DODGE CITY, Kan. – Statler Wright has already pocketed nearly $5,000 during his run through Kansas rodeos this week, and he’s not done.

Wright is just 18 years old, the youngest of four boys born to two-time world champion saddle bronc rider Cody Wright, and he wants to be part of the family’s lore in more ways than one. The first step is to be the fourth member of his family to win the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo title.

He took his first step toward that Saturday night, riding Frontier Rodeo’s Bordertown for 87 points to win the first round and secure his spot atop the standings heading into Sunday’s championship round, and he did it on a day that reached 105 degrees in western Kansas.

“I’m not, and I love getting on bucking horses,” said Wright, the No. 2 saddle bronc rider in the Resistol Rookie of the Year standings. “Right out of (the chute), she had that rare out. It shocked me. I thought she was going to turn and leave. When she left like that, I knew from the get-go it was going to be a battle the entire eight seconds. I pretty much just closed my eyes and threw my feet.”

Bronc riders are scored by how well they spur the animal, having the heels of their boots over the front of the horse’s shoulders before the equine star’s front hooves hit the ground, then spurring back to the cantle of their saddles all in rhythm with the animal’s bucking motion. He comes from a family that’s done it pretty well for almost two decades.

His dad was the starting point, winning the 2008 and 2010 Montana Silversmiths gold buckles. Cody Wright was followed by younger brothers Jesse, who won rodeo’s gold in 2012, and Spencer, the 2014 titlist. Cody Wright’s second son, Ryder, won the world championships in 2017 and 2020, and a third son, Stetson, is the three-time reigning all-around world champ who also owns gold in bull riding (2020) and saddle bronc riding (2021).

The family’s history is pretty strong in Dodge City, too. Cody Wright won in 2013, while his oldest son, Rusty, won the Roundup crown in 2019 riding Frontier’s Big News. A year later, Ryder Wright added his roundup title on the same horse.

Statler Wright could follow suit. How he concludes his week on the Plains on Sunday will tell the tale.

“It would mean the world to me,” he said. “My dad and (two of) my brothers have all won this rodeo. To add that to my resume of winning Dodge City would be a dream come true. It’s a big rodeo to win, and the buckles are awesome. The horses are amazing. It would be a great rodeo to win.

“Everywhere you go, you want to be No. 1. We’re shooting for this one. This is a big one. I’ve always wanted to come to this one. I’m excited for the short round.”

He should be; it’s a big opportunity. He finished second in Phillipsburg, Kansas, after scoring 84.5 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Never Before, pocketing $2,305. By winning the first round in Dodge City, he earned another $2,662.

“At the start of the year, I felt like I couldn’t be stopped,” Wright said. “Then I went on a dry spell after I won the Rookie Roundup. Just the other day, I got on a little horse of Beutlers’ in Phillipsburg, and ever since, I’ve been feeling real good and I’m ready to go.”

With all that gold that roams around the home place during family visits, there could be a bit of pressure to just excel in rodeo like everyone else. That’s not how it works in the Wright home, though. Cody and ShaRee Wright keep their children grounded, and the support system they share keeps everyone pointed in the right direction.

“I know my brothers are going to help me,” Statler Wright said. “When I’m down, they’re going to help me up, and when I’m up, they’re always going to help me get further up. Just having those guys with me takes all the pressure off me.”

Dodge City Roundup Rodeo
Dodge City, Kan.
Aug. 3-7, 2022
Bareback riding: First round: 1. Tim O’Connell, 87 points on Frontier Rodeo’s High Heels, $2,786; 2. (tie) Wyatt Denny, Kaycee Feild and Garrett Shadbolt, 86.5, $1,578 each; 5. (tie) Jess Pope and Ty Pope, 85.5, $557 each; 7. Tilden Hooper, 85, $371; 8. Seth Hardwick, 84.5, $279; 9. Lane McGehee, 84; 10. (tie) Will Lowe and Leighton Berry, 83; 12. Anthony Thomas, 82.5.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Bryton Edmundson, 3.9 seconds, $3,762; 2. Landris White, 4.0, $3,271; 3. (tie) Kyle Irwin and Timmy Sparing, 4.1, $2,535 each; 5. (tie) Mitch Hutto, Matt Reeves, Stetson Jorgensen, E.J. Joos and Slammer Powers, 4.2, $850 each. Second round: 1. Cody Devers, 3.5 seconds, $3,762; 2. Bridger Anderson, 3.6, $3,271; 3. Dakota Eldridge, 3.7, $2,780; 4. Tristan Martin, 3.8, $2,290; 5. Ryan Shuckburgh, 4.0, $1,799; 6. (tie) Dalton Massey and Joe Nelson, 4.1, $1,063; 8. (tie) Timmy Sparing, Richard Coats and Rowdy Parrott, 4.2, $109 each. Average leaders: 1. Timmy Sparing, 8.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Landris White, 8.4; 3. Bryton Edmundson, 8.7; 4. (tie) Stetson Jorgensen, Stephen Culling and Slammer Powers, 8.8; 7. (tie) Cody Devers and Rowdy Parrott, 9.0; 9. Jace Melvin, 9.2; 10. Dylan Schroeder, 9.3; 11. (tie) Gavin Soileau and Bridger Anderson, 9.5.

Team roping: First round: 1. Zach Kilgus/Jake Edwards, 4.8 seconds, $2,976; 2. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 4.9, $2,588; 3. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 5.1, $2,199; 4. (tie) Paul David Tierney/Tanner Braden, Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan and Tyler Wade/Trey Yates, 5.4, $1,423 each; 7. Dustin Egusquiza/Travis Graves, 5.5, $647; 8. (tie)Chad Masters/Paul Eaves and Marcus Theriot/Cole Curry, 5.6, $129 each. Second round: 1. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 4.0 seconds, $2,976; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.4, $2,588; 3. Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill, 4.5, $2,199; 4. Derrick Begay/Colter Todd, 4.6; 5. Trent Vaught/Jace McDaniel, 4.8; 6. Logan Graham/Whitney DeSalvo, 5.1; 7. (tie) Tanner James/Max Kuttler and Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 5.3, $453. Average leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Jake Long, 11.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Cody Snow/Wesley Thorp, 11.2; 3. (tie) Quinn Kesler/Caleb Hendrix and Brenten Hall/Chase Tryan, 12.5; 5. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin, 12.6; 6. Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, 12.6; 7. Curry Kirchner/Reagan Ward, 12.7; 8. Corben Culley/Shane Jenkins, 15.3; 9. Tyler Hobert/Chase Boekhaus, 16.2; 10. Cory Kidd/Lane Mitchell, 16.3; 11. J.D. Yates/Marcus Banister, 16.4; 12. Wyatt Bray/Trevor Nowlin, 18.8.

Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Statler Wright, 87 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Bordertown, $2,662; 2. (tie) Riggin Smith and Colt Gordon, 85.5, $1,775 each; 4. Ryder Wright, 84.5, $976. 5. (tie) Lefty Homan and Wade Sundell, 83.5, $532 each; 7. Shorty Garrett, 83, $355; 8. Logan Cook, 82.5, $266; 9. (tie) Wyatt Casper, Isaac Diaz, Brady Hill and Cable James Wareham, 82. 

Breakaway roping: First round: 1. Taylor Hanchey, 2.5 seconds, $2,168; 2. Bradi Good, 2.6, $1,885; 3. Loni Lester, 3.0, $1,602; 4. Mable McAbee, 3.1, $1,319; 5. Bryana Lehrmann, 3.2, $1,037; 6. (tie)Winter Williams, Madison Outhier and Tacy Webb, 3.3, $471 each; 9. Lari Dee Guy, 3.4; 10. (tie) Rylea Fabrizio and Micah Samples, 3.5; 12. Ashley Goforth, 3.6.

Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Cory Solomon, 8.3 seconds, $3,687; 2. Chance Thiessen, 8.5, $3,206; 3. Kincade Henry, 8.7, $2,725; 4. Westyn Hughes, 8.8, $2,244; 5. Tuf Cooper, 9.2, $1,763; 6. Blake Chauvin, 9.3, $1,282; 7. Marty Yates, 9.4, $801; 8. Tyson Durfey, 9.7, $321. Second round: 1. King Pickett, 8.2 seconds, $3,687; 2. Ryan Thibodeaux, 8.5, $3,206; 3. Riley Webb, 9.0, $2,725; 4. Marty Yates, 9.2, $2,244; 5. (tie) Cory Solomon and Adam Gray, 9.3, $1,523 each; 7. Marcos Costa, 9.4, $801; 8. Sy Felton, 9.6, $321. Average: 1. Cory Solomon, 17.6 seconds on two runs; 2. Marty Yates, 18.6; 3. Austin Lawrence, 19.8; 4. Benny Mosley, 20.0; 5. (tie) Westyn Hughes and Lane Livingston, 20.5; 7. Luke Potter, 20.9; 8. Riley Webb, 21.3; 9. (tie) King Pickett and Jase Staudt, 21.5; 11. John Pereira, 22.5; 12. Sy Felton, 22.6; 10. Richard Newton, 23.2; 11. (tie) Chet Weitz and Cody McCartney, 23.7.  

Barrel racing: First round: 1. Jordan Briggs, 16.96, $3,714; 2. Michelle Darling, 17.22, $3,183; 3. Tarryn Lee, 17.28, $2,653; 4. Keyla Polizello Costa, 17.35, $2,299; 5. Stevi Hillman, 17.37, $1,768; 6. Randi Holliday, 17.38, $1,415; 7. Jordan Driver, 17.39, $1,061; 8. Jessica Routier, 17.40, $707; 9. Destri Devenport, 17.45, $531; 10.  Tana Poppno, 17.46, $354; 11. Tammy Peterson, 17.49; 12. Ari-Anna Flynn, 17.55.

Bull riding: First round: 1. JR Stratford, 87.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s He’s Legit, $2,987; 2. Trey Holston, 86.5, $2,290; 3. Canyon Bass, 85.5, $1,692; 4. Tyler Bingham, 85, $1,095; 5. Brett McAbee, 84.5, $697; 6. Hayes Weight, Brady Portenier and Tom Harmon, 83, $398 each; 9. Trevor Reiste, 82.5; 10. Creek Young 79.5; 11. Coy Pollmeier, 77; 12. (tie) Reid Oftedahl and Kody Aldrich, 73.