By Derek Beck | Territorial Rodeo Update
The dust is beginning to settle on one of the busiest stretches of the professional rodeo season.
Cowboy Christmas once again lived up to its reputation, with contestants crisscrossing the country chasing paychecks at rodeos from California to Oklahoma, often competing at multiple performances in a single day. While the Fourth of July run is in the books, the money is still flowing with the prestigious Calgary Stampede wrapping up this weekend before attention turns to the legendary Cheyenne Frontier Days beginning next week.
Several events saw major movement in the PRCA World Standings following the holiday run.
Bareback Riding
The race for the gold buckle couldn’t be much tighter.
Bradlee Miller continues to lead the world standings with $143,672 after adding another $10,000 at the Calgary Stampede. Jacob Lees sits just behind him with $142,446, thanks to a strong Cowboy Christmas that netted more than $16,000.
Rocker Steiner remains sidelined while recovering from neck surgery, and Wacey Schalla continues to recover from a broken leg. Jess Pope rounds out this week’s Top 5.
Steer Wrestling
Louisiana cowboy Tyler Waguespack continues to lead the bulldogging standings, followed by Holden Myers, Cash Robb and Mike McGinn.
Dalton Massey makes the biggest move of the week, climbing into fifth after a productive Cowboy Christmas run.
Team Roping
Korbin Rice continues to pace the header standings with nearly $176,000 in season earnings. Kaleb Driggers remains second, followed by James Arviso, Jake Smith and Tyler Tryan.
On the heeler side, Cooper Freeman maintains the lead, but Levi Lord of Sturgis, South Dakota, made one of the biggest jumps of the week. Lord competed in 11 rodeos during Cowboy Christmas, moving into second place in the world standings. Junior Nogueira, Douglas Rich and Wyatt Cox complete the Top 5.
Saddle Bronc Riding
Stetson Wright continues to put together another remarkable season, becoming one of the first contestants to surpass $200,000 in earnings this year.
Brother Rusty Wright remains second, followed by Kade Bruno, Sage Newman and Montana’s Chase Brooks.
Tie-Down Roping
Riley Webb has built a commanding advantage atop the standings, leading second-place Kincade Henry by more than $57,000.
John Douch, Joel Harris and Brushton Minton complete this week’s Top 5.
Barrel Racing
The race remains incredibly close.
Kassie Mowry continues to hold the top spot while competing at the Calgary Stampede this weekend. LaTricia Duke sits second, while Emily Beisel and Hayle Gibson-Stillwell are separated by only a few hundred dollars. Carlee Otero rounds out the Top 5.
Bull Riding
The biggest story of Cowboy Christmas may belong to rookie sensation Noah Lee.
Lee earned approximately $46,000 during the Fourth of July run, winning rodeos at Cody and St. Paul while also capturing a pool victory at the Calgary Stampede. His impressive week vaulted him into second place in the PRCA World Standings behind Idaho’s Tristen Hutchings.
Stetson Wright remains third, followed by Hayden Welsh of Gillette, Wyoming, and Colorado cowboy Luke Mackey.
Looking Ahead
The Calgary Stampede will crown champions this weekend before the sport turns its attention to Cheyenne Frontier Days, widely known as the “Daddy of ‘Em All.” With hundreds of thousands of dollars still up for grabs before the National Finals Rodeo, every ride and every run becomes even more important as cowboys and cowgirls continue their chase for a coveted gold buckle.
Be sure to catch the Territorial Rodeo Update each week on radio stations across the West and wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow along as we track the biggest stories, the hottest contestants and the road to Las Vegas.