PECOS, Texas – Unseasonably mild temperatures didn’t cool the action inside Buck Jackson Arena during Friday’s third performance of the West of the Pecos Rodeo.
The “World’s First Rodeo” featured three 91-point rides, two of which came in bull riding by two of the top cowboys in the discipline, eight-time world champion Stetson Wright – who has nine National Finals Rodeo qualifications in saddle bronc riding and bull riding – and four-time NFR qualifier Creek Young.
Wright bounded into the arena aboard Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Whiskey River, matching every move the big, white bull threw at him. Young scored his high-marked ride on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Heartbreaker, and the two share a commanding lead heading into Saturday’s final performance.
“Josh Frost rode that bull at the finals, so I was excited to get on him,” Wright said of the 2024 world champion bull rider. “They’ve been big numbers on him, so I knew what I had at stake here.”
Wright is the winningest cowboy of this era. He won five straight all-around gold buckles from 2019-23. The only reason he didn’t make it six was because an injury sidelined all of the 2024 campaign. The Beaver, Utah, cowboy also won bull riding crowns in 2020 and ’22 and added a saddle bronc championship in 2021.
“(Carr general manager) Billy (Jones) and Pete (Carr) brought really great stock,” said Wright, who also sits sixth in bronc riding after an 83.5-point ride on Carr’s Apache Junction. “That’s the caliber that they bring. You can see that at any one of their rodeos, and I was just lucky I was part of them tonight.”
Like Wright, Young missed the 2024 NFR after suffering a broken femur late in the regular season. He’s more in scramble mode right now, sitting 43rd in the world standings.
The third big score came when Tanner Butner spurred Carr’s Dirty Roots to take the bronc riding lead. Butner, who won the Pecos title three seasons ago, just added to his lore in west Texas.
“Pecos has always treated me good,” said Butner of Daniel, Wyoming. “I like showing up here. Pete’s always got some pretty dang fun horses.
“I’d seen (Dirty Roads) a few times, and everybody that’s been on him said he’s pretty dang good. He’ll be a little wild sometimes but usually goods, so I figured I might as well try him out.”
It wasn’t all big scores in Reeves County. There were some fast times, too. Breakaway roper Chenoa VandeStouwe of Weatherford, Oklahoma, stopped the clock in 3.3 seconds to sit in a three-way tie for third place in the second round. Combined with her 4.0-second first-round run, though, she sits atop the average with a two-run cumulative time of 7.3 seconds.
Nobody in west Texas has been hotter than Bray Armes of Stephenville, Texas. He won rodeos in El Paso and Big Spring last week and owns the steer wrestling lead in Pecos. He is tied for the top spot in the opening round with 2020 world champion Jacob Edler; both cowboys posted 4.4-second runs. Armes then knocked down his second steer Friday night in 4.5 seconds, and he owns a three-tenths-of-a-second lead over the field.
“When you get on these waves, you just try to stay on top of them,” said Armes, a three-time qualifier and the 2013 NFR average titlist. “They were 5.0 on that steer the last time, and I knew if I (got a good start), I could be a little faster, and that’s what I tried to do. My horses are just working great. We’re just going to try to ride this wave as long as we can.”
West of the Pecos Rodeo
June 25-28
Bareback riding: 1. Bradlee Miller, 87.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Chrome Molly; 2. Kade Sonnier, 86.5; 3. (tie) Darien Johnson and Garrett Shadbolt, 83; 5. Tilden Hooper, 81; 6. Sam Petersen, 80; 7. Gavin French, 78; no other qualified rides.
Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Cyle Denison/Lane Mitchell, 6.6 seconds; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 6.8; 3. Manny Egusquiza Jr./Walt Woodard, 6.9; 4. Clint Summers/Jade Corkill, 7.4; 5. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 7.5; 6. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 7.6; 7. (tie) Jaxson Hill/Jessen James and Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili, 7.7. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Kolby Krieger/Michael Fortenberry and Slade Wood/Cashton Weidenbener, 6.0 seconds; 3. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 6.1; 4. Zane Thompson/Chad Mathes, 6.4; 5. (tie) Jaxon Hill/Jessen James and Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili, 6.9; 7. Clay Tryan/Cutter Thomison, 7.0; 8. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 7.5. Average leaders: 1. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 13.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 14.4; 3. (tie) Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili and Jaxon Hill/Jessen James, 14.6; 5. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 15.0; 6. Clint Summers/Jade Corkill, 15.2; 7. Slade Wood/Cashton Weidenbener, 15.3; 8. Zane Thompson/Chad Mathes, 15.5.
Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. David Witcher, 13.0 seconds; 2. Chad Mathis, 14.2; 3. Jess Tierney, 14.6; 4. Kelton McMillen, 15.4; 5. Seth Ross, 15.6; 6. Slick Ellis, 16.5; 7. Coleman Proctor, 16.9; Jake Clay, 17.0. Second round leaders: 1. Quay Howard, 11.2 seconds; 2. Dalton Walker, 11.4; 3. Slade Wood, 11.8; 4. Jarett Holliday, 12.1; 5. Laramie Allen, 12.5; 6. Coleman Proctor, 12.7; 7. John Clark, 12.8; 8. Jake Clay, 13.4. Third round leaders: 1. Neal Wood, 11.2 seconds; 2. Shad Mayfield, 11.2; 3. (tie) Jarrett Holliday and Taylor Santos, 11.6; 5. Seth Schafer, 12.4; 6. Mike Chase, 12.7; 7. Jess Tierney, 12.8; 8. Scott Snedecor, 13.6. Average leaders: 1. Quay Howard, 43.7 seconds on three runs; 2. Laramie Allen, 44.9; 3. Mike Chase, 45.5; 4. Seth Schafer, 46.0; 5. David Witcher, 47.4; 6. Scott Snedecor, 55.0; 7. Logan Currie, 56.9; 8. Brian Garr, 58.7.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. 2. Tanner Butner, 91 on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Roads; 2. Ryder Sanford, 88; 3. (tie) Ryder Wright and Brody Cress, 86.5; 5. Lefty Holman, 84; 6. Stetson Wright, 83.5; 7. (tie) Chase Brooks and Cash Wilson, 83.
Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Marty Yates, 8.8 seconds; 2. Tyson Durfey, 9.2; 3. Jett Barrett, 9.3; 4. Ike Fontenot, 9.4; 5. John Douch, 10.4; 6. Riley Istre, 10.6; 7. Jared Turner, 10.6; 8. Travis Staley, 11.0. Second round leaders: 1. Cash Hooper, 8.5; 2. Lane Livingston, 8.9; 3. Bradley Bynum, 9.0; 4. Tyler Calhoun, 9.1; 5. Andrew Burks, 9.2; 6. Sterling Smith, 9.7; 7. Bryce Derrer, 9.8; 8. Tanner Green, 9.9. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Tyson Durfey and Marty Yates, 19.4 seconds on two head each; 3. Bryce Derrer, 19.5; 4. Tanner Green, 20.1; 5. Bradley Bynum, 20.7; 6. Tyler Calhoun, 21.0; 7. Ike Fontenot, 21.1; 8. Riley Istre, 21.2.
Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Grace Felton and Sequin Brewer, 3.4 seconds; 3. Samantha Fulton, 3.5; 4. (tie) Josey Murphy, Madalyn Richards, Neelley Armes and Abby Cox, 3.7; 8. Cadee Williams, 3.8; 9. (tie) Lindsey Baker and Makayla Boisjoli, 3.9. Second round leaders: 1. Taylor Raupe, 2.8 seconds; 2. Erin Johnson, 3.2; 3. (tie) Suzanne Williams, Stephanie Braman and Chenoa VandeStouwe, 3.3; 6. (tie) Jayce Davison and Kassidy Dennison, 3.4; 8. Haiden Thompson, 3.6; 9. (tie) Bradi Good and Hailey Schafer, 3.8. Average leaders: 1. Chenoa VandeStouwe, 7.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Kassidy Dennison, 7.5; 3. Haiden Thompson, 7.6; 4. (tie) Taylor Raupe and Cadee Williams, 7.8; 6. Lari Dee Guy, 8.1; 7. Stephanie Braman, 8.4; 8. Madalyn Richards, 8.5; 9. McKaitlin McKee, 9.4; 10. Breely Armes, 9.8.
Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Bray Armes and Jacob Edler, 4.4 seconds; 3. Riley Duvall, 4.5; 4. Sawyer Strand, 4.7; 5. Cimarron Thompson, 5.0; 6. (tie) Gavin Soileau and Riley Westhaver, 5.1; 7. Rowdy Parrott, 5.2. Second round leaders: 1. Rowdy Parrott, 4.0 seconds; 2. Logan Kenline, 4.1; 3. Colton Swearingen, 4.3; 4. Bray Armes, 4.5; 5. (tie) Kyle Irwin, Ethan Sparks and Trace Harris, 4.6; 8. Cimarron Thompson, 4.7. Average leaders: 1. Bray Armes, 8.9 seconds on two runs; 2. Rowdy Parrott, 9.2; 3. Cimarron Thompson, 9.7; 4. Logan Kenline, 9.9; 5. Jacob Edler, 10.2; 6. Riley Westhaver, 10.6; 7. Darcy Kersch, 10.7; 8. Riley Duvall, 11.3.
Barrel racing: 1. Ginger Billingsley, 17.26 seconds; 2. Alyssa MacDonald, 17.44; 3. Gracen Harman, 17.55; 4. Sharin Hall, 17.58; 5. Bristan McCarley, 17.59; 6. Carlee Otero, 17.67; 7. Helen Nowosad, 17.69; 8. Katie Halbert, 17.70; 9. (tie) Kassie Mowry and Keyla Costa, 17.71; 11. Tara Carr, 17.74; 12. Emily Beisel, 17.77; 13. (tie) Millie Marquart and Dena Kirkpatrick, 17.79; 15. Margo Smith, 17.87; 14. (tie) Natalie Bland and Karsen Jackson, 17.96.
Bull riding: 1. Creek Young, on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Heartbreaker, and Stetson Wright, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Whiskey River, 91 points; 3. Ky Hamilton, 85.5; 4. Colten Fritzlan, 85; 5. Avery Mullins, 83; no other qualified rides.