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July 19-28, 2024
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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 30th 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 32nd in the world standings so to have her 16th 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 11th 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
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 30th. He leads the world standings in the all-around category, is 18th 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 1st 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.
Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding:
Six of todays contestants in the bareback, saddle bronc and bull riding will get a chance to ride for a championship from the 123rd “Daddy of ‘em All.” Among the bareback riders is Will Lowe who finished fourth yesterday to advance. Lowe has three world titles to his credit and three titles from Frontier Park.
His third title came last year so he will be hoping to be among the six that are here on Sunday to defend his title. Ty Breuer and Steven Dent are also in the field. They travel together and are ranked sixth and ninth respectively. Breuer is having the best regular season of his career and credits part of that to his traveling partners. Tanner Aus is also in their group and while he didn’t advance to the semifinals, Aus will be hoping one of them gets to leave here with the buckle. Aus won this rodeo in 2015 and Dent was the all-around cowboy here in 2010.
Wyoming loves their cowboys and will get to cheer for two of their own in the bareback riding, Cole Reiner from Kaycee and Seth Hardwick from Ranchester. Those Wyoming fans will also be making a lot of noise in the saddle bronc riding when local favorite Brody Cress rides. He has won the “Daddy” the past two years. If he hangs on to win a third buckle here, he will go down in history as the only saddle bronc rider to win three consecutive titles.
Last year’s bull riding champion, Rugar Piva, is ready to defend his title as well. Piva rode yesterday to an 82.5-point score to advance to the semifinals. Four-time world champion J.W. Harris is on today’s roster and while he has won nearly every title available in rodeo, he has yet to get the coveted buckle that is given to Cheyenne Frontier Day’s best.
Foster McCraw had the biggest win of his career last February at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. He had one of the highest-marked rides here in the quarter finals and has momentum and confidence on his side. If he advances to Sunday’s rodeo and has the highest score there, he will win two of the biggest, oldest and most legendary rodeos in the same year.
Timed Events – Steer Wrestling, Team, Tie-Down and Breakaway Roping and Barrel Racing:
The final group of steer wrestlers, team, tie-down and breakaway ropers will be working to advance to Sunday’s finals today. The barrel racers are competing in the semifinals and six of them from today’s performance will advance.
In the barrel racing watch for Kelly Kennedy-Joseph. She was tied for 70th to advance from the qualifying rounds into the rodeo performances. She went from being one of the slowest to the one of the fastest. The Colorado native lives just over an hour south of Cheyenne and has a huge fan club.
A couple of years ago, she was involved in a horse accident that had her taking a helicopter ride to the hospital. Doctors didn’t know how she would recover, and she still has headaches from the TBI she incurred. She set a goal to be back competing in 2018 and while it took longer than she would have liked, hse is back. She is riding a mare she calls “Jammer,” that her husband started and she trained. She needs to be among the six fastest times today to advance to Sunday’s Championship Finals. Defending champion Nellie Miller will also compete today.
Two legendary breakaway ropers are on today’s roster. Jackie Crawford is a many time world champion. Lari Dee Guy is also and accomplished roper that has a reputation for roping. Both of these women have had big influences in the roping world by teaching other women how to rope.
Brothers Kellan and Carson Johnson from Casper will be the first team ropers to ride in the arena today. They are hoping to earn enough money to advance to the finals. If they would win the title here, they would add something to their resume that their world champion father, Jhett Johnson has never won. There are several world champions in today’s team roping so expect the competition to be tough. Also watch for defending champions Chad Masters and Joseph Harrison to have a solid performance.
Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding:
Our past two bareback riding champions will be competing against each other today. Tim O’Connell won here in 2017 and went on to win his second world championship. He is the reigning world champion, but that title came with a price. In the 10th and final round last December, he had to make a ride. He did just that, but when he came off, he ended up underneath the horse with his hand still in the rigging. A torn rotator cuff and he was looking at a vacation. He started back mid-June and is now 23rd in the world standings.
A win here could make the difference in O’Connell’s sixth trip to Las Vegas to compete for another gold buckle. That is the position that Will Lowe found himself in a year ago. Then he won Cheyenne for the third time and went on to qualify for the NFR for the 15th time. Lowe is 33rd in the world standings and if he wins Cheyenne again, he will need to make a decision about the remainder of the season.
Brody Cress will be here defending his past two CFD championships in saddle bronc riding. Cress who grew up here used his past two wins at Frontier Park to qualify for his first two NFRs. Just days after winning here last year, he decided to jump off of a horse after the ride and broke his ankle. He was high enough in the standings to qualify for the NFR, so he had surgery and took the rest of the season off. He got on his first bucking horse in Las Vegas. He would have liked to have more time, but that wasn’t an option and getting back to his old riding form has been a challenge. He is 29th in the world and another win here could make a huge difference in his 2019 season.
Also watch for Wyoming’s own smiling Chet Johnson who has yet to get a title here. Johnson is a native of the Cowboy State and nothing would make him happier than winning at the “Daddy.”
Roscoe Jarboe used a win here in 2016 to qualify for his first of three NFRs. He is 25th in the standings and all he has between him and a trip to Las Vegas is a few eight-second rides. He is joined by other NFR qualifiers Chase Dougherty, Elliot Jacoby and Boudreaux Campbell. Also, Ruger Piva, last year’s champion will be here to defend his title.
If Dougherty rides, it might be due to his balance. While in college at Montana State University, he could be seen riding a unicycle around campus because he thought it helped improve his balance and bull riding skills.
Timed Events – Steer Wrestling, Team, Tie-Down and Breakaway Roping and Barrel Racing:
Yesterday, we watched Wyatt Lindsay stop the clock in 5.4 seconds in the steer wrestling and he will be looking for another fast time today. Lindsay was just three-tenths of a second off of the 5.1-second arena record. Lindsay is a former student at New Mexico State University where he qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo twice. He tried all of the events growing up but loves steer wrestling because of the speed involved.
That speed will come into play today as he makes his second run at this year’s rodeo. Cattle typically run faster the second time through and often get farther down the pen before they are caught. Cheyenne’s 30-foot head start makes this event especially challenging.
Marcos Costa has been coming to Cheyenne Frontier Days nearly every year since he made the trip to the U.S. from Brazil. Costa joined the PRCA in 2014 and could barely speak any English. He taught himself the language, took every opportunity to learn about tie-down roping from anyone he could and became the first man from Brazil to earn an individual world championship in 2017. He watched his friend Junior Nogueira win the all-around championship in 2017 for their native country. Nogueira was the reserve world champion in team roping that year and also won enough money in the tie-down roping to win the gold all-around cowboy buckle.
Costa qualified for the finals here in 2014 and finished fifth. He placed fourth yesterday and will need to add to that today to have any chance at being at the Championship Finals on Sunday.
Hannah Lee, a native of Nesbit, Mississippi, who won high school state championships in Tennessee, has likely punched her ticket to the finals in breakaway roping. She won yesterday’s round and earned more than $2,600 for her efforts. Even if she fails place in today’s round, odds are good she’ll be one of the top four in this set. Louisiana’s Chloe Frey is in a similar position after winning second yesterday and earning more than $2,000.
A pair of WNFR team ropers – Kelsey Parchman of Tennessee and Matt Kasner of Nebraska – are in the driver’s seat in today’s set of team roping after winning yesterday’s round. They have a great chance to return on Sunday and finishing in the money today would cement their place in the finals. Reigning CFD champions Chad Masters and Joseph Harrison need a fast run today to win enough to advance, after clocking 20.8 yesterday. They are currently ranked 8th in the heading and heeling world standings, respectively.
Another former CFD champion, heeler Cesar de la Cruz and his partner Lane Ivy will be looking for a quick time today after failing to connect for a qualified run yesterday. He won the championship here in 2010.
Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding
Four of this year’s top bareback riders will be hoping to advance to the semifinals today. The one highest in the world standings is Ty Breuer, who is 6th. The four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) cowboy is having the best season of his career and is the proud father of a new baby boy born less than two months ago. This is he and his wife Kelly’s second child.
Last year’s reserve champion and perennial all-around hand Steven Dent is matched up with Dakota Rodeo’s Chirrikawa, a horse that is equally strong whether bucking in the bareback or the saddle bronc riding. Dent is traveling with former CFD champion Tanner Aus. The fourth of the group is Jake Brown (13th).
Craig Wisehart has an usual upcoming itinerary. After he competes tomorrow, he will head a few miles south to Colorado’s Weld County Fair for the goat show later that afternoon. When he was younger, not only did he show goats in 4-H and FFA, he started a hoof trimming business that brought the enterprising youth some spending money to rodeo with.
Taygen Schuelke is a former college all-around champion who is trying to make his mark here in the saddle bronc riding. He is joined this year by his younger brother Lane Schuelke who competes today in the rookie saddle bronc riding.
Californian Tim Ditrich spent his whole life around horses, but never considered saddle bronc riding until he was in college. He saw photos of his rodeo coach and mentor, Ben Londo, riding broncs and decided to try the event. Londo loaned him a saddle and equipment and helped him learn the event.
A pair of former world champions – Jesse Wright and Jesse Kruse – are in today’s field along with former CFD champion Bradley Harter.
Two of the winningest bull riders in PRCA history will be making a bid for their first CFD championship starting today. Neither J.W. Harris, who has four world championships, nor Sage Kimzey, who has won five, have won a CFD buckle in their careers. Sage, who’s currently leading the world standings, is here along with his younger brother Trey Kimzey who is ranked 11th.
Tyler Bingham (ranked 6th) and Joe Frost are hoping to join their brothers Tim and Josh, who have already qualified for CFD’s semifinals. Another NFR bull rider in today’s field is Garrett Smith, who is ranked 10th this season.
Timed Events – Steer Wrestling, Team, Tie-Down and Breakaway Roping and Barrel Racing
Kyle Whitaker will highlight today’s steer wrestlers. Whitaker is a nine-time winner of professional rodeo’s ironman award – the Bill Linderman Award which is awarded to the cowboy who earns the most money in at least three rodeo events in a season. To be eligible a cowboy must win at least $1,000 in a timed event and a rough stock event, plus another $1,000 in a third event. Dean Finnerty of Wheatland, Wyoming, will be competing his either his 31st or 32nd consecutive CFD in steer wrestling.
Syerra “CY” Christensen of Kennebec, S.D., is the new CFD arena record holder in breakaway roping after winning the first qualifying round last week with 4.01 seconds. She is a four-time survivor of childhood cancer with a great perspective on life and rodeo. Linsay Sumpter, the college rodeo coach at Otero Junior College in Colorado, is a member of the famous Rosser rodeo family of California and her husband Wade is a former NFR steer wrestler. To put in perspective what it means for the breakaway ropers to compete here, her parents who are part of the Flying U Rodeo legacy caught a plane to Cheyenne to watch her compete in the preliminary rounds.
Sterling Smith of Stephenville, Texas, holds the arena record of 9.4 seconds in tie-down roping that he set last year and is looking for more success at Frontier Park. Marcos Costa, the former world champion, is back in action after sitting out for several months following knee surgery. This rodeo has been good for Costa in the past and he’s hoping that trend continues.
Team ropers Kaleb Driggers (seven NFRs) and Junior Nogueira (five) finished as runners-up for the world championships the past two years. Both are looking for their first individual event world championship. (Junior won the All-Around title in 2016.) Also, in today’s field is former world champion header Levi Simpson from Canada who is as famous for his beard as he is for his roping.
Nellie Miller, who won the CFD championship last year with a great barrel racing run in a hailstorm, is back to defend her championship. She won the preliminary round and already has won more than $8,000 in Cheyenne this year. Miller, the 2017 world champion, has been locked in a battle for the world standings lead all season with 2018 champion Hailey Kinsel.
Tennessee cowgirl Jessi Fish tied for second in the preliminary round and is primed for more success in Frontier Park. Cheyenne Wimberley retired from fulltime rodeo after back-to-back trips to the NFR in 1997-98, but could return to Las Vegas with a strong finish to the season. She’s currently ranked 19 and success at this rodeo could give a big boost to her season.
Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding:
While Cheyenne Frontier Days has been hosting rookie bronc riding since 1911, today’s competition could very easily have a big impact on the rookie of the year race in the bareback riding. The top three positions in the standings are held by Jesse Pope, Leighton Berry and Garrett Shadbolt respectively. There is less than $8,000 separating them, a deficit that could be made up here.
Those three men will be competing alongside some seasoned veterans including Tilden Hooper who is 5th in the world standings and Steven Peebles, the 2015 world champion who is 17th in the world.
Brothers Jacobs and Sterling Crawley will be competing in the saddle bronc riding. Jacobs is the 2015 world champion and the 2016 champion here. Jacobs joined the PRCA in 2006. Four years later, Sterling did the same. They both competed in college where Jacobs won a national championship. Sterling has followed in Jacobs’ footsteps for most of his life. This year, for perhaps the first time in their lives, Sterling is ahead of Jacobs in the race for a championship.
Sterling is third in the world standings. Jacobs is in seventh place. Jacobs has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo eight times. He has made the trip to Las Vegas on five of those occasions with Sterling. Jacobs is also the chairman of the PRCA’s board, so while his focus in the arena is on riding, he is busy with those responsibilities outside of the competition.
Also watch for Shane Proctor in today’s saddle bronc riding. Proctor won the bull riding here in 2011, the same year he got the gold buckle in that event. Fans might not realize that he is an all-around hand that has competed in nearly every rodeo event. He only entered the saddle bronc riding here this year so will be putting all of his energy into one event.
Taos Muncy needs another Cheyenne Frontier Days championship and some big money, or he will be going back to his family’s ranch and going to work. He won here in 2007, the same year he won his first gold buckle. Dawson Hay is the next generation of saddle bronc riders and has learned from the greats. He is 12th in the world standings and if he wins a buckle here, it will be the second one for his family. His father, Rod Hay was the champion here in 2000.
Today’s bull riding will again feature some great riders including Trey Benton III, who is 10th in the world standings. Benton has qualified for the NFR on five occasions, has won nearly $1 million in his career and will be looking for his first buckle from the “Daddy.” Benton is a rodeo fan and another guy that has competed in multiple events. If he wasn’t riding bulls, he would probably be roping, so look for him to be spending time watching what is happening on the other end of the arena.
Timed Events – Steer Wrestling, Team, Tie-Down and Breakaway Roping and Barrel Racing:
Last Saturday, Shad Mayfield was roping at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Rock Springs. He beat the rest of the field by over 2 seconds and earned the championship. He
Mayfield stopped the clock in 12.6 seconds which tied for second yesterday. Another top four finish will see him back here for Championship Sunday. Ahead of Mayfield yesterday was Clint Cooper of the famed Cooper roping family. Clint had a time of 12.4 seconds and the money he won yesterday will be enough to advance him to Championship Sunday no matter what he does today. Of course, he wants to add as much as he can to his checking account. He joined the PRCA in 2001, has qualified for the NFR five times and was the Cheyenne Frontier Days Champion in 2004.
The team ropers that had the best time yesterday really need to win. Brenten Hall who has yet to qualify for the NFR and Chase Tryan, who has been there twice are in 16th place in the world. They had a time of 8.8 seconds and won just over $2,200 each. They need to keep winning, move into the top 15 and stay there through the end of the regular season on Sept. 30th to be in Las Vegas in December.
Terryn Sippel has a chance to be Cheyenne’s first breakaway roping champion if she continues to rope like she did yesterday. She stopped the clock in 4.13 seconds, the fastest time clocked during the rodeo so far. There were some faster times in the qualifying competition, but not with all the pressure of the rodeo going on.
Sippel will rope again today and hope to add to her winnings before Sunday’s Championship Finals. She is a former College National Finals Rodeo qualifier who also competes in team roping. There are several former college champion breakaway ropers who came through the qualifier to compete at the rodeo here. They include Kimberlyn Fitch who was the champion in 2013. She finished fourth yesterday and will need to add to that to have any hope of winning here.
Former Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo champion and world champion Brittany Pozzi-Tonozzi is having another stellar year. She won the title here in 2007 aboard her great gelding Stitch. She has several horses she is riding now and they all are winners. The two-time world champion has been to the NFR 12 times and is likely headed there again. She is currently ranked seventh. Many things have changed for her since she won here previously. She is married to team roper Garrett Tonozzi and they have a daughter, Tinlee who keeps them on their toes.
Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding
The notion that winners surround themselves with other winners is evident in today’s bareback riding. Rodeo contestants travel in buddy groups to share expenses, have companionship and maybe most importantly critique each other’s rides, help each other at the event and keep them on top of their mental game.
Four of today’s bareback riders have done just that and all but one of them is ranked in the top 10 in the PRCA world standings. Leader of the pack is second generation world champion Kaycee Feild. He has won four world titles in the bareback riding following in his father Lewis Feild’s footsteps. Lewis was the world all-around champion from 1985 – 1987 who passed his love of riding bucking horses on to Kaycee. While Kaycee specializes in bareback riding, Lewis also rode saddle bronc horses and earned the all-around title in Cheyenne in 1982.
Kaycee is leading the world standings right now and is looking for his fifth gold buckle. If he accomplishes that he will tie the record for bareback world championships with Joe Alexander. Kaycee is traveling with the newlywed (June 3) Richmond Champion who was the champion here in 2014 and Caleb Bennett. Champion is fourth in the world and Bennett is close behind at 7th. The fourth member of their crew is two-time NFR qualifier Mason Clements.
There are plenty of opportunities for today’s bull riders. With only three qualified rides in the first two performances, if more than six ride in any of the remaining performances, they will fill up the empty spots. Clayton Sellars rode here last year for the first time and narrowly missed qualifying for his first NFR. He’s not going to miss it this year. He is currently fifth in the world standings. Another rider that is working hard towards his first trip to Las Vegas is Lon Danley who is 14th. While Danley’s focus is on bull riding, he has also competed in tie-down roping and is a rodeo fan. He doesn’t have to haul and care for a horse and only has to pack a rigging bag instead of a trailer full of equipment.
Steve Woolsey’s bull riding career started in 2005. In 2008, he won the Cheyenne Frontier Days championship and now the veteran is mentoring the rookies. He has been traveling with Sellars and two-time NFR qualifier Boudreaux Campbell. If Woolsey is healthy, he is a tough guy to get on the ground. With bulls from Stace Smith and Harper Morgan Rodeo Companies, expect to see some great rides and big scores.
Our entertainer, Rider Kiesner, is going to want to take a break from his trick roping, gun slinging, whip-cracking show during the saddle bronc riding. His younger brother Roper Kiesner, who has helped Rider here, will be competing in the saddle bronc riding. These guys have a lot of fans across the country that will be hoping to see Rider advance to the semifinals.
Timed Events – Steer Wrestling, Team, Tie-Down and Breakaway Roping and Barrel Racing
Adding breakaway roping to the contest list has given another college champion an opportunity to compete here that she wouldn’t have imagined when she won her first national title. Kimberlyn Fitch won the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association championship in 2013 while rodeoing for Idaho State University.
That has been one of her favorite rodeo moments for a long time. A win here would certainly be among her favorites as well.
Tie-down roper Shad Mayfield is competing at Cheyenne for the first time as an 18-year-old. His father Sylvester Mayfield competed here on numerous occasions. Sylvester was always known for his horsemanship and the great horses that he rode. Those are things that he has passed on to Shad is 27th in the world standings and it is just a matter of time before he is in the top 15 that make the trip to Las Vegas to compete for world titles.
Trey Yates is another contestant that grew up watching his dad, J.D., rope and train horses. J.D. Yates has won the steer roping and the all-around championship here. This year Trey is hoping it is his turn. He will be heeling for Dustin Bird. Trey’s aunt, Kelly Yates is competing in the barrel racing today also. She is riding a young mare that is a sister to Firewater Fiesta, the great barrel racing horse that took Kelly to several NFR qualifications.
Caden Camp has already secured a spot in CFD’s Championship Finals in the steer wrestling after his success in that event during the first two performances. Today, he will be heading for Wyoming’s Jayden Johnson making Camp eligible for the prestigious all-around award here.
He hasn’t always called Wyoming home, but Beau Clark found his way here and is quickly making the Cowboy State his own. He and his family moved to Cheyenne so he could coach the rodeo team at Laramie County Community College here in Cheyenne. Then when he got the opportunity, he moved to Laramie to take the same position for the University of Wyoming.
Clark will be putting his coaching to work on his own behalf today as he hopes to earn money and have a chance to add the CFD champions package to his trophy case.
Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding:
A new group of bareback, saddle bronc and bull riders are making an appearance at Frontier Park today. The saddle bronc riding is filled with Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifiers and promises to be exciting. And while the field has a lot of rodeo wins on their respective resumes, none of them have won the buckle that goes to Cheyenne Frontier Days’ best.
Cort Scheer, a ranching cowboy from Elsmere, Nebraska, has come the closest. He won the rookie bronc riding in 2008. Since then he has earned checks here and qualified for the finals. However, he has yet to make the victory lap around the arena as the champion. Scheer is currently 20th in the world standings so any money he earns here will help him qualify for his seventh Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He needs to finish the regular season, Sept. 30, in the top 15 to make a trip to Las Vegas in December to compete at rodeo’s championship.
Chase Brooks essentially has his second NFR qualification sewn up. He is fourth in the world standings but is working hard to improve that. Brooks is a lover of art, especially expressed as a tattoo. He got his first one when he was 18. Six years later and he has added to that significantly. He will celebrate his 25th birthday one day after the final performance in Frontier Park.
Orin Larsen is having one of the best seasons of his career. He has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo the past four years and at second place in the world standings, he is headed back to Vegas in December. He competed at the Cody Stampede on July 2nd this year and set a new bareback riding arena record of 93 points. Two days later, that record was broken with a 93.5 point ride. Larsen had to settle for second place with a 93. He won the rodeo here in 2016 and finished third in the world. He is hoping this year he will finish at the top of the world standings.
No one wants to win Cheyenne Frontier Days any more than Seth Hardwick. He has watched his traveling partners earn the bareback riding and has always been happy for them. The Wyoming resident qualified for the NFR in 2015 and after a four year absence is looking to be back there in December. He is 24th in the world standings and has some ground to make up.
Yesterday, we had two qualified bull rides and that could certainly be the case again today. The bulls are coming from Mandan, N.D. stock contractor Chad Berger and to say that they are notorious might be an understatement. Trevor Kastner, currently 2nd in the world standings will attempt to ride Low Dog, a bull that has yet to be ridden. None of the bulls in today’s pen are known for being rider friendly, but an eight-second ride will mean a big score.
Timed Events – Steer Wrestling, Team, Tie-Down and Breakaway Roping and Barrel Racing:
Most of these events will be in their second round of competition today. The four contestants in everything but the barrel racing who earned money yesterday have an advantage today. If they add to their winning, they will be assured a spot in the Championship Finals one week from today.
The other contestants will have to get a first or second place check just to have a chance, so they will all be going for it. Cattle tend to run faster and get stronger so times today should be slower than yesterday. There is also more opportunity for broken barrier penalties as contestants take chances trying to earn their portion of the $1 million in prize money that is paid out this year.
In the breakaway roping, Hagen Brunson from Hutchison, Kansas, picked up the first-place win with a 4.89-second run yesterday. The college rodeo athlete made the trip here from Hutchison, Kansas and now will need to decide whether to go home for a few days and come back or just enjoy a little more of Cheyenne Frontier Days’ hospitality.
Travis Bard and Jhett Johnson (Casper, Wyo.) had a five-second penalty yesterday when Johnson only caught one of the steer’s hind legs. They finished out of the money and will need a clean run for Johnson to have any opportunity to win a CFD buckle. If they are among the top four after today, Johnson could be just the second team roper from Wyoming to win here. Bobby Harris from Gillette tied for the win the heeling here in 2010.
Fan favorite Lisa Lockhart is among today’s barrel racers. Lockhart is just coming off of a big win at the Calgary Stampede. In 2015, she had one of the biggest wins of her career at the Calgary Stampede, then came here and won the buckle at “the Daddy.” Just one week ago, she earned her second championship in Calgary. She is now hoping that history will repeat, and she gets her second Cheyenne title as well.
Wyoming will be cheering for Elaine Hollings who qualified for the rodeo in the barrel racing as well. Hollings, from Pavillion, Wyoming is among the oldest competitors at this year’s rodeo at 68. Hollings will need to be among the top four today to advance from the quarterfinals into the semifinals.
The new format of the rodeo gives every contestant an opportunity to win money today. Each event will see checks paid and each check will give the contestant a chance to advance to the next bracket in the tournament style format. So expect some fast-paced and exciting action!
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