorite college course was equine nutrition because keeping horses healthy from the inside out is important to him. That course also helped him in his work as a farrier, where he shoes horses and helps their owners keep their equine partners sound.

Today’s competition completes the Quarter-Finals and will see the final list of contestants advancing to the Semi-Finals.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (July 27, 2022) –As the 126th Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo (CFD) reached the midway point of its nine rodeo performances, surprises ruled the day on Wednesday, beginning with the bareback riding. Will Lowe, who began his professional rodeo career 21 years ago, is one of three cowboys to have won three CFD championships in bareback riding. At age 39, Lowe is competing against men half his age, but his experience is unmatched.

He brought all that experience – 15 years of Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) qualifications, three world championships and two WNFR average titles – to his ride on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Flashcard Champ, to win Quarter Finals 5 with an 86-point-ride and advance to the Semifinals this weekend. If Lowe can be one of the six from his semi-final to advance to Sunday’s Championship Finals, he could become the first to win four bareback riding titles at the “Daddy of ‘em All.” On the other hand, six-time world champion Kaycee Feild has more world titles than any other bareback rider but has never won a title at Frontier Park. That achievement will have to wait as he finished out of the top four and did not advance to the Semifinals.

Eli Lord of Sturgis, South Dakota, left Frontier Park with the steer wrestling title in 2019. He would love to repeat that feat in 2022 and join Ote Berry as the only two-time CFD steer wrestling champion not to win those titles in consecutive years. He stopped the clock in 7.5 seconds to tie for first place Quarter Finals 5 and continue his championship quest. Curtis Cassidy of Donalda, Alberta, also wrestled his steer in 7.5. Cassidy is an eight-time WNFR qualifier who has won six Canadian steer wrestling titles.

Header Quinn Kesler of Holden, Utah, and heeler Caleb Hendrix of Fallon, Nevada, roped first place in Quarter Finals 5 with a time of 8.1 seconds. Kesler has qualified for the WNFR three times in team roping while Hendrix, who is in his sophomore season of pro rodeo, is pursuing his first WNFR qualification.

Canadian Ben Anderson found some success last year at Frontier Park, winning both his quarterfinals and semifinals. This year his goal is to win the championship, and he made a good start with an 83.5-point ride on Sankey Pro Rodeo’s horse named The Turtle to win Quarter Finals 5. Former CFD and world champion Wade Sundell’s score of 81 on Sankey’s Intelligent Caddy put him into the Semifinals. Hometown favorite and three-time CFD champion Brody Cress will not advance after bucking off Dakota Rodeo’s horse Sippin Whiskey.

Two former CFD champions – Stevi Hillman of Weatherford, Texas, and Nellie Miller of Cottonwood, California, did not advance to the Semifinals, but rookie Jamie Olsen of Brock, Texas, will be there after winning the day with a time of 17.47 seconds.

Veteran roper Eric Dublanko, the 2017 Canadian champion from Thorsby, Alberta, won the tie-down roping on Sunday. Also advancing to the Semifinals is two-time CFD champ Mike Johnson of Henryetta, Oklahoma, at age 58.

The last quarter-finals competition of the 126th CFD begins at 12:45 p.m. on Thursday, July 28. Semifinals 1 is Friday followed by Semifinals 2 on Saturday. The top six from each semi-final advance to Sunday’s Championship Finals.

Unofficial Results

CHEYENNE, Wyo (July 26, 2022)- The following are unofficial results from the Quarter Finals 5 at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo on Wednesday, July 27. Payoff subject to change.

Bareback Riding: 1, Will Lowe, Amarillo, Texas, 86 points on Smith Pro Rodeo’s Flashcard Champ, $2,447. 2, Kade Sonnier, Carencro, La., 85.5, $1,835. 3, R.C. Landingham, Hat Creek, Cali., 83.5, $1,223. 4, A.J. Ruth, Huntsville, Texas, 82.5, $611.

Breakaway: 1, (tie) Katie White, Sumner, Texas, and Martha Angelone, Stephenville, Texas, 3.8 seconds, $2,582. 3, Erin Johnson, Fowler, Colo., 4.0, $1,475. 4, Abbea Faris, Grover, Colo., 4.7, $368.

Tie-Down Roping: 1, Erik Dublanko, Thorsby, Alberta, Canada, 12.2 seconds, $2,000. 2, Taylor Santos, Creston Calif., 14.2, $1,500. 3, Mike Johnson, Henryetta, Okla., 14.3, $1,000. 4, Reese Reimer, Stinnett, Texas, 15.6, $500.

Rookie Saddle Bronc: (Round 1): 1, Isaac Richard, Eunice, La., 83 points. 2, Rowdy Dunklin, Malakoff, Texas, 79. 3, Denton Ward, Goodwell, Okla., 77. 4, Q McWhorter, San Luis Obispo, Calif., 76. (Round 2): Ira Dickinson, Rock Springs, Wyo., 81. 2, Bingham, 77. 3, Lavern Borntreger, Elsmere, Neb., 76. 4, Cauy Masters, Leon, Iowa., 75. (Total on two) 1, Bingham, 149. 2, (tie) Benham, and Dickinson, 146. 4, Masters, 145.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Ben Anderson, Rocky Mountain High, Alberta, Canada, 83.5 points on Sankey Pro Rodeo’s The Turtle, $2.354. 2, (tie) Lefty Holman, Visalia, Cali., and Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa, 81, $1,471. 4, Dawson Dahm, Tomahawk, Alberta, 78, $588.

Team Roping: 1, Quinn Kesler, Holden, Utah, and Caleb Hendrix, Fallon, Nev., 8,1 seconds, $2,000 each. 2, Chad Masters, Cedar Hill, Tenn., and Paul Eaves, 8.9, $1,500 each. 3, Dustin Egusquiza, Marianna, Fla., and Travis Graves, Jay, Okla., 9.0, $1,000 each. 4, Tyler Waters, Stephensville, Texas, and Matt Sherwood, Pima, Ariz., 9.8, $500 each.

Steer Wrestling: 1, (tie) Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D., and Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 7.5 seconds, $1,750 each. 3, J.D. Struxness, Milan, Minn., 7.7, $1,000. 4, Rowdy Parrott, Mamou, La., 8.2, $500.

Barrel Racing: 1, Jamie Olsen, Brock, Texas, 17.47 seconds, $2,353. 2, Jimmie Smith, McDade, Texas, 17.69, $1,765. 3, Cindy Smith, Lovington, Mont., 17.76, $1,176. 4, Katie Pascoe, Morro Bay, Cali., 17.77, $588.

Bull Riding: 1, (tie) Tyler Bingham, Howell, Utah, on Dakota Rodeo’s Unstopable, and Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah, on Dakota Pro Rodeo’s Melanie’s Dream, 88, $2,097 each. 3, Trevor Reiste, Linden, Iowa, 87.5, $1,198. 4, Thayne Weight, Goshen, Utah, 86.5, $599.

Wild Horse Racing: 1, Team Krening, $678. 2, Residential Roofing, $508

Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding:

Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding:

Contestants from the National High School Finals Rodeo are finding their way to Cheyenne. Among them is bareback rider Jacek Frost, whose older brothers Joe and Josh have been here in the bull riding and gone on to qualify for the NFR in that event. Jacek finished his high school career as the reserve world champion. Now, he is competing on one of rodeo’s biggest stages at the 126th “Daddy of ‘em All” and will be hoping that the momentum from Gillette carries on in Frontier Park.

Statler Wright became the fourth brother of his immediate family to win a high school championship on Saturday. Statler joins his brother Rusty and Ryder as saddle bronc riding champions at the NHSFR. Stetson, who has won four championships here in the last two events was the 2017 all-around champion there. Their uncles Jake and Spencer also earned those titles. Injuries have been an issue for the uncles and Rusty, but Ryder, Stetson and Statler will all compete in the saddle bronc riding today. Stetson is the first member of his family to earn a saddle bronc riding championship here and he did that last year along with the all-around championship. In 2019, he won the bull riding and the all-around.

Stetson will compete in the bull riding today and tomorrow. He is joined by his traveling partner and last year’s winner at Cheyenne, Ky Hamilton. The bull riding is star studded with 10 NFR qualifiers and two world champions. Stetson is one of those. The other is Cody Teel who won the PRCA’s world title 2012 has been focusing on the Professional Bull Riders. He will be competing at their event tonight as part of the Missouri Thunder team.

Last year, Montana’s Parker Breding rode more bulls at Cheyenne than any other contestant. However, his ride in the final round garnered him 85 points, four points shy of Ky Hamilton’s score so Hamilton got the champion’s package. Parker is just inside the top 40 in the world standings.

Clayton Savage is the oldest bull rider in today’s field. At 35, he is making a comeback after battling over 60 injuries and being diagnosed with epilepsy. Clayton has been to the NFR three times, the last ten years ago. He is currently in 35th place and needs to add at least $10,000 to move into the top 15, something that could happen at Frontier Park.

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

The team roping has two former champions in it today. Tyler Wade won it in 2016 roping with Dakota Kirchenschlager. Trey Yates was the 2019 champion heeling for Dustin Bird. This year, they are trying to win their second buckles here together with Tyler heading for Trey. They are each 25th in the world standings so any money they earn at Frontier Park could help move them up in the world standings and give them the opportunity to be in Las Vegas in December for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Tyson Durfey won the 2016 gold buckle in the tie-down roping and since then he has used his rodeo skills to build a social media audience and is a huge influencer in the western industry. He has 491 thousand followers on Facebook, 156 thousand on Instagram and another 20 thousand on Twitter. He has started a mentorship program called No Limits, has been working with life coaches and finding his own inspiration to share. He missed last year’s NFR, is in 45th place this year and really needs to win some big checks to be back there again this year. Durfey told his followers that he still gets goosebumps when he backs his horse in the box at Cheyenne. Hopefully he advances to the Semi-Finals and then the championships and gets to do that two more times after today.

Steer wrestling should be fast today. Ty Erickson, the 2019 world champion from Montana would love to add a CFD title to his rodeo resume. After winning the gold buckle, he missed the 2020 and 2021 NFR, got married, added a daughter to his family and is ready to be back there again. Ty is currently 5th in the world standings, just two spots behind Will Lummus who has been one of the most consistent steer wrestlers in the PRCA since 2018 when he qualified for his first NFR. He has been there every year since and has his eye on that buckle. Will is currently in 3rd place. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin and went on to get his certification as a physical therapist.

Trell Etbauer is trying to be the first member of his famous bronc riding family to get to the NFR in a different event. He has been traveling hard this year and is currently 20th in the world standings. Etbauer has competed here in the saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping and steer wrestling. He was the best multi-event cowboy here in 2014 winning the all-around championship.

In 2019, a dream came true for Shali Lord when she and her great horse “Can Man,” tied for the win in the women’s barrel race. She and Can Man went on to qualify for the NFR. Lord is currently outside of the top 100 in the WPRA world standings. She will be riding a mare she calls CeCe today. A win here would help her move up in the standings and meet qualification guidelines for the 2023 big winter rodeos.

Also in the mix today is Emily Beisel who has been a fan favorite at the last three NFRs. Beisel was raised on a farm and is the first in her family to compete in rodeos.