PECOS, Texas – A month ago, Cole Franks was in the Utah mountains exchanging vows with his wife, Dustie.
On Saturday night, he was riding one of the top bucking horses in ProRodeo, matching moves with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Secret’s Out for 90.5 points to win the bareback riding title at the West of the Pecos Rodeo.
Yeah, life’s not that much different than it was before the day of his wedding, but that’s OK. He’s a rodeo cowboy, and Dustie Franks knew that when she accepted his proposal.
“It’s pretty much the same as it has been,” said Franks, 24, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Clarendon, Texas. “I am sending her to meet me right at the end of the Fourth to drive to Calgary, but other than that, it’s the same lifestyle as always.”
Such is the life on the rodeo road. Cowboys will traverse tens of thousands of miles in order to chase their dreams. After competing in Springdale, Arkansas, on Friday night, he and traveling partners Rocker Steiner and Waylon Bourgeois made their way to Pecos. They’ll compete Sunday in Greeley, Colorado.
ProRodeo is rolling toward its busiest time of the year, with lucrative payouts across the country over the next several weeks. That’s why cowboys and cowgirls are traveling up and down the highways and getting to the next destination by air when possible; this is how they make a living.
For his part, Franks just increased his 2025 earnings by $6,521 by winning the title in Reeves County. He remains fifth in the world standings, but he credited the Carr bucking horse for a lot of his success.
“I knew it was going to be really electric and a lot of fun,” he said of the 7-year-old bay mare. “You just had to do your job. I almost tried to overhaul it.”
Franks is talking about his spur ride, stroking the horse in rhythm with the animal’s bucking style. The better the spur ride, the better the cowboy’s half of the score. The combination of Franks’ solid footwork and Secret’s Out’s athletic performance provided another 90-plus-point ride – in all, there were five rides that were 90 or better.
“That was a lot more fun than I was expecting, and I was expecting it to be a lot of fun,” Franks said with a laugh. “You have to do a lot on her. She’ll send your feet for you, but she won’t help you get them down all that much, so you have to really drive them back up. Still, that might be one of the funnest horses I’ve ever been on.”
He’s been on a few. Of course, cowboys battle throughout the year, hoping to close the regular season as one of the top 15 in the world standings to earn a trip to the NFR, which takes place in December at Las Vegas. The 2021 Rookie of the Year, Franks earned trips that year, the next and again last year. He finished 17th in 2023 to just miss the mark.
Once in Las Vegas, he has excelled. In 30 rounds, he’s pocketed more than $450,000. This year he’s earned just shy of $82,000 heading into Sunday’s showdown in Greeley.
“My season has been a little mix; it’s been really good, then not so good, but it’s picking up now,” he said. “I’ve got some pretty fun horses up in these next couple of weeks. I’m just excited to keep the ball rolling.”
West of the Pecos Rodeo
June 25-28
All-around cowboy: Slade Wood, $5,162 in team roping and steer roping.
Bareback riding: 1. Cole Franks, 90.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Secret’s Out, $6,521; 2. Bradlee Miller, 87.5, $5,000; 3. Kade Sonnier, 86.5, $3,695; 4. (tie) Darien Johnson, Waylon Bourgeois and Garrett Shadbolt, 83, $1,667 each; 7. Rocker Steiner, 81.5, $870; 8. (tie) Tilden Hooper and Owen Brouilette, $326 each, 81; 6. Sam Petersen, 80; 7. Gavin French, 78; no other qualified rides.
Team roping: First round: 1. Cyle Denison/Lane Mitchell, 6.6 seconds, $2,990; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 6.8, $2,600; 3. Manny Egusquiza Jr./Walt Woodard, 6.9, $2,910; 4. Clint Summers/Jade Corkill, 7.4, $1,820; 5. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 7.5, $1,430; 6. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 7.6, $1,040; 7. (tie) Jaxson Hill/Jessen James and Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili, 7.7, $455 each. Second round: 1. (tie) Kolby Krieger/Michael Fortenberry and Slade Wood/Cashton Weidenbener, 6.0 seconds, $2,795 each; 3. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 6.1, $2,210; 4. Zane Thompson/Chad Mathes, 6.4, $1,820; 5. (tie) Jaxon Hill/Jessen James and Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili, 6.9, $1,235 each; 7. Clay Tryan/Cutter Thomison, 7.0, $650; 8. Forrest Fisher/Daniel Braman, 7.4, $260. Average: 1. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 13.7 seconds on two runs, $4,485; 2. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 14.4, $3,900; 3. (tie) Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili and Jaxon Hill/Jessen James, 14.6, $3,022 each; 5. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 15.0, $2,145; 6. Clint Summers/Jade Corkill, 15.2, $1,560; 7. Slade Wood/Cashton Weidenbener, 15.3, $975; 8. Zane Thompson/Chad Mathes, 15.5, $390.
Steer roping: First round: 1. Bryce Davis, 11.3, $2,286; 2. David Witcher, 13.0, $1,989; 3. Riley O’Rourke, 13.2, $1,690; 4. Brodie Poppino, 13.8, $1,392; 5. Tony Reina, 14.0, $1,094; 6. Chad Mathis, 14.2, $795; 7. Jess Tierney, 14.6, $497; 8. Kelton McMillen, 15.4, $199. Second round: 1. Quay Howard, 11.2 seconds, $2,287; 2. Dalton Walker, 11.4, $1,989; 3. Billy Good, 1.6, $1,690; 4. Slade Wood, 11.8, $1,392; 5. Blake Deckard, 11.9, $1,094; 6. (tie) Jarett Holliday and Cody Lee, 12.1, $646 each; 5. Laramie Allen, 12.5, $199. Third round: 1. Vin Fisher, 11.0, $2,287; 2. Neal Wood, 11.2, $1,989; 3. Shad Mayfield, 11.2, $1,690; 4. (tie) Jarrett Holliday and Taylor Santos, 11.6, $1,243 each; 6. Chet Herren, 12.2, $795; 7. Cody Lee, 12.3, $497; 8. Seth Schafer, 12.4, $199. Average: 1. Bryce Davis, 39.7 seconds on three runs, $3,430; 2. Quay Howard, 43.7, $2,983; 3. Laramie Allen, 44.9, $2,535; 4. Mike Chase, 45.5, $2,088; 5. Tyler Hargrove, 45.8, $1,641; 6. Seth Schafer, 46.0, $1,193; 7. David Witcher, 47.4, $746; 8. Brodie Poppino, 47.8, $298.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. 2. Tanner Butner, 91 on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Roads, $6,852; 2. Brody Wells, 90, $5,254; 3. Ryder Sanford, 88, $3,883; 4. (tie) Ryder Wright and Brody Cress, 86.5, $2,056 each; 6. (tie) Ross Griffin and Sage Newman, 85.5, $1,028 each; 8. Riggin Smith, 84.5, $685.
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. (tie) Tuf Cooper and Kyan Wilhite, 8.7 seconds, $3,626 each; 3. Marty Yates, 8.8, $2,867; 4. Robert Mathis, 8.9, $2,361; 5. Tyson Durfey, 9.2, $1,855; 6. Jett Barrett, 9.3, $1,349; 7. Ike Fontenot, 9.4, $843; 8. Hayden Ford, 9.5, $337. Second round: 1. Sam Lewis, 8.2 seconds, $3,879; 2. (tie) Brody Stallard and Cash Hooper, 8.5, $3,120; 4. Lane Livingston, 8.9, $2,361; 5. Bradley Bynum, 9.0, $1,855; 6. Tyler Calhoun, 9.1, $1,349; 7. Andrew Burks, 9.2, $843; 7. (tie) Tripp Brown and Kevin Mathis, 9.5, $169 each. Average: 1. (tie) Tyson Durfey and Marty Yates, 19.4 seconds on two head, $5,439 each; 3. Bryce Derrer, 19.5, $4,301; 4. Hayden Ford, 20.0, $3,542; 5. Tanner Green, 20.1, $2,783; 6. Brody Stallard, 20.3, $2,034; 7. Kyan White, 20.4, $1,265; 8. Bradley Bynum, 20.7, $506.
Breakaway roping: First round: 1. (tie) Grace Felton and Sequin Brewer, 3.4 seconds, $2,304 each; 3. (tie) Samantha Fulton, Macy Davenport and Quincy Sullivan, 3.5, $1,497 each; 6. Hannah Phillips, $945; 7. (tie) Josey Murphy, Madalyn Richards, Neelley Armes and Abby Cox, 3.7. Second round: 1. Taylor Raupe, 2.8 seconds, $2,481; 2. Erin Johnson, 3.2, $2,127; 3. (tie) Suzanne Williams, Stephanie Braman and Chenoa VandeStouwe, 3.3, $1,497 each; 6. (tie) Jayce Davison and Kassidy Dennison, 3.4, $827; 8. Haiden Thompson, 3.6, $472; 9. (tie) Bradi Good, Braylee Shepherd, Macy Davenport and Hailey Schafer, 3.8, $148 each. Average: 1. (tie) Chenoa VandeStouwe and Macy Davenport, 7.3 seconds on two runs, $3,457 each; 3. Kassidy Dennison, 7.5, $2,659; 4. Haiden Thompson, 7.6, $2,304; 5. (tie) Taylor Raupe and Cadee Williams, 7.8, $1,595 each; 8. Lari Dee Guy, 8.1, $709; 9. Shacie Marr, 8.3, $532; 10. Stephanie Braman, 8.4, $355.
Steer wrestling: First round: 1. (tie) Bray Armes and Jacob Edler, 4.4 seconds, $2,801 each; 3. Riley Duvall, 4.5, $2,214; 4. Sawyer Strand, 4.7, $1,824; 5. Cimarron Thompson, 5.0, $1,433; 6. (tie) Gavin Soileau, Jesse Brown and Riley Westhaver, 5.1, $651 each. Second round: 1. Rowdy Parrott, 4.0 seconds, $2,973; 2. Logan Kenline, 4.1, $2,585; 3. Colton Swearingen, 4.3, $2,197; 4. Bray Armes, 4.5, $1,810; 5. (tie) Kyle Irwin, Ethan Sparks, Trace Harris, Trisyn Kalawaia and Riley Barber, $560 each, 4.6. Average: 1. Bray Armes, 8.9 seconds on two runs, $4,459; 2. Rowdy Parrott, 9.2, $3,878; 3. Cimarron Thompson, 9.7, $3,296; 4. Logan Kenline and Jesse Brown, 9.9, $2,423 each; 6. Jacob Edler, 10.2, $1,551; 6. Riley Westhaver, 10.6, $969; 8. Darcy Kersch, 10.7, $388.
Barrel racing: 1. Ginger Billingsley, 17.26 seconds, $7,313; 2. (tie) Sabrina Ketcham and Alyssa MacDonald, 17.44, $5,302 each; 4. Gracen Harman, 17.55, $3,657; 5. Sharin Hall, 17.58, $2,925; 6. Bristan McCarley, 17.59, $2,194; 7. Carlee Otero, 17.67, $1,828; 8. Helen Nowosad, 17.69, $1,645; 9. Katie Halbert, 17.70, $1,463; 10. (tie) Kassie Mowry and Keyla Costa, 17.71, $1,188 each; 12. Tara Carr, 17.74, $914; 13. Emily Beisel, 17.77, $731; 14. Lindsey McCuiston, 17.78, $548; 15. (tie) Millie Marquart and Dena Kirkpatrick, 17.79, $182.
Bull riding: 1. Creek Young, on Hampton Pro Rodeo’s Heartbreaker, and Stetson Wright, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Whiskey River, 91 points, R6,313 each; 3. Ky Hamilton, 85.5, $4,238; 4. Colten Fritzlan, 85, $2,927; 5. Avery Mullins, 83, $2,053; no other qualified rides.