July 18-27, 2025
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Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding:
Tim O’Connell and Shane O’Connell are friends, traveling partners and no relation. The bareback riders along with the third member of their crew Logan Corbett will make their first appearance here today. Tim has won world titles the past two years, won his first Cheyenne buckle in 2017 and is currently leading the world standings. Shane is in 10th and Corbett is 17th. Nothing would make these three happier than to all qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) together.
Corbett likes to lead by example and he is setting a very positive one for college rodeo team competitors from New Mexico State University where he is the coach. Corbett started his rodeo career growing up in Tennessee then he went to college at Murray State in Kentucky. If he wins money here and moves up in the standings, no one will be happier than the students that he coaches.
Tanner Aus won the championship in Frontier Park in 2015 on the way to his first of three NFR qualifications. His life changed forever last May when his wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter. Tim O’Connell also is a new dad. His wife, Sami gave birth to their son in February. Steven Dent won the bareback riding title in Frontier Park in 2010 and rounds out the former champions putting their hands in a rigging today.
Part of CFD Rodeo’s legend is due to the wild and western attitude of the rodeo, that suits saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell just fine. Sundell tied for the win here in 2012 with Chad Ferley. The enthusiastic cowboy would like nothing better than to be on the top of the photo pit all by himself on Sunday. He is also a new dad and his son Rankin gets really excited when his daddy is in the arena. Sundell is second in the world standings and a win here would help him narrow the gap between him and Jacobs Crawley.
Two former CFD Rookie Saddle Bronc Riding champions are trying to win a buckle in the saddle bronc riding. Cort Scheer won the rookie event in 2008. Audie Reed was a rookie just three years ago. There will be a battle between saddle makers today as well. Joey Sonnier and Andy Clarys will each be riding a saddle that they made for themselves.
Bull rider Trevor Kastner doesn’t like doing interviews, but he would be very happy to have the opportunity to talk to the media and be interviewed on stage as the best bull rider at this year’s rodeo. Kastner has struggled with injuries the past few years, has been making a comeback and has been injured again. He broke ribs the end of June and tried to power through it. When that didn’t work he went home for a few days and spent time with his wife and baby girl that was born on Valentine’s Day. Kastner is 9th in the world standings and on track to compete at his fourth NFR, but his first since 2013.
Shane Proctor won the bull riding here in 2011, the same year that he won a world championship. Proctor, who is an all-around talent loves Wyoming and the atmosphere at Cheyenne. He went to college at Northwestern in Powell and has made a lot of friends in the state. He is not ranked in the world standings and has been fighting an injured groin. A win here would certainly turn his season around.
Last year, Dawson Hay was riding in the rookie saddle bronc riding. This year, he is fourth in the overall standings in the main saddle bronc riding and will watch as his younger brother Logan James Hay takes his opportunity at the rookies. If the brothers both won buckles in the same year, they would be making history here. Their dad, Rod Hay, was the 2000 CFD saddle bronc riding champ.
Timed Events – Steer Wrestling, Tie-Down Roping, Team Roping and Barrel Racing:
The whose who of team ropers are here today including the first and second place teams in the world standings. Clay Smith and Paul Eaves have been roping together for the past four years and have won a lot of big rodeos together. If they pull that off here, it would increase their lead in the world standings. Smith is named after Clay O’Brien Cooper and he and his brother Jake were featured on the tonight show with Jay Leno. They got to rope on the show as children and exposed Leno to the Western way of life.
Kory Koontz is one of the best heelers in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and he has roped with the best. Two years ago, he started roping with Dustin Eguisquiza and is literally showing him the ropes. Koontz made his first of 21 appearances at the NFR three years before Equisquiza was born. The duo has found their mojo together and are ranked second in the world.
There are also two former CFD champions in today’s field. Clay Tryan won here in 2013, the same year he won the second of three gold buckles in the heading. Luke Brown, originally from South Carolina used all of his horsemanship skills to win here in 2015 with Kollin VonAhn. Brown is roping with Jake Long and they are seventh in the world. Tryan is roping with Travis Graves and is likely headed to his 16th NFR in December.
Tuf Cooper accomplished a life-long goal last year when he won the ultimate title in rodeo – world champion all around cowboy. He got a little taste of that here in 2013. He is on track to win that title again this year but is hoping for individual event titles along the way. He leads Cheyenne in the steer roping and will try to add some tie-down roping earnings here today.
One of the hottest ropers on the trail right now is Ryle Smith. He started the year off with a big win at the San Antonio Stock Show last February and hasn’t slowed down yet. Smith is third in the world standings. His wife is a blogger. They travel with their young daughter and rodeo gives her plenty to write about.
K.C. Jones grew up in Colorado, then moved to Wyoming to further his education. He graduated with a degree in business marketing from the University of Wyoming, a degree that he has put to good use as an entrepreneur. So, when he won the steer wrestling title here in 2011, it was a definite goal realized. Not only does he compete and provide horses for other steer wrestlers, he started the Rodeo Vegas promotions that align with the National Finals rodeo and he owns and manages Pro Fantasy Rodeo.
Last year’s steer wrestling champion, Baylor Roche, left Cheyenne with over $21,000, the buckle and saddle that said he was the best. He had to rise to the top of the mountain, beating nearly 200 other steer wrestlers that have the same goal, and have the fastest total time on three steers to do that. Roche used the money last year to qualify for his third consecutive NFR. He is not in the standings and has an outside chance to move up. Right now, he is focusing on his family, helping on their farm and preparing for 2019.
Weather conditions have made the arena a muddy mess, and that has had, and will have an impact on the timed events at today’s rodeo. Steer wrestlers will get the dirtiest while trying to stop the steers. It could be assumed that conditions also really impact the footing for the barrel racers. Cheyenne’s arena crew works hard to keep things safe and while it does get muddy, the ground usually isn’t slick. Regardless, it could have an impact on today’s times and this group of barrel racers will have a challenge trying to qualify for Sunday’s Championship Finals.
Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding:
Kaycee Field has been touted as one of the greatest bareback riders of all time and has the resume to prove it. However, even with four world championships and eight Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifications, Feild has yet to add Cheyenne Frontier Days to his list of career wins. He is the son of late Pro Rodeo Hall of Famer, Lewis Feild, who was a five-time PRCA world champion that never earned a Cheyenne buckle.
The 2015 world champion Steven Peebles is currently among the top 25in the world standings. A Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) win could make his eighth NFR qualification a reality. He will be matched against United ProRodeo’s Pow Wow Nights. The horse took Jake Vold to an 85-point score in the first round here. Peebles has struggled with chronic injuries and is hoping for at least one more NFR before he has to hang up his rigging. Tilden Hooper, ranked 10th, has four NFR qualifications. He has struggled with persistent neck issues but seems to have found the magic formula that enables him to keep riding. Both of these men will keep the Justin Sportsmedicine Team busy.
Brody Cress, last year’s champion saddle bronc rider here, will be defending his title. The local cowboy represents CFD with every spur stroke at rodeos across North America as he proudly wears the iconic arrowhead on his chaps. Third in the world standings, Cress is aiming for his second NFR. Should he repeat his “Daddy of ‘em all” win, he would join the short list of only two other cowboys (Earl Thode 1931-1932, Turk Greenough 1935-1936) who have won this rodeo in back-to-back years.
Reigning world champion Ryder Wright is having a phenomenal year. Since June he has added wins and big money to his pockets at rodeos like Cody, Wyoming; Pecos, Texas; Belle Fourche, South Dakota; Sisters and Molalla, Oregon. Just last week he Nampa, Idaho and Salinas, California. He also added a big win at the Calgary Stampede in July, and while the money didn’t count in the world standings, it will certainly help Ryder provide for his family. Dawson Hay is another second-generation bronc rider hoping to take home a CFD title. His dad, Rod Hay, was the 2000 CFD champion and qualified for 20 NFRs. Hay is attending Oklahoma Panhandle State University under the coaching of two-time world champion Robert Etbauer and 9-time NFR qualifier Craig Latham.
Reigning College National Finals Rodeo All-Around Champion Will Centoni will be competing in the Rookie Saddle Bronc Riding. Centoni also competes in bull riding and team roping but is not entered in those events here. The saddle that he earned last month in Casper for the title was donated by Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Four-time and reigning world champion Sage Kimzey will face Dakota Rodeo’s Blue Stone. Owner Chad Berger was excited about the match-up and expects Kimzey to ride the bull for a high score. While Kimzey has won nearly everything under the sun, he hopes to add the 122nd CFD to his resume. Former CFD champions Steve Woolsey (2008) and Roscoe Jarboe (2016) will also be in the field. Jarboe is 16th in the world standings. A big win here could help him earn a berth at his third NFR. Young gun Brett Custer is third in the bull riding rookie standings. His dad Cody Custer is a former world champion, was the 1999 champion bull rider here and has been inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.
Timed Events – Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Tie-Down Roping and Barrel Racing:
Reigning world champion and current standings leader Tyler Pearson will compete in steer wrestling today along with former world champion Tyler Waguespack and NFR veterans Ty Erickson, Trevor Knowles, Blake Knowles and Kyle Irwin.
Each of these men has yet to win a buckle here.
Two steer wrestlers with local ties will also compete today. Aaron Vosler of Cheyenne has done well here in the past and Beau Clark, the former rodeo coach at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, is the new rodeo coach at the University of Wyoming and doing his part to uphold U-Dub’s new slogan “The World Needs More Cowboys”. Clark will be riding one of Tyler Waguespack’s horses.
The Navajo Nation is well-represented in team roping with a pair of world champion headers, Erich Rogers and Aaron Tsinigine competing today. Rogers earned the title here last year roping with Cory Petska which helped them qualify for the NFR and earn world titles. Tsinigine is currently 3rd in the world standings and is roping with young gun Trey Yates. Yates is a third-generation roper whose father, J.D. Yates won the steer roping here in 1994 and was the all-around champion in 2016. Former CFD champion and team roping legend Clay O’Brien Cooper will heel for Spencer Mitchell.
Former college champion Logan Medlin is currently 21st in the heeling standings. A win here could boost his bid for the NFR. Two sets of brothers are roping today – Oklahomans Andrew and Reagan Ward and Floridians Joshua and Jonathan Torres.
Today’s field of tie-down ropers is star-studded. Everyone in the field is ranked 38th or higher in the world standings. Former world champ and current #1 Tyson Durfey starts the competition. A pair of CFD champs – Marty Yates (2015) and Trevor Brazile (2014) are in the field along with fellow NFR veterans Matt Shiozawa, Cory Solomon, Randall Carlisle and Shane Hanchey. Hanchey will be riding Si, the 2016 AQHA/PRCA Tie-Down Roping Horse of the Year.
In the barrel racing, keep your eye on two-time world champion and former CFD champ Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi. She’s currently ranked eighth in the world standings, headed to her 12th NFR and trying to keep up with her 18-month-old daughter Tinlee. Former NFR cowgirls Jolee Lautaret-Jordan and Kelly Yates also compete today along with up-and-comers KL Spratt and Morgan Breaux. Yates is the sister of J.D. Yates and will be cheering for her nephew during the team roping.
All of today’s contestants are in their first round of competition, except the barrel racers who are in their second round.
Two bull riders are two for two at Cheyenne Frontier Days
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — July 24, 2018 — The fourth performance of the 122nd annual Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo was an exciting one for bull riding fans as two riders got scores on their second-round bulls and moved to the top of the leaderboard tied with total scores of 166 points.
J.W. Harris and Jeff Askey became the first riders to have scores on two bulls thanks to their success here on Tuesday. Askey rode Rocky Mountain Rodeo’s Atomic Drop for 85 points. Harris got on Dakota Rodeo’s Shelly’s Gangster and scored 80.5. When those scores were added to the ones they received in the first round, the bull riders were tied at the top of the overall leaderboard at 166 points each.
Harris has had a stellar career as a bull rider. He’s won four Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) world championships, qualified for nine National Finals Rodeos (NFR), competed at three PBR world finals and won that organization’s rookie of the year title. But the Goldthwaite, Texas, cowboy has never won the coveted championship at the Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) Rodeo.
Even though the buckle has eluded him, the Daddy of ‘em All has been pivotal in Harris’s career. When he was a rookie in 2005, he had almost run out of money and was ready to head back to Texas and go to work. Then he won the final round and over $10,000 here.
Not only was that a turning point in his career financially, it gave them the confidence to keep riding and go on and become one of the best bull riders in the world. Harris qualified for his first NFR the very next year. That was one of nine times he competed at rodeo’s championships in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This year could be another turning point for him. Harris, who returned to fulltime rodeo this season is currently ranked 25th and could use a big CFD win to boost his chance of qualifying for a tenth NFR.
A win here could be equally as important for Askey. He qualified for his first NFR in 2016, then finished in 36th place last year. The 2010 college champion is hoping for another trip to Las Vegas to compete for a world title this December.
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Askey has been moving farther west with each stage of his career. He went to college at the University of Tennessee at Martin, 815 miles west of his home. Then he moved to his current home of Athens, Texas, 600 miles farther west, because that was easier for traveling to rodeos and bull ridings.
Askey is currently 12th in the world standings. A win here would add to his earnings and could nearly secure him his second NFR qualification.
There was another lead in the tie-down roping on Tuesday. Riley Pruitt from Gering, Nebraska roped and tied his calf in 10.9 seconds at Frontier Park on Tuesday. That was identical to Monday’s time and gave Pruitt command of the overall standings at 21.8 seconds. Sterling Smith, from Stephenville, Texas, moved into second with a total time of 22.8 after his record-setting 9.4-second run on Monday.
The fifth performance of the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo will see contestants competing in the first round, except barrel racers who are in the second round. Competition gets underway at 12:45 p.m. Wednesday is all about local residents on Cheyenne/Laramie County Day.
CHEYENNE, Wyo., July 24, 2018 — The following are current leaders from the 122th annual Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo after the fourth performance.
Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, Will Lowe, Canyon, Texas, 86.5 points on Hi Lo ProRodeo’s Pretty Woman. 2, Seth Hardwick, Ranchester, Wyo., 85.5 3, (tie) Jake Vold, Ponoka, Alberta, and Jamie Howlett, Weatherford, Texas, 85 points. 5, Kyle Charley, Lukachukai, Ariz., 84. 6, Wyatt Denny, Minden, Nev., 82. (second round) 1, Clayton Biglow, Clements, Ca., 87.5 points on Hi Lo ProRodeo’s Wilson Sanchez. 2, Lane McGeHee, Victoria, Texas, 85. 3, Caleb Bennett, Tremonton, Utah, 84. 4, Logan Patterson, Kim, Co., 5, Hardwick, 81. 6, Jake Brown, Cleveland, Texas, 80.5. (overall leaders) 1, Hardwick, 166.5 points. 2, McGeHee, 166. 3, (tie) Bennett and Lowe, 165.5. 5, Biglow, 163. 6, Schwagler, 161.5. 7, Kyle Charley, Lukachukai, Ariz., 160. 8, Orin Larsen, Inglis, Manitoba, 159.
Steer Wrestling: (first round) 1, Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 6.4 seconds. 2, Jacob Edler, Dacoma, Okla., 6.5. 3, Sam Olson, Buffalo, S.D., 6.9. 4, Chase Black, Coalville, Utah, 7.3. 5, (tie) Miguel Garcia, Kaycee, Wyo., and Cody Kroul, Solon, Iowa, 7.6. (second round) 1, Eli Lord, Sturgis, S.D., 7.5. 2, Kody Woodward, Dupree, S.D., 8.2. 3, Nick Guy, Sparta, Mich., 8.3. 4, Cody Harmon, Dublin, Texas, 8.9. 5, (tie) Scott Guenthner, Provost, Alberta, and Dirk Tavenner, Rigby, Idaho, 9.1. (overall leaders) 1, Cassidy, 16.7. 2, Guy, 16.8. 3, Milan, 17.5. 4, Dru Melvin, Hebron, Neb., 18.2. 5, Tom Lewis, Lehi, Utah, 18.3. 6, Garcia, 18.6. 7, Kelby Bond, Avondale, Co., 18.7. 8, Edler, 18.8.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round) 1, Jacobs Crawley, Boerne, Texas, 82 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Native Fringe. 2, Hawkins Boyce, Malad, Idaho, 80. 3, (tie) Taygen Schuelke, Newell, S.D.; Chanse Darling, Hyattville, Wyo., and Leon Fountain, Socorro, N.M., 79. 6, JJ Elshere, Hereford, S.D., 78. (second round) 1, Jake Wright, Milford, Utah, 85 points on Hi Lo ProRodeo’s Peanut Butter Oreo. 2, Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, 84.5. 3, Chase Brooks, Deer Lodge, Mont., 84. 4, Sterling Crawley, Stephenville, Texas. 5, (tie) Joe Harper, Paradise Valley, Nev., and Tyrell J. Smith, Sand Coulee, Mont., 80. (overall leaders) 1, Thurston, 159.5. 2, Jacobs Crawley, 158. 3, Sterling Crawley, 157.5. 4, Alex Wright, Milford, Utah, 156.5. 5, Fountain, 156. 6, Harper, 154. 7, Schuelke, 152. 8, Clay Elliott, Nanton, Alberta, 150.5.
Team Roping (first round) 1, Ty Bach, Mt. Vernon, Texas, and Trey Johnson, Weatherford, Texas, 7.0 seconds. 2, (tie) Paul David Tierney, Oklahoma City, Okla., and Tanner Braden, Dewey, Okla.; and Cody Callaway, Gillette, Wyo., and Clay Johnson, Rozet, Wyo., 8.0. 4, Jeff Flenniken, Caldwell, Idaho, and Jake Minor, Ellensburg, Wash., 8.3. 5, Levi Simpson, Ponoka, Alberta, and Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alberta, 8.4. 6, Chris Francis and Cade Passig, Las Vegas, N.M., 8.6. (second round) 1, Garrett Tonozzi, Fruita, Co., and Joe Mattern, Plantersville, Texas, 7.5 seconds. 2, Kellan Johnson and Jhett Johnson, Casper, Wyo., 7.6. 3, Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, and Patrick Smith, Lipan, Texas, 7.7. 4, Derrick Begay, Seba Delkai, Ariz., and Cory Petska, Marana, Ariz., 8.5. 5, (tie) Kaleb Driggers, Hoboken, Ga., and Junior Nogueira, Presidente Prude, Brazil; Clint Gorrell, B, N.D., and Drew Gartner, Killdeer, N.D.; and Cole Dorenkamp, Lamar, Co., and T.J. Watts, Eads, Co., 8.6. 8, Jr. Dees, Aurora, S.D., and Cody Cowden, Atwater, Ca., 19.3
(overall leaders) 1, Francis and Passig, 17.5. 2, Bach and Johnson, 18.3. 3, White and Wakefield, 18.5. 4, Driggers and Nogueria, 18.6. 5, Begay and Petska, 18.7. 6, Chad Masters, Cedar Hill, Tenn., and Joseph Harrison, Overbrook, Okla. 7, Tyler Harris, Killdeer, N.D., and Ross Carson, Grassy Butte, N.D., 19.1. 8, Jr. Dees and Cody Cowden, 19.3.
Rookie Saddle Bronc Riding (first round) 1, Lane Schuelke, Newell, S.D., 77 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Watch This. 2, Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah, 74.5. 3, Louis Aguirre, Sabinas, Mexico, 74. 4, (tie) Will Pollock, Utopia, Texas, and Logan Cook, Alto, Texas, 71. 6, Jacob Kammerer, Philip, S.D., 70. (second round) 1, Rowdy Chesser, 74 points on Use Primary’s Stan Headings. 2, Corey LeFebre, Bloomfield, N.M., 71. 3. Cree Minkoff, Billings, Mont., 70. 4, Weston Mann, Sheridan, Wyo., 70. 5, Wright, 62. 6, Tyler Friend, Driggs, Idaho, 58. (overall leaders) 1, Wright, 136.5 points. 2, Chesser, 130. 3, Jake Running Crow, Billings, Mont., 124. (on one) 4, Schuelke, 77, 5, Aguirre, 74. 6, (tie) LeFebre, Cook and Pollock, 71.
Tie-down Roping (first round) 1, Sterling Smith, Stephenville, Texas, 9.4 seconds. 2, Treg Schaack, Canyon, Texas, 10.1. 3, Cole Bailey, Okmulgee, Okla., 10.3. 4, Clint Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 10.6. 5, Cimarron Boardman, Stephenville, Texas, 10.7. 6, (tie) Brent Lewis, Pinon, N.M., and Riley Pruitt, Gering, Neb., 10.9. (second round) 1, Adam Gray, Seymour, Texas, 10.3. 2, Scott Kormos, Teague, Texas, 10.4. 3, Austin Barstow, Springview, Neb., 10.8. 4, Riley Pruitt, Gering, Neb., 10.9. 5, Billy Hamilton, Stigler, Okla., 11.6. 6, John Douch, Huntsville, Texas, 11.8 (overall leaders) 1, Pruitt, 21.8 seconds. 2, Smith, 22.8. 3, Gray, 22.9. 4, Ty Harris, 4, Ty Harris, San Angelo, Texas, 23.2. 5, Cooper, 23.3. 6, Boardman, 23.6. 7, Kormos, 24.5. 8, (tie) Tim Pharr, Resaca, Ga., and Ryan Watkins, Morgan Mill, Texas, 25.1.
Barrel Racing: (second round leaders) 1, Lacinda Rose, Willard, Mo., 17.65 seconds. 2, Billie Ann Harmon, Dublin, Texas, 17.68. 3, Michelle Darling, Medford, Okla., 17.76. 4, Jessie Telford, Caldwell, Idaho, 5, Becki Mask, Amarillo, Texas, 17.88. 6, Laura Lambert, Wiggins, Co., 17.91. (overall leaders) 1, Rose, 35 .77 seconds. 2, Darling, 35.96 seconds. 3, Lambert, 36.00. 4, Brown, 36.04. 5, Telford, 36.12. 6, Harmon, 36.1. 7, Kelley Carrington, Boston, Ga., 36.22. 8, Kenna Kaminski, Bellville, Tex., 36.33.
Bull Riding: (first round) 1, Brady Portenier, Caldwell, Idaho, 88 points on Smith, Harper & Morgan’s #419. 2, (tie) Jeff Bertus, Avon, S.D., and J.W. Harris, Goldthwaite, Texas, 86.5. 4, Elijah Mora, Wiggins, Co., 85.5. 5, Clayton Savage, Yoder, Wyo., 85. 6, Bart Miller, Pleasanton, Neb., 84.5. (second round) 1, Brennon Eldred, Sulphur, Okla., 90 points on Rocky Mountain Rodeo’s American Blood. 2, Silvano Alves, Decatur, Texas, 86. 3, Jeff Askey, Athens, Texas, 85. 4, Cain Smith, Pendleton, Ore., 83.5. 5, (tie) Dillon Tyner, Eaton, Co., and Wyatt Rogers, Tahlequah, Okla., 82.5. (overall leaders – four rides) 1, (tie) J.W. Harris, Goldthwaite, Texas, and Askey, 166 points. (on one) 3, Eldred, 90. 4, Portenier, 88.5, (tie) Bertus, 86.5. 7, Mora, 85.5. 8, Savage, 85.
Wild Horse Race: 1, Davis Dental, $610. 2, Mo Green, $457. 3, Buntin Hump, $305. 4, Brad Carney, $152.
Four-time world champion bull rider J.W. Harris, is one of two men who have ridden both of their bulls so far at the 122nd Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. He was 80.5 points on Dakota Rodeo’s Shelly’s Gangster. PRCA photo by Dan Hubbell
Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding:
Three-time world champion bareback rider Will Lowe is no stranger to Cheyenne Frontier Day’s famous belt buckles. A CFD champion in 2009 and 2012, Lowe took the lead in the first round with an 86.5-point ride on Hi Lo ProRodeo’s Pretty Woman. He will be matched with Brookman Rodeo’s Cop a Feel where he will be going for broke to place in the average. Hot on his trail, Ranchester, Wyoming’s Seth Lee Hardwick is placing in the first round with his 85.5-point ride and has drawn Rocky Mountain Rodeo’s Good Times. Hardwick qualified for the 2015 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR), where he won money in seven rounds. Bareback bronc riding is the most physically demanding event in rodeo. Following the WNFR, he had hip surgery and missed the entire 2016 season. He came back and finished in 23rd last year. Neither Lowe or Hardwick are among the top 20 in the world standings, so the rest of the season depends on their success at Frontier Park.
The 2015 world champion saddle bronc rider, Jacobs Crawley hopes to add a second CFD championship to his resume. He won his first one in 2016. He has already won major rodeos like the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo and the Redding (California) Rodeo. He will have to battle it out on Rocky Mountain Rodeo’s Mother Feather Legs today and hopes to move into the overall standings to return for Championship Sunday. If he wins this year, it will be the first time as a dad. He and his wife, Lauren, had their first child, a son, Corley, last November.
Crawley is first in the PRCA world standings. He has a $25,000 lead over Wade Sundell, who will compete here later this week. With the amount of prize money available at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, no lead is big enough to secure a world championship just from money won during the regular season. However, another win here would certainly give Crawley a bigger advantage through the rest of the season. Crawley was 82 points yesterday, so all he needs is another good ride today to be championship round bound.
Bull riders came for the money yesterday with six qualified rides. Brady Portenier had the highest score when he rode bull #419 of Smith Harper & Morgan’s for 88 points. This gave him the lead in the first round. He finished 16th in the 2017 World Standings and is in the hunt for his first WNFR qualification. He will ride Dakota Rodeo’s White Dynamite today, which should be a great match up. White Dynamite has not been ridden this year in four attempts. However, judges have marked him with an average score of 42.5 out of 50 points. If Portenier covers his second bull he is liable to score high and position himself well in the overall standings. Bart Miller also rode in the first round for 84.5 points and is matched up against Dakota Rodeo’s Dusty’s Revenge who has yet to be rode this year. Miller’s grandfather, Eddie Boren, died while riding a bull in Texas, in 1978. That was eight years before Miller was born, but it has not affected his passion for the sport.
All six of yesterday’s successful riders are hoping to be the first men at the 122nd edition of the Daddy of ‘em All to get scores on two bulls. That would nearly assure them a spot in Sunday’s Championship finals.
Timed Events – Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Tie-Down Roping and Barrel Racing:
All the eyes at Chute 9 will be watching Sterling Smith in the tie-down roping today. Smith broke a 19-year-old arena record when he roped and tied his calf in 9.4 seconds yesterday. While he had a nearly flawless run and his horse worked beautifully, that time is going to be very hard to match. But with that blazing-fast run, he just needs to be solid today to make plans to be back at Frontier Park next Sunday for the Championships. Smith is currently 12th in the world standings, so a win here would nearly secure him a spot in Las Vegas next December to compete for a world title.
Riley Pruitt was not far behind Smith. The Nebraska resident stopped the clock in 10.9. Pruitt, 26, grew up coming to this rodeo. His dad competed in tie-down roping and steer wrestling and his mom still competes in the barrel racing. Neither of them ever won a championship here.
Wyoming will be cheering during the barrel racing for their own Cassidy Kruse. The Gillette resident has lived in Wyoming all of her life and has represented the state well at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. Kruse qualified for the championship event in 2015. Kruse had an 18.24-second run the first round and will really need to speed it up today to have a shot at a check from the Daddy.
The Kaminski name and barrel racing just seem to go together. Kelly Kaminski is a two-time world champion and is producer of all of the Junior NFR barrel races. Her daughter, Kenna Kaminski, is now on track to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Kenna has traveled to rodeos with her mom most of her life and being able to compete at Cheyenne is a dream come true for the second-year member of the WPRA.
None of the steer wrestlers were able to break into the top 6 in the first round yesterday, but Ty Talsma of Avon, South Dakota, and Kyle Whitaker of Chambers, Nebraska, both threw their steers in 8.4 seconds. They are tied for 12th in the first round. While that won’t get them any money, a similar or faster run today, could put them among the overall leaders.
Dru Melvin is very busy here at Cheyenne. The father of four children under four years of age is competing in the steer wrestling, hazing for other competitors and spending time with his family who made the trip from his home at Hebron, Nebraska to spend time with him. He stopped the clock in 8.5 seconds and if his cheering section has anything to do with it, he will have another good run today and get to come back next weekend.
Former CFD champ Chad Masters (2009) and his partner Joseph Harrison are seventh in the first round after an 8.9-second run yesterday. Another smooth, penalty-free run should put them in the hunt for Masters’ second CFD title and Harrison’s first.
Three other teams who compete today turned in times that are among the top 15 in the first round. Lane Ivy and Blaine Vick were 9.7 seconds, 11th fastest thus far in round one. Two other teams – Kaleb Driggers & Junior Nogueira and Charly Crawford & Ty Arnold were 10.0 on their first-round steers. While Driggers and Nogueira are both ranked eighth in the world standings, Ivy, Vick, Crawford and Arnold are outside the top 20 in the standings. A quick time today could help any of them qualify for the NFR in December.
All of today’s contestants are in their second round of competition.
Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding:
Today’s field of bareback riders includes three former champions of the Daddy of ‘Em All – Casey Colletti (2011). Orin Larsen (2016) and Will Lowe (2009 & 2012). Also competing today is Spur Lacasse, whose father Roger won here in 1994 and in 1998. Don’t be surprised if you hear someone speaking French behind the chutes (literally) as Lacasse and Pascal Isbelle are both French Canadian. Two Wyoming cowboys – Seth Harwick and Devan Reilly – begin their quest for a championship here, a goal of every contestant especially those from the Cowboy State. We will have two extra bareback riders today as well. Clayton Biglow and wyatt Denny have been collecting air miles. They rode their first horses here Saturday, then flew to Salinas, California to compete yesterday. They are flying back here today and hoping their success continues. Biglow finished second in Salinas and Denny was 8 th . Denny is sporting quite a mustache that he plans on growing until the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in December.
Cody DeMoss has won three CFD titles in the saddle bronc riding (2004, 2010 and 2012). If he could win here again, he’d be the first individual to win an event here four times since 1960. Standing between him and that achievement is an entire field of bronc riders including Jacobs Crawley, who won here in 2016, and Jesse Bail, who took home the winner’s buckle in 2011. Crawley currently leads the world standings with his younger brother Sterling Crawley, who competes today, ranked 8 th and JJ Elshere, also in today’s field, ranked 14 th . J.W. Harris has four bull riding world championships on his resume, but he’s never won a title in Cheyenne. Harris is back on the pro rodeo circuit full time after concentrating on the PBR Tour for a few years. Three-time PBR champion Silvano Alves, a native of Brazil, competes today along with National Finals Rodeo (NFR) veterans Cody Rostockyj and Brennon Eldred. Louisiana cowboy Dustin Boquet is the highest ranked cowboy in the current standings to compete today. Bouquet is coming off of a big win at the Snake River Stampede, that just happened last Saturday night in Nampa, Idaho. That money will be added to his world standings later today and is likely to move him up from his fourth place ranking. Clayton Sellars (7 th ) and Jeff Askey (11 th ) are also in today’s field. Sellars is also leading the rookie of the year standings in the bull riding and has been competing for Western Texas College in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. He qualified for his second College National Finals Rodeo last June and finished as the
reserve champion.
Timed Events – Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Tie-Down Roping and Barrel
Racing:
Cole Edge of Durant, Okla., has been near of the top of the steer wrestling standings for most of the season. He’s currently ranked second and will compete today along with Tanner Brunner who is ranked 10 th . They will be riding NFR veteran Sean Mulligan’s horses and he will haze for them. Mulligan, a UW graduate won the title here in 2000. South Dakotan Jake Rinehart was the 2009 CFD champion. At the other end of the experience spectrum are a group of three midwestern cowboys who will run a steer for the first time at the Daddy today. Ben Kilburg, Talon Roseland and Fenton Nelson arrived a day early to watch Sunday’s rodeo performance. They are traveling with Noah Lassa who has competed here once before. These cowboys have come up through the ranks of high school and college rodeo. Nelson, 23, is a graduate student at William
Woods University who qualified four times for the College National Finals. Kilburg is a junior at Missouri Valley College majoring in ag business and marketing. Roseland is a senior at Northwestern Oklahoma State University under the tutelage of NFR veteran turned rodeo coach Stockton Graves who also competes today.
Today’s team roping field features three former CFD champs, all on the heading side. Tyler Wade won in 2016 with Dakota Kirchenslager; Logan Olson won in 2008 with Bronc Cresta and Chad Masters won in 2009 with Jade Corkill. These three will all have different partners here this year and could get their heelers their first Cheyenne buckle. Of the 10 teams scheduled to rope today, 17 of the 20 contestants are ranked among the top 30 in the heading or heeling standings, including former All-Around World Champion Junior Nogueira who is roping with six-time NFR qualifier Kaleb Driggers. Junior will be keeping a close eye on the bull
riding today as he gets to watch his fellow countryman Alves.
The tie-down roping will feature the 2013 CFD champion Scott Kormos as well as the reigning college champion, Ty Harris. At 5’7” and just 160 pounds, the success that Kormos has had in his signature event is amazing. Not only has he been a champion roping here with the big head start for calves that weigh twice what he does, he has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo 8 times. The last time that Kormos qualified for the NFR was in 2013, the same year he won the title here. He is 22 nd in the world standings and another win at Frontier Park would give him another chance. The 2015 world champion, Caleb Smidt, is also on today’s Roster. He has also had to juggle his travel schedule, horses and family this week. The former college all-around champion qualified for the final round in Salinas and finished 4th there yesterday. Smidt is currently 6 th in the world and is looking for his fifth NFR qualification.
The barrel racer with the most to gain today is Montana’s Shelly Anzick. She had a first round time of 18.17 and has ground to make up. Anzick is 25 th in the world standings and her horse can fly. If they have their day today, look for them to shave a couple tenths off of that.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — July 21, 2018 — When contestants enter the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo, they have goals and dreams of doing well, winning a prestigious buckle and
earning a chunk of the lucrative purse.
The first performance of the 122 nd annual event saw Trey Johnson with a big smile after catching both back feet in the team roping. His partner Ty Bach had roped the steer by the horns and the Texas duo stopped the clock in seven seconds to take the lead in the first round at Frontier Park.
Johnson is a rodeo veteran who roped with Tuf Cooper here in 2013, the year Cooper won the all-around. He and partner Shay Carroll won third in round two here last year and earned more than $4,500 each. This year, he’s looking for an even better finish, roping with the son of four-time world champion Allen Bach. Another fast run on Sunday will see them back
next week with a chance to win the championship.
When asked about that smile, Johnson said, “Tyler did a great job. After the run, we looked at each other and we were like two little kids just having fun.”
Only three bull riders managed to stay on for the full eight seconds during the first performance. Elijah Mora of Wiggins, Co., took the lead by half a point with 85.5 points on Smith, Harper & Morgan’s bull Preifert Sweep. Wyoming’s Clayton Savage is just behind Mora with 85 points on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s bull Carol Kline. NFR cowboy Garrett Smith is third with 83 and all three need another good ride tomorrow to earn a slot in the final round.
The second performance of the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo starts at 12:45 p.m. on Sunday. All contestants will be competing in the second round.
CHEYENNE, Wyo., July 21, 2018 — The following are current leaders from the 122 nd annual Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo after the first performance.
Bareback Riding: (first round) 1, (tie) Jake Vold, Ponoka, Alberta, on United Pro Rodeo’s
Pow Wow Nights and Jamie Howlett, Weatherford, Texas, on Stace Smith Pro Rodeo’s JBC Bent
Rail Sourdough, 85 points each. 3, Wyatt Denny, Minden, Nev., 82. 4, (tie) Tate Schwagler,
Mandan, N.D., and Caleb Bennett, Tremonton, Utah, 81.5. 6, Lane McGeHee, Victoria, Texas,
81.
Steer Wrestling: (first round) 1, Curtis Cassidy, Donalda, Alberta, 6.4 seconds. 2, Jacob
Elder, Dacoma, Okla., 6.5. 3, Sam Olson, Buffalo, S.D., 6.9. 4, Chase Black, Coalville, Utah, 7.3.
5, Miguel Garcia, Kaycee, Wyo., 7.6. 6, Brady McFarren, Morris, Okla., 7.8.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (first round) 1, Hawkins Boyce, Malad, Idaho, 80 points on Sankey
Pro Rodeo & Robinson Bulls’ Hullabaloo. 2, Chanse Darling, Hyattville, Wyo., 79. 3, Alex Wright,
Milford, Utah, 77. 4, Zeke Thurston, Big Valley, Alberta, 75. 5, (tie) Joe Harper, Paradise Valley,
Nev., and Ross Griffin, Tularosa, N.M., 74 each.
Team Roping (first round) 1, Ty Bach, Mt. Vernon, Texas, and Trey Johnson, Weatherford,
Texas, 7.0 seconds. 2, (tie) Paul David Tierney, Oklahoma City, Okla., and Tanner Braden,
Dewey, Okla.; and Cody Callaway, Gillette, Wyo., and Clay Johnson, Rozet, Wyo., 8.0. 4, Levi
Simpson, Ponoka, Alberta, and Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood, Alberta, 8.4. 5, Chris Francis and
Cade Passig, Las Vegas, N.M., 8.6. 6, Tyler Waters, Stephenville, Texas, and Cody Hogan,
Bentonville, La., 9.3.
Rookie Saddle Bronc Riding (first round) 1, Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah, 74.5 points on
Use Primary’s Russ Kling. 2, Louis Aguirre, 74. 3, Jake Running Crow, 69. 4, Rowdy Chesser, 56.
Tie-down Roping (first round) 1, Treg Schaack, Canyon, Texas, 10.1 seconds. 2, Cole
Bailey, Okmulgee, Okla., 10.3. 3, Clint Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 10.6. 4, Cimarron Boardman,
Stephenville, Texas, 10.7. 5, Brent Lewis, Pinon, N.M., 10.9. 6, Josh Jennings, Glendale, Utah,
11.1.
Barrel Racing (first round winners) 1, Nellie Miller, Cottonwood, Ca., 17.54 seconds,
$6,669. 2, Katelyn Scott, Odessa, Texas, 17.67, $5,716. 3, Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, S.D., $4,763.
4, Jackie Ganter, Abilene, Texas, 17.73, $4,128. 5, (tie) Kylie Weast, Comanche, Okla., and Ivy
Conrado, Hudson, Co., $,2858 each. 7, Britanny Pozzi Tonozzi, Victoria, Texas, 17.83, $1,905.
8, Katie Pascoe, Morro Bay, Ca., 17.89, $1,270. 9, Jennifer Barrett, Buhl, Idaho, 17.91, $953.
10, (tie) Sissy Winn, Chapman Ranch, Texas, and Angie Meadors, Blanchard, Okla., 17.92, $318
each.
(second round leaders) 1, Jessica Stolzenberger, Wellington, Co., 17.86 seconds. 2, Rainy
Pratt, Stephenville, Texas, 18.12. 3, Tillar Murray, Fort Worth, Texas, 18.13. 4, Carol Ruggieri,
Pueblo, Co., 18.14. 5, Holly Wright, Gruver, Texas, 18.17. 6, CJ Vondette, Rifle, Co., 18.24.
(overall leaders) 1, Stolzenberger, 36.37 seconds. 2, Pratt, 36.60. 3, Vondette, 36.61. 4,
Ruggieri, 36.63. 5, Murray, 36.67. 6, Wright, 36.70.
Bull Riding: (first round – three rides) 1, Elijah Mora, Wiggins, Co., 85.5 points on Smith,
Harper & Morgan’s Preifert Sweep. 2, Clayton Savage, Yoder, Wyo., 85. 3, Garrett Smith,
Rexburg, Idaho, 80.5.
Steer roping (two rounds completed during slack – first round winners) 1, Travis Mills,
Gillette, Wyo., 13.5 seconds, $5,982. 2, (tie) Shay Good, Midland, Texas, and Jarrett Blessing,
Paradise, Texas, 14.0, $4,812 each. 4, (tie) Jim Locke, Miami, Texas; Trevor Brazile, Decatur,
Texas; Vin Fisher Jr., Andrews, Texas; Matt Davis, Argyle, Texas, and Troy Tillard, Douglas,
Wyo., 14.7, $2,081 each. (second round winners) 1, Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas, 12.2
seconds, $5,982. 2, Kelton McMillen, Paden, Okla., 13.6, $5,202. 3, Chad Mathis, Morristown,
Ariz., $4,422. 4, Wade Kane, Ellensburg, Wash., 14.7, $3,641. 5, Kenyon Burns, Lovington,
N.M., 15.0, 42,861. 6, Trey Wallace, George West, Texas, $2,081. 7, (tie) Miles Williams,
Gillette, Wyo., and Bryce Davis, Ovalo, Texas, 15.7, $910 each.
Wild Horse Race: 1, Dizzy Heifer Cattle Co., $610. 2, Bobcat of the Rockies, $457. 3. Tony
Salz Jr., $305. 4, XINGULAR, $152.
Rough Stock Events – Bareback, Saddle Bronc and Bull Riding:
We will see a star-studded field in the rough stock events today with Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifiers, world champions and former Cheyenne Frontier Days champs.
The bareback riding world standings leader, Caleb Bennett will be trying to win his first Cheyenne buckle. Caleb has been
competing here for 10 years and is having the best season of his career. He started off the year with a big win at the San Antonio Stock Show Rodeo and hasn’t slowed down one bit since that title last February.
Caleb plays double duty at most rodeos. He is the bareback riding event director for the PRCA, so he listens to suggestions and concerns from fellow competitors, stock contractors and interacts with judges and committees. He evaluates the horses and along with his fellow riders, selects the animals to be used in his event at the NFR. Caleb is traveling with Richmond Champion, the 2015
CFD champion.
Contestants often share notes about horses they have competed on with their fellow riders. Jake Brown doesn’t need information from anyone about Storm Cloud, the Stace Smith Pro Rodeo horse that he is riding today. Jake has been matched up with Storm Cloud on two other occasions. The first time was last year at Goliad, Texas, where he was 87 points and won the rodeo. The next matchup came in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and didn’t go like the first one. The result was a 76.5-point effort that was out of the money. Jake is hoping that Storm Cloud has her day today and they are at the top of the leaderboard just like they were at Goliad.
Bull rider Garrett Smith is hungry for wins and looking to climb up in the world standings. Garrett is 36 th in the world standings and after two consecutive NFR qualifications, he needs a big win to return to Las Vegas in December. He injured his knee there last year in the third round and was able to make it through the next seven with help from the Justin Sports Medicine Team. He had surgery and missed the big winter rodeos. Garrett shared a round win here in 2016 and would like nothing more than to show off his horsemanship skills by making a victory lap as the champion.
Wyoming’s own Clayton Savage is also on the roster today. Clayton had some luck over Cowboy Christmas in his home state at the Cody Stampede. He is hoping to add to that and increase his place in the world standings and in the Mountain States Circuit. He is 33 rd in the world and leads the circuit. If he would win a championship here, he would be the first Wyoming bull rider to win the championship here in years.
Half of the Wright clan will be here today. Brothers Jake and Alex and their brother-in-law CoBurn Bradshaw will each be trying to win their first CFD title. Their rig is missing Jake’s twin brother Jesse who broke his collarbone last month. Their nephew Stetson Wright will be in the rookie bronc riding today. He competed at the National High School Rodeo finals yesterday and is 10 the overall. He may be making a flying trip back to Rock Springs to compete at their final round tonight. Also, in today’s saddle bronc field is the 2016 world champion Zeke Thurston who is currently 5 th in the world. Timed Events – Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Tie-Down Roping and Barrel
Racing:
The Duvall family is legendary among steer wrestling fans and CFD has had one of the best as a champion, Roy Duvall, who won it in 1967. Roy’s great nephew Riley Duvall will be trying to add his name to the champions roster today. Riley’s father, Sam Duvall, has hazed many steers here along with being a competitor himself. He traveled with Ote Berry, two-time CFD champion and 2017 CFD Hall of Fame inductee. Today, Ote’s son, Denver Berry, will be competing alongside Riley. Cody Moore has never qualified for the Wrangler National Finals, but he has done something that hundreds of other steer
wrestlers dream of – winning Cheyenne Frontier Days. Cody won the title here in 2010. He was from Artesia, N.M., then and while he has had success in the arena, he has made his family a priority. He will be competing against his brother-in-law today, Jace Melvin. The 2014 CFD all-around champion, Trell Etbauer will make the long ride from the timed-event end of the arena twice today. He is competing in the steer wrestling and tie-down roping and in between his competition, he will be watching for his younger
brother, Shade Etbauer in the saddle bronc riding.
In 2013, Tuf Cooper won the all-around title here competing in the team roping and tie-down roping. Tuf isn’t roping here today, but the man that helped him win the title is. Trey Johnson did the heeling then and will do that again today. He is roping with Ty Bach, son of the legendary Allen Bach. Trey has a ministry that has taken him to places he never dreamt of. Along with roping and preaching, he has published two books and released CD’s that inspire, motivate and encourage people. He also teaches faith-based roping schools. The women’s barrel racing progressive round starts today. Most of them have time to make up, but with four NFR qualifiers in the field and expected good weather, times should be fast. Tillar Murray rode here last year with a broken back. She got healed up and qualified for her first NFR last December. Now, she is focusing on her education and limiting her rodeo schedule. Watch for Tillar, along with Sabrina Ketcham, Benette Little and Sabrina Ketcham.
The barrel racers are in their second round of competition while all of the other competitors are making their first appearance in the
Frontier Days Arena.