• Reigning CFD Champions who will be defending their titles today include saddle bronc riding, Stetson Wright; bareback riding, Tim O’Connell; steer roping, Cole Patterson; and team roping heeler, Jade Corkill who won with Clay Smith last year and is roping with Clay Tryan who he won the title with here in 2013.
• Jade Corkill has won three CFD team roping titles with three different partners. No other team roper has had as much success in Frontier Park as he has since they added the event in 2001. He won in 2009 with Chad Masters who also advanced to today’s rodeo roping with Paul Eaves.
• Today’s team roping will feature more world championships than any other event at 13. In the heading, Clay Tryan has three, Matt Sherwood and Chad Masters have two and Erich Rogers has one. Paul Eaves has won two in the heeling and Jade Corkill has three.
• Coleman Proctor is the favorite to win the all-around championship here. He leads the steer roping and has already won money in that event and the team roping. He didn’t advance past the Quarter-Finals in the team roping.
• Taycie Matthews had the fastest run of the College National Finals Rodeo in the barrel racing last June. She is at the top of the ground after the drag, a position that has seen a lot of women excelling at here. She is second in the WPRA Rookie Standings. Presley Smith is third and is the first competitor here today. They are in contention for their first NFR qualifications and today could be a game changer for both young women.
• Ty Pope won the college title in the bareback riding and is waiting to make a commitment to Pro Rodeo until next year. He plans on going back to school next fall, then making a run for the Resistol Rookie of the Year title in 2023. He was in a three-way tie for sixth place and the rodeo is taking them all in the bareback riding.
• CFD’s titles are prestigious for several reasons, the history, the legacy and the money for certain. They are also some of the hardest to win. The Myers family has multiple world championships to their credit, but none of them have ever won here. Cash Myers has a chance to change that today with a win in the steer roping.
• Ora Taton won the steer roping here in 2000. If he has the fast time today, he will go down in history as having the most time between multiple titles.
• Katie Pascoe could be a second-generation winner if she does well in the barrel racing today. The wife of former NFL football player, Bear Pascoe is the daughter of world champion steer wrestler John W. Jones who won the championship here in 1988 and 1989.
• In the bull riding Trey Kimzey is the younger brother of seven-time world champion Sage Kimzey. Josh Frost’s older brother Joe Frost is a multiple time NFR qualifier. Trey and Josh have watched their brothers win at rodeos across the country, but never here. Today it’s the younger brothers’ opportunity to gain some family bragging rights.
• Breakaway roper Lynn Smith is a college rodeo coach at Cochise College in Arizona. Prior to starting at Arizona, she was at Central Wyoming College in Riverton. She has mentored many young women across the nation in the goat tying and is taking advantage of opportunities for breakaway ropers.
• Jennifer Canik could be the second member of her family to win a championship here. She was in her twenties when her older brother Stephen Canik won the steer wrestling in 1997 and qualified for the NFR. She was the national all-around women’s champion in high school.

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

Today is the final opportunity for any contestant to advance to Sunday’s Championship Finals. In the bareback riding, there are a bunch of rising stars including Rocker Steiner who just won the Calgary Stampede, is leading the Resistol Rookie of the Year race and is headed to his first NFR. The high school reserve champion, Jacek Frost is also on the list as well as Keenan Hayes who did well here the first time he entered, in 2021. Tim O’Connell will be trying to win his third CFD championship. He is the reigning champ. Other NFR qualifiers Caleb Bennett and Tilden Hooper will be doing their best to finish among the top half of the contestants and stay here through Sunday’s rodeo.

The reigning saddle bronc riding champion Stetson Wright will be here along with former champion Wade Sundell and Stetson’s older brother Ryder. Wyoming native Tanner Butner could have the ride of his life today. Butner who lives at Daniel is in the 15th spot in the world standings. If he is among the top six today and advances to Sunday, he would be the first Wyoming resident to win a saddle bronc riding title here since 2005 when Bryce Miller won it. Butner is a native. Miller claimed Wyoming as home while he was competing and spent much of his time with the Forbes family at Kaycee. Regardless, Butner is proud to represent the “Cowboy State,” and will be doing his best to keep the bronc riding title at home.

There is only one former CFD champ in the bull riding and it happens to be Ky Hamilton who won here last year. The native of Australia is traveling with Stetson Wright who came up short in this event. Garrett Smith has done well here almost every year he has competed and this year is no exception. The former high school rodeo all-around champion loves the western atmosphere and the big open arena. Cody Teel won the world title in 2015, the same year he got married. He is now a father, and while his focus has been on the PBR, he is very grateful to be doing well here and wants that momentum to continue today. He has been to the NFR five times, and has countless wins to his credit, but has yet to get the prestigious buckle from the “Daddy.”

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

Riley Webb is extremely happy he had the opportunity to compete at Cheyenne Frontier Days. The tie-down roper from Denton, Texas is one spot out of the top 15 that qualify for the NFR. That could change today. Riley is less than $1,000 out of the top 15 and is leading the Resistol Rookie of the Year race. He could increase his lead in that category and put himself in better position in the world standings with a win here.

Haven Meged grew up in Miles City, Montana, working cattle and basically being a working cowboy. Those skills have transferred over to the arena where he is one of the top tie-down ropers. The 2019 college and world champion will be trying to win his first CFD title. Tyson Durfey is another world champion hoping to cash in here. Durfey is a social media influencer that mentors others and is always looking for ways to improve.

Today’s team roping will see Paul David Tierney trying to win a title here and go down in history as the first from his rodeo family. His father, Paul Tierney, is a former world champion, his brother Jess will be here on Sunday in the steer roping. At the end of Sunday’s rodeo, there could be some bragging rights at stake. Chad Masters won the team roping here in 2009 with Jade Corkill who has already qualified for Sunday’s championships. This year Chad is roping with Paul Eaves. Both have two world championships to their credit and can be a very exciting team to watch.

Most of the fans won’t recognize Turner Harris who will be heading for Matt Kasner. Harris comes from a ranching family in North Dakota, mainly goes to circuit rodeos, but loves Cheyenne. He has roped here multiple times and has made the final round nearly every time he has come to Cheyenne. The big arena, long score and big cattle are perfect for this ranch cowboy.

The steer wrestling is full of talent starting with Trell Etbauer who is in the top 25 in the world standings, is a former all-around here and is trying to be the first of his bronc riding family to qualify for the NFR in a timed event. A win here would give him a significant boost in the standings and get his children each a buckle from the “Daddy.” Will Lummus is second in the world standings and is looking for his first gold buckle. The four-time NFR qualifier knows what it takes to be an athlete and take care of his body. His wife is a pharmacist and he is a certified physical therapist.

The reigning college champion is hoping to turn his professional season around here today. Walt Arnold won the title in Casper in June and is 43rd in the world. If he is among the top 6 today and advances to Sunday’s finals, he could win a college title and CFD championship the same year just like J.D. Struxness did in 2016. Struxness is also in the field and looking for his second CFD buckle

Taylor Hanchey was the first woman to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo racing and the National Finals Breakaway Roping. She competed in barrel racing in 2013 and 2015, but prior to 2013 considered herself more of a roper than a barrel racer. She hasn’t found her next great barrel racing horse, so she began roping again and qualified in breakaway last season. Her husband Shane won the tie-down roping title here in 2018 and she’d love to add her own to the family trophy room. Bradi Good qualified for the Finals last year in both breakaway and barrel racing. She missed the cutoff in barrels this year but has another shot in breakaway. Her dad Shay Good won the CFD steer roping title in 2015.

Lisa Lockhart was the barrel racing champion here at in 2015. She’s qualified for 15 consecutive and the South Dakota native is always a fan favorite. She is 23rd in the world standings and any money she wins here will help her get to a 16th NFR. Another fan favorite is Emily Beisel. The Oklahoman has qualified for the last three NFRs and rides horses that are known for their calm demeanor at the start. Shy-Anne Jarrett and her husband, tie-down roper Ryan Jarrett, are both competing today. Shy-Anne is in the barrel racing and Ryan is in the tie-down roping. If things go their way, they could have a chance to become the first spouses to win CFD titles in the same year.

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.

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.

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

The bull riders are the only contestants in the CFD Rodeo Tournament that get two opportunities to ride during the Quarter Finals. Yesterday, seven were successful and six of those are guaranteed to advance to the Semi-Finals. At the top of the list was Jeff Askey, a four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Athens, Texas who scored 87.5 points. Jeff will be working to add to his earnings today as he matches up with Dakota Rodeo’s Little Coat. There are six spots in the Semi-Finals up for grabs today, but if less than six get scores, Cash Toews from Canton, Kansas, will get in by virtue of his seventh place finish yesterday.

Orin Larsen is looking for his second CFD championship in the bareback riding. He is currently 13^th in the world standings and any money won here will help him qualify for his 8^th Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas next December where world champions are crowned.  Orin won two championships at the College National Finals Rodeo before embarking on his professional career. His first trip to the NFR was in 2015 and if he makes it this year, it will be his ninth consecutive. Bareback riding is the most physically demanding event in rodeo so for him to compete at rodeo’s championships consistently is a huge accomplishment.

Caleb Bennett knows a thing or two about those injuries. He has chronic wrist and elbow issues that bareback riding aggravates. The ulna bone in both of his arms is longer than normal and doctors told him they could shorten those and fix his problems. But he’d have to give up riding bucking horses, so he chose the horses. He is ninth in the world standings has qualified for the NFR nine times (not consecutive like Orin) and is hoping to make that 10 this year.

Leon Fountain and Ross Griffin are hoping to represent their home state of New Mexico well here today in saddle bronc riding. Both are in the top 30 in the PRCA world standings, looking for their first CFD title and their first trip to the NFR. Chuck Schmidt, Allen Boore and Mitch Pollock have all made that trip and are hoping to be back among the PRCA’s top 15 that qualify again. Pollock grew up in Nevada and played baseball in college until he started hanging out with the rodeo team. Kade Bruno is the saddle bronc rider that is highest in the world standings in today’s field. Prior to Cheyenne’s rodeo, he was eighth

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

Every person in the timed events had to compete to get to the Quarter Finals here. Just qualifying is an accomplishment. Among those that qualified are husband and wife, Ryan and Shy-Anne Jarrett. Ryan, the 2005 world champion all-around cowboy, will compete in the tie-down roping. Shy-Anne has qualified in the barrel racing. Ryan grew up on a dairy farm in Georgia and just wanted to be a cowboy.

He has 14 NFR qualifications to his credit, most in the tie-down roping. He also has been there in the steer wrestling and it was those two events that garnered is all-around buckle. Now he focuses on the tie-down roping and occasionally competes in team roping. He and Shy-Anne have a daughter Jurnee. Shy-Anne is often at home in Oklahoma carrying for their livestock while Ryan is off making money. If Shy-Anne does well here, they could be making a new game plan.

Women’s breakaway roping was added here as a non-sanctioned event in 2019 and the reserve champion was a young woman barely out of high school, Chloe Frey. She is back as a member of the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association and hoping to leave this year with the breakaway roping championship. Chloe will also be paying attention in the steer wrestling as her first-cousin Shane Frey is among the qualifiers.

Wyoming cowgirl Peggy Garman set the arena record in the breakaway roping during the wildcard round of qualification. Her 3.0-second run was her last-ditch effort to compete in front of the fans. She already has her sights set on Sundays Championship Finals, and after her success in getting here, has the confidence to back it up. Today will see if everything falls in place for her to stay on that path.

Coleman Proctor is a favorite for this year’s all-around championship in Frontier Park. He competed in the steer roping, placed in both rounds, and has qualified for the championships in that event. He already has earned $12,719 here in steer roping and team roping. He will be heading for Logan Medlin today. A fan favorite cowboy, Derrick Begay will be heading for Colter Todd who was the heading champion here in 2006 when he roped with Cesar de la Cruz. Derrick and Colter didn’t have much luck in the qualifier and finished 12^th in the Wildcard, so they were the final team to get into the performances. Because everyone starts with a clean slate and the top four advance from each performance, where they started is not nearly as important as where they finish.

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

Bareback riding will be one of the most exciting events to watch today as veterans Tilden Hooper and Tim O’Connell try to score higher than newcomers Rocker Steiner and Ty Pope. Tim’s set of accomplishments includes three world titles and a win here in Frontier Park in 2017 and 2021. Winning here is never easy and no one knows that more than Tilden. He competed here the first time as the reigning college champion in 2007. He was the runner up last year finishing 2.5 points behind Tim.

Ty Pope has been on a roll. He won the bareback riding at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper in June. He is attending school at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, the same place his older brother Jess went. Tim also went to school there and the college is gaining a reputation as bareback riding U because of the champions they are producing. Ty left Casper and hit the pro rodeo circuit. He had qualified for the NFR Open presented by Ram in Colorado Springs and earned his second national title of the year.

And then there is Rocker. The fifth-generation rodeo competitor bought his PRCA membership soon after turning 18. He proved he was ready when he immediately started winning. He won the National Western Stock Show Rodeo in Denver last January. Injuries kept him home in the spring, but he came back with a vengeance setting a new world record of 95 points at the Riggin’ Rally in June. He went to Calgary for the first time and just last week earned the title there. He has been here in the mini bareback riding, but this will be his first time to compete here as a PRCA member.

Canada will be well represented in the saddle bronc riding with one-fourth of the contestants coming from the north. All four have been to the NFR and the group includes two-time world champion Zeke Thurston. He will be competing with Dawson Hay, Kolby Wanchuk and Jake Watson. Zeke and Dawson had fathers that competed here. Dawson’s dad, Rod Hay, was the saddle bronc winner in 2000.

There are seven Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifiers in the bull riding. Garrett Smith has had success here nearly every time he has nodded his head. Cheyenne Frontier Days is among his favorites because of it’s legendary status. Garrett competed in all of the events growing up. He is one of three boys and his older brother Wyatt competed in steer wrestling. His younger brother Payson stays busy team roping and if Garrett didn’t love bull riding so much, he could be competing in the team roping or steer wrestling.

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

The winner of the tie-down roping qualifier will try to add to his earnings in Frontier Park today and he is a rookie. Cash Enderli had never been to Cheyenne before this year, then beat 197 other ropers to win $5,172. He is a student at Weatherford College in Texas and will not pursue a rodeo career until he graduates from college in one year. Then he plans on hitting the road and competing for the Resistol Rookie of the Year award in tie-down roping. If he advances from the Quarter Finals, he may be regretting that decision.

Tie-down ropers’ horses are some of the most highly-trained animals in rodeo. They do at least 70% of their jobs without anyone on their back. Horsemanship is right up Trevor Hale’s alley. He won the Reined Cowhorse competition at the National High School Finals Rodeo in 2020 and now is making his way up the roping ranks. He is currently 30^th in the world standings and has the potential to move up if he adds earnings here.

Today’s breakaway ropers come from New York to Oregon and everywhere in between. Josie Goodrich’s dad, Brad Goodrich was a contender here in the tie-down roping for years. She is also following in her barrel racing mom’s footsteps. Josie qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo in that event. Her only opportunity at Cheyenne will be in the breakaway roping and she will be working hard to make the most of it.

Brandon Beers won the team roping here in 2014 heading for Jim Ross Cooper. He has been providing team roping cattle for events and moved to the production side. He still ropes for fun and has been having that with Daniel Braman IV. Tinlee’s dad, Garrett Tonozzi will be roping today and her mom, Brittany will be competing in the barrel racing later this week. The couple’s young daughter has caught the rodeo bug too and will be hoping that dad and his partner T.J. Watts connect and advance to the semi-finals.

The reigning college champion steer wrestler is hoping to be among the NFR qualifiers this year and a win in Cheyenne could make that happen. Walt Arnold graduated from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, in May. Then he won the CNFR and headed to Reno and a full summer of rodeoing. Walt is inside the top 40 in the world standings. He won $1,902 during the qualifier and has an opportunity to add to that today.

Teneille Angland grew up in Australia, married a saddle bronc rider who had been competing in the U.S. and now she is doing the same. Except, she had to fly her horses over, while all he had to bring was his saddle. The couple has two young boys and traveling with them and taking care of horses keeps her on her toes. She is the first barrel racer out today so will be in first place when she rides out of the arena no matter what her time is. Just being here and competing is very exciting for her, so to be among the qualifiers is a big step.

Lisa Lockhart has consistently won money at this rodeo and is hoping to do that again here today. She is 32^nd in the world standings so to have her 16^th NFR, she has a big push to make. She typically wins most of her money in the summer and Cheyenne has been a very important rodeo for her. She got the champions package in 2015.

The second performance of Cheyenne Frontier Days saw some first timers rising to the top of their events.

Seth Peterson had the fastest time of the steer wrestling at 7.6. Peterson grew up near Minot, North Dakota, moved to Laramie to attend the University of Wyoming where he is a recent graduate with degrees in agricultural business and finance. While at school his favorite class was finance because the movement of money was interesting.

Now, he may be putting those lessons to use. Peterson earned $1,951 for his fast time in steer wrestling and also finished second in the tie-down roping with a time of 11.7 to add another $1,424 to his bank account. He has advanced to the Semi Finals in both events and is in contention for Cheyenne Frontier Day’s All-Around Championship.

Fans couldn’t tell that it was breakaway roper, Josey Murphy’s first time in front of an audience at Frontier Park. Murphy has the fast time of the rodeo breaking the record set at the first performance by Josie Eichler who had a 4.3. This is the second year that the rodeo has included breakaway roping, so records could fall again before the Championship Finals. Murphy had a picture-perfect run stopping the clock a full second faster at 3.3 seconds. The sophomore at Panola College in Carthage, Texas, kept looking back at the scoreboard in disbelief while praising her horse as she rode out of the arena. Fans will have another chance to watch her during the Semi Finals.

Saddle bronc rider Sage Newman is having the best year of his four as a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association member. He is currently 11^th in the world standings and could improve on that with success here. He won the second Quarter Finals with an 87-point ride on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s California Kiss. Newman, from Melstone, Montana is headed to the Semi Finals after his very first appearance at Frontier Park.

Quarter Finals three will start at 12:45 p.m. on Monday with a new set of contestants.

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The following are unofficial results from the Quarter Finals (third performance) at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Payoff subject to change.

Bareback Riding: 1, (tie) Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s Wild River and Ty Breuer, Mandan, N.D., on Carr Pro Rodeo’s First Kiss, 83 points each, $2,142 each. 3. Kaycee Feild, Genola, Utah, 82, $1,224. 4, Austin Foss, Terrebonne, Ore., 78.5, $612.

Breakaway Roping: 1, Josey Murphy, Keachi, La., 3.3 seconds, $2,952. 2, Kerby Lane Anderson, Grover, Colo., 4.77, $2,214. 3, (tie) Tibba Smith, Hobbs, N.M., and Jordi Edens, Gatesville, Texas, 5.1,  $1,106 each.

Tie-Down Roping: 1, Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas, 11.0 seconds, $1,899. 2, Seth Peterson, Wellington, Colo., 11.7, $1,424. 3, Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah, 11.9, $949. 4, Reese Riemer, Stinnett, Texas, 12.2, $475.

Rookie Saddle Bronc Riding: First round – 1, Colt Cunningham, Rose, Okla., 80 points. 2, Dylan Schofield, Philip, S.D., 77. 3, Wyatt Lohman, Weatherford, Okla., 76. 4, Damian Brennan, Snyder, Texas, 75. Second round – 1, Bailey Bench, Oakley, Idaho, 71 points. 2, Locky Shepherd, Snyder, Texas, 67. 3, Caleb Meeks, Geraldine, Mont., 64. 4, Lucas Macza, High River, Alberta, 62.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1. Sage Newman, Melstone, Mont., 87 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s California KISS, $2,354. 2, (tie) Kolby Wanchuk, Sherwood Park, Alberta, and Tegan Smith, Winterset, Iowa, 86.5, $1,471 each. 4, Chase Brooks, Deer Lodge, Mont., 82.5, $589.

Team Roping: 1, Clint Summers, Lake City, Fla., and Ross Ashford, Lott, Texas, 10.1 seconds, $1,847 each. 2, Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., and Jade Corkill, Fallon, Nev., 10.3, $1,386 each. 3, Curry Kirchner, Ames, Okla., and Austin Rogers, Crescent, Okla., 10.6, $924 each. 4, Philip Schuman, Johnstown, Colo., and Josh Fillmore, Penrose, Colo., 11.1, $462 each.

Steer Wrestling: 1, Seth Peterson, Wellington, Colo., 7.6 seconds, $1,951. 2, Richard Coats, Hastings, Neb., 10.2, $1,463 . 3, Blake Knowles, Heppner, Ore., 12.0, $975 . 4, Mike McGinn, Huston, Idaho, 12.4, $488.

Barrel Racing: 1, Jimmie Smith, McDade, Texas, 17.61 seconds, $2,225. 2, Michelle Darling, Medford, Okla., 17.64, $1,669. 3, Lindsay Stock, Bozeman, Mont., 17.78,  $1,112. 4, Kassie Mowry, Dublin, Texas, 17.89, $556.

Bull Riding: (three rides) 1, Parker Breding, Edgar, Mont., 82 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Touch N Go, $2,397. 2, Jesse Hopper, Mangum, Okla., 80, $1,798. 3, Laramie Mosley, Palestine, Texas, $1,198.

Wild Horse Race: (one qualified ride) Team Meanus, $782.

Montana’s Sage Newman has been having a very successful year and that continued at the “Daddy of ‘em All,” on Sunday. The Melstone resident rode Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s horse California Kiss for 87 points. His top spot-on Sunday’s leaderboard will see him competing in the Semi Finals at the end of the week. CFD photo by Dawn McDonnell

• 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.

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

The second day of semifinals is shaping up to be even more exciting than the first with several world champions and former Cheyenne Frontier Days title holders in the field. While those veterans are hoping to win again, a rookie is taking the rodeo world by storm and hoping to win for the first time.

Stetson Wright will be competing in the saddle bronc riding and bull riding today making him a favorite for Cheyenne’s all-around cowboy championship. Wright is the youngest of the famed rodeo family from Utah. His father, Cody, is a two-time world champion. His uncles Spencer and Jesse have each won gold buckles as well as his older brother Ryder.

While there have been Wrights at the top of the leaderboard at most major rodeos, there has never been one to collect a buckle at the “Daddy of ‘em All.” Cody joined the PRCA in 1998 and there has been at least one member of the family competing here since then. Two decades without a title is unheard of for them and now it is the youngest who could bring it home to Utah.

Stetson will turn 20 on July 30^th. He leads the world standings in the all-around category, is 18^th in the saddle bronc riding and second in the bull riding. He needs to move into the top 15 in the saddle bronc riding and stay there until October 1^st to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in two events. A win here would certainly help him do that.

Cody DeMoss will be among today’s saddle bronc riders and is hoping for his fourth buckle from Cheyenne Frontier Days. If he moves on to the finals and has the high score, he will join the history books as the second man to win four titles in that event. Earl Thode did that from 1927 – 34.

A star-studded field will compete in bareback riding today. Former CFD champs Richmond Champion, Tanner Aus, Orin Larsen and Tim O’Connell will be hoping for a chance to win a second buckle from the “Daddy.” O’Connell is a three-time world champion as well. They will be joined by Kaycee Feild, who has four gold buckles but has yet to win a title at Frontier Park.

Brothers Tim and Tyler Bingham have both qualified for the NFR, but not in the same year. When they have the opportunity to share rodeo memories with future generations, the 2019 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo could be a big highlight. They will be riding in the semifinals today and hoping for a score and a reason to stay here until Sunday. There is nothing that the brothers would like better than to be riding against each other for Cheyenne’s championship buckle.

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

In breakaway roping a pair of sisters had success yesterday and will be looking to add to their winnings today. Jordan Jo Fabrizio of Canyon, Texas, was first yesterday with a 4.15-second run and her sister Rylea Fabrizio, who lives in Stephenville, Texas, placed third. The duo would love to compete in the first breakaway championship round at the Daddy.

Lari Dee Guy has won nine Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) roping and all-around world championships. She finished second yesterday and is in good position to qualify for the finals. Jackie Crawford, who has earned 14 WPRA all-around and roping world titles, finished fourth yesterday and will need to rope well today to move on to Championship Sunday.

Nebraska native Austin Hurlburt is no stranger to Cheyenne. He competed on the Laramie County Community College Rodeo Team and will move to the University of Wyoming this fall. Before becoming a Wyoming Cowboy, he has a chance to become a CFD champion. He won yesterday’s tie-down roping and is in good shape to advance to the Sunday’s Finals.

Last year’s CFD team roping champions Chad Masters and Joseph Harrison roped themselves into a tie for second place yesterday. Should they qualify for Championship Sunday, Masters will have the opportunity to become the first three-time CFD champion in the team roping since the event began here in 2001.  Kellan and Carson Johnson, a pair of brothers from Casper, will have to finish among the top two today to make the finals. They are the sons of 2011 world champion heeler Jhett Johnson.

Two former CFD champions compete in today’s barrel racing semifinals. Brittany Pozzi-Tonnozzi (2007) and Stevi Hillman (2017) are both ranked in the WPRA top 10 and would love to come back Sunday to make their bids for a second CFD title. The highest-ranked barrel racing in the current standings is Shali Lord of Lamar, Colorado, who is fourth. She will compete first today and have the advantage of running on the “top” of the ground. She and her horse, Can Man, are likely headed to Las Vegas next December. Lord qualified for the first time in 2005 aboard a small bay gelding named Slider. She and Slider either got money or hit a barrel. He was one of the most dynamic and exciting horses to watch in any arena. Can Man has a totally different style and now while he is carrying Shali around the barrels at rodeos, Slider is at home in Lamar where Shali and Phy Lord’s son Slade has taken the reins.