2023 PRCA Media Guide - World Champions

Stetson Wright was dominant in saddle bronc riding and bull riding and upped his world championship total to seven. -PRCA ProRodeo photo by Hailey Rae

2022 WORLD CHAMPIONS

ALL-AROUND

Wright Collects Fourth All-Around Title

One night last December, thousands of fans crammed into the Thomas & Mack Center, Stetson Wright sat aboard a dark colored bull named Belly Dump who was in a bad mood. Wright held onto the gate with his right hand and waited with poise. The bull darted out and began spinning right like some crazed carnival teacup. Wright never wavered, his body contouring to the jumps as if the chaos was choreographed. When it was all it over, the end told us what we knew before it all began: there is no cowboy better than Stetson Wright right now. That 92-point ride marked one of 15 of 20 where he placed in bull riding and saddle broncs. Rodeo is booming with more money and spec tacular performances, and Wright has become the baby-face of the sport. The 23-year-old won his fourth consecutive PRCA All-Around World Championship, setting a single season-record in earnings with $758,829. “I didn’t think it was possible (to reach that figure). I feel like I have shocked myself a lot this year,” Wright said. “It came with patience and

What made Wright’s dominance in the all around even more impressive in 2022 was that it came accompanied with adversity. The Milford, Utah cowboy missed time while he recovered from wrist surgery. It only made what played out in Las Vegas sweeter as he became the first cowboy to win four all-around titles in a row since Trevor Brazile pulled it off from 2012-2015. “This year has been the best and hardest year that I have had in the PRCA,”Wright said. “I had to learn a lot of patience. I had to trust everything my mom and dad were saying when I needed to sit out. I think it paid off because this was my best year yet.” There is nuance in his answer. The word“yet”is intentional. Wright aims to improve on his record breaking season in 2023. “I love breaking my own records because that means I did better than I did the year before,”Wright said.“I am always trying to be better. I feel like I can do even better with a healthy year, where I don’t miss any time due to injuries. I’m up for the chal lenge and can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store.” – Brady Renck

trusting that everything would be all right. That was what this year was about.” Even by his standards, Wright put on a show that was impossible to forget. He won his second bull riding gold buckle, breaking the bull riding season earnings record with $592,144. He won the average by winning three rounds and placing in eight with a score of 684.5 points. He wasn’t far off the pace in saddle bronc, finishing fifth in the average, earning $142,677 with 781.5 points on nine head. He claimed the go-round in the eighth round with a 90.5-point ride on Bar T Rodeo’s Hell Boy.

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Hailey Rae

Stetson Wright won a single-season PRCA record $927,940 in 2022.

24

2023 WORLD CHAMPIONS

BAREBACK RIDING

Jess Pope Reaches ProRodeo Summit

Jess Pope spent the previous three years training and performing to reach this zenith, which remained tantalizingly within arm’s reach. With the support of fellow cowboys, he never stopped believing and everything about his ability and resume suggested he could pull it off. So, it should have come as no surprise that Pope became the 2022 bareback PRCA World Champion. It was the only thing left after winning the NFR average three consecutive years, including in 2022, and finishing in third and second place, respectively. Still, when Pope peeked his head over the final rung of the proverbial ladder, it was a goose bumps moment. “This is awesome,” the 24-year-old said. “The emotions right now, there isn’t anything like this. It is just so rewarding. I worked my whole life for this, and it finally came true.” Pope, a Waverly, Kan., cowboy, entered Las Vegas as anything but a secret. His consistency is impossible to miss at the sport’s biggest event. But his talent and drive remain as inspiring as his work ethic. He wasn’t about to miss out on another gold buckle. He delivered a solid 81.5-point score on Frontier Rodeo’s Southern Star in Round 10. Not only did it clinch the average, but it shoved him past

Kaycee Feild for the crown. Pope earned $390,620, a figure reflective of his stature in the sport. “I knew I had it in me. It was just about letting the cards falling where they were supposed to and doing what I was supposed to,” Pope said. “Everything worked out. It was God’s plan. It is gratifying to get here and to be able to win is even better. When you are day working or anything, whatever you have in front of you, you have to get it done. It doesn’t matter the circumstances.” Pope placed in eight of 10 rounds. His high score came in round seven on Big Stone Rodeo Inc.’s Mayhem with an 89, which netted him $28,914. “I had never been on that horse. I’ve seen him go a lot and I’ve seen him buck a lot and I always thought that was a bucking son of gun,”Pope said. With cowboys, there is separation in the prepa ration. This is career defined by rolled up sleeves. It also requires, even with success, a healthy dose of humility. “My mindset is I have the best job in the world, and I’m just tickled to be here,”Pope said.“Whatever happens is going to happen and it sure beats the heck out of having to show up to an office every day and I’m thankful to get to ride bucking horses for a living.” – Brady Renck

2022 WORLD CHAMPIONS

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Hailey Rae

Bareback rider Jess Pope reached the PRCA World Championship summit for the first time in his career.

25

2023 PRCA MEDIA GUIDE

STEER WRESTLING Tyler Waguespack Snares Fourth World Crown in Dramatic Round 10

Part of the charm of rodeo is that it is unpredict able. No guarantee of Scooby-Doo or Hallmark endings exists. So even when you are one of the sport’s best, the ride to victory is paved in stops and bumps. Tyler Waguespack lived the seat-belt required experience at the NFR over 10 nights, escaping with his second straight PRCA Steer Wrestling World Championship. “I feel undeserving of this world title. That was the craziest round of steer wrestling I have ever seen,”said Waguespack.“Will should be sitting here instead of me. I was the lucky one who came out on top at the end.” Waguespack knows the numbers, and they were working against him entering the final round. First, he had to do his part. He posted a 4.0 second run. Will Lummus followed, and hit the barrier. Stetson Jorgensen missed his steer. Suddenly, unthinkably, Waguespack had his fourth gold buckle, joining titles in 2016, 2018 and 2021. It left him grateful and reflective. “This is so awesome. I grew up watching all my heroes and dreaming about having one gold buckle, you know. Ote Berry is one of my biggest role models, biggest supporters and helped me

out so much,” the 32-year-old said. “I can’t wait to see him here in a little while because I have got the same amount he does.” Waguespack’s fourth steer wrestling world title ties him with Berry, Everett Bowman and Jim Bynum, trailing only Luke Branquinho (5) and Homer Pettigrew (6). Waguespack finished the year with $268,881in earnings – he won the crown by less than $3,000 – including $145,008 at the NFR. For Waguespack, rodeo is family. His wife, Sarah Rose McDonald, competes on the circuit and his father Michael was a steer wrestler in the 1990s. This is his life, one he loves. What played out in Las Vegas was a reminder to take nothing for granted. “I had a really great steer drawn tonight and made a good run to place in the round to get a nice check. Then when all that stuff fell apart (for other competitors), it all fell into place, ”Waguespack said. “I hate it for them, but I am blessed to come out on top. In this sport there are no guarantees. Nobody would have thought that round of steer wrestling would go like that. That’s why we call it rodeo. If not, we’d just call it ‘I win’ every time.” – Brady Renck

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Hailey Rae

Tyler Waguespack made a frantic comeback to win his fourth world championship.

26

2023 WORLD CHAMPIONS

SADDLE BRONC RIDING

Zeke Thurston Adds Third World Title to Resume

Zeke Thurston knows championships. But this was different. Despite a terrific showing at the National Finals Rodeo, he figured his luck was running out in Las Vegas. Not only did he need a big score in the final round, but his path to a title required help. The scattered pieces fell into place. The 28-year-old clinched the saddle bronc champion ship, winning this third crown with an 88.5-point ride on Andrews Rodeo’s All or Nothin. This gold buckle came with a notable accomplishment. Thurston set a PRCA single-season bronc riding record with $399,316. “This one was probably the hardest one I have ever had. I had to work for this one,”Thurston said of his third title, joining those in 2016 and 2019. “The other 14 guys in the room are crazy talented and ride awesome. I had quite a bit of money to make up coming in here. I just knew that if I made the best ride I could on every horse and kept placing in the rounds I would give myself a fighting chance. Having my family and everybody here made this really special.” Thurston reached his goal in a fashion unfa miliar to him. He aims to win rounds, comfortable adopting an aggressive strategy. At this NFR, he was as much substance as style. He won the average with a score of 876.5 points on 10 head. The Big Valley, Alberta, native placed in nine rounds. It allowed him to clinch the world title in a photo finish with standouts Lefty Holman, Sage Newman and Stetson Wright. The average was not average. It was anything but. “I am not usually an average-kind-of guy. It definitely helps. But I darn sure didn’t come here with the mindset to win the average. When it comes down to it, it can make-or-break you,” Thurston explained. “To be the guy leading it coming in, I would almost rather not have been in that position because it starts playing tricks on your mind. I just blocked it all out and went and made the best possible ride (in round 10).” It was in round four where Thurston’s dream began to crystallize. Riding Heaven on Earth from Championship Pro Rodeo, the 28-year-old scored an 88.5, igniting the crowd at Thomas & Mack Center. “It was unridden, but I figured, you know, they are all going to get ridden at some point so why not

be the guy,” said Thurston after pocketing $28,914 for the round win.“She was a really big, strong stud horse that bucked hard. I was able to get ahead of her and luckily, I stayed on.” Nothing with Thurston happens by accident. He fashions a plan, sharpens his focus and never loses his confidence. “For me, my biggest confidence comes from my spur outs, and I was really confident. On a horse like that, that’s where you’re going to thrive. I always go with that and win, lose, or draw, we’re going to start the process all over again the next day,” Thurston said. “So, you might as well lay it all out there and see what you get.” Thurston will always have something to remind him of what he got – a third gold buckle, a testa ment to his talent, and in 2022, his consistency. – Brady Renck

2022 WORLD CHAMPIONS

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Phil Doyle

Canadian Zeke Thurston collected his third world championship of his career in 2022.

27

2023 PRCA MEDIA GUIDE

TEAM ROPING

Driggers and Nogueira Make It Two in a Row

Driggers

Testimony does not exist without a test. And few sports humble their athletes more than rodeo. When team ropers Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira arrived in Las Vegas as the reigning world champions, their confidence was real. Then came the lull, and it revealed why this duo stands alone: consistency.

By staying strong in the average, Driggers and Nogueira won their second straight gold buckle, a testament to their hard work. “This is what we’ve always dreamed about, being here and winning a gold buckle. We had a lot of trials and tribulations. We had to overcome them. It didn’t go exactly as we planned,”Driggers

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Phil Doyle

28

2023 WORLD CHAMPIONS

TEAM ROPING

said. “At the end of the day, we kept our faith in the Lord and our faith in each other and we persevered.” Driggers and Nogueira put the competition immediately on notice in their fifth NFR appearance together. In three of the first four rounds, they collected checks. The pace car, however, shifted down. The duo was not throwing out low times, but, in a sleeves-rolled-up fashion, they never got too far behind. They finished second in 71.4 seconds on nine head. Not winning rounds creates anxiety, but the average provided a path to victory. “It was one of the toughest finals (not winning a round), especially for me. Kaleb did an amazing job of keeping me up. A great job. Perhaps, I

just humbled myself a little bit, I guess,” said Nogueira. “We had to fight through it. There’s nothing easy. We always compete against the best guys in the whole world, and they don’t make

Nogueira

it easy on anyone. We were blessed to be good in the average, and we really had to catch that last one, a tough steer. We were able to do it. And you have to give all the glory to God.” The duo finished the year a career-high in earn ings, each collecting $340,708, which included a battery of victories leading to Las Vegas. Talent explains much

2022 WORLD CHAMPIONS

of their success, but so does trust and friendship. “We have had a very blessed year. Getting to travel and compete with this guy is a blessing,” Driggers said. “He’s a great model for me and to anyone he comes into contact with. To be his partner is special. After six years, this is truly special. I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else but him.”

– Dagin Renck

Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira stayed consistent at the 2022 Wrangler NFR and walked away with their second consecutive header and heeler titles, respectively.

29

2023 PRCA MEDIA GUIDE

TIE-DOWN ROPING

Smidt Makes it Four World Championships

The way he lives his life, the way he follows his faith, the way he commits to his craft, Caleb Smidt defines the modern cowboy. He talks with striking gratitude. But don’t misin terpret his humility as weakness. Put Smidt on a horse, and he dominates in breathtaking fashion. Smidt, 33, captured his fourth PRCA World Championship in tie-down roping, adding to his titles in 2015, 2018 and 2021. His first back-to-back gold buckles came with an eye-opening time of 82.5 seconds on 10 head. “It’s unbelievable. Just what I have accom plished is beyond my imagination. My belief in God and the horse I have and my family pushed me to be better every day. It’s a tough sport to even do this. It’s an unbelievable blessing to do this,” Smidt said. “And to have the success I have had and great friends I rope against every day who encourage me to be who I am, it’s amazing. I am happy for my family. They supported me all week. I do it for them, for the fans and I give all the glory to the God.” Smidt is all cowboy. He has worked cattle, developed the calluses of the western lifestyle. He could easily be a rancher, but he’s a roper. And no one is doing it better.

Smidt turned Thomas & Mack Center into his own personal diary of success. He finished the season with $374,737 in earnings, including $225,221 at the NFR. Smidt was like a shark, wasting no movement as he advanced through each night in front of the big crowds. The veteran posted times of 7.50 and 7.20 his first two rounds, his best of the event, putting the competition on notice. For the elite, separation is often in the prepara tion. For Smidt, it is the combination. No one has a horse like Pockets. Smidt bought Pockets in 2015. All four of his crowns have come aboard Pockets, a 15-year-old horse known for giving a rider a chance every round because of his predictability. “When I am back in there, and I know it’s all on me to win something, it’s pretty easy. I don’t have to worry about my horse. A lot of guys this week were switching horses to try to find something that works. When I ride on him, I know I have a chance. When you have a horse that does the exact same thing every time it gives you a chance. He’s going to do his job,”Smidt said.“I don’t even think I would have a gold buckle without him. That’s how good he is. The consistency he gives me every time I nod my head, it’s unbelievable.” – Brady Renck

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Phil Doyle

Tie-down roper Caleb Smidt, riding, his award-winning horse, Pockets, captured his fourth world championship in December.

30

2023 WORLD CHAMPIONS

BULL RIDING Stetson Wright

Captures Second Bull Riding Championship

Stetson Wright is known as the top cowboy in rodeo right now. It’s a title he’s earned across the country, delighting fans with his remarkable skill and poise. In the year’s biggest event, the Nationals Finals Rodeo, he delivered his best, adding to his growing legend. Wright won the all-around title for a fourth straight year, fueled by his cold-blooded execution in bull riding where he secured his second gold buckle. Wright figured he would ride horses when his pro career took off in 2018. But his versatility blossoms on the bulls where he completed nearly 60 percent of his rides this season and 80 percent in Las Vegas, earning money on every one, an NFR record. In a career that includes more hardware than Home Depot, Wright achieved a new level of excel lence. “This year has been the best and hardest year that I have had in the PRCA,”said Wright, who last won the bull-riding crown in 2020. “It started off really hot when I moved up to the No. 1 spot

Wright stormed into Las Vegas as the favorite. And it didn’t take long to see why. He posted an 88-point ride in Round 2 on Dakota Rodeo’s Pookie Holler, setting the stage for a breakthtaking run at the Thomas & Mack Center. Wright, 23, scored in eight rides, winning three and placing in five. He scored 92 on Salt River Rodeo’s Belly Dump and a 90 on Bar T Rodeo’s Angels Landing. It was remarkable production when so many others were having trouble making the eight second whistle. Watching his rides, it appeared he was in constant rhythm with the bulls, never showing panic as he ripped off repeated strong scores to win the average and the buckle. “With the confidence that I have, I don’t feel like there’s a bull or horse that should buck me off,”Wright said. “I know it happened a couple of times in the Finals, but I’m just as confident as ever in my riding right now.” – Brady Renck

2022 WORLD CHAMPIONS

in the world in bulls and broncos. It didn’t really slow down from that point. But then I had a few injuries, where I had to have surgery and sit out for a while. When you are missing rodeos, you feel like you aren’t doing your best. I had to learn a lot of patience. I had to trust everything my mom and dad were saying when I needed to sit out. I think it paid off because this was my best year yet.” It was, simply put, anyone’s best year. The money screams as much. Wright, who has won seven gold buckles, collected $592,144 in bull riding earnings, establishing a new single-season record, eclipsing Sage Kimzey’s mark of $480,797 set in 2019.

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Phil Doyle

Stetson Wright rode 8 of 10 bulls at the 2022 NFR to win his second career PRCA Bull Riding World Championship.

31

2023 PRCA MEDIA GUIDE

STEER ROPING

J. Tom Fisher Wins First Steer Roping Gold Buckle

This is a moment J. Tom Fisher replayed in his head thousands of times - having a chance to be the PRCA Steer Roping World Champion in Round 10. Well, the stage wasn’t too big for the Andrews, Texas, cowboy at the National Finals Steer Roping, Nov. 5 at the Kansas Star Arena. Fisher won Round 10 with an electric 9.5-second run, which set things in motion for him to win his first career gold buckle. Fisher earned $10,160 for the round victory and more importantly it allowed him to finish third in the average with a 111.2-second time on nine head to collect another $19,884. J. Tom finished atop the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $123,477. Reigning world champ Cole Patterson was second with $117,036. “This is a lifelong dream,”said Fisher, 37, fighting back tears.“This is the best day of my life. Vin (Fisher Jr., J. Tom’s brother) is an amateur mathematician and he had it figured that I needed to win like

third in (Round 10) and Cole not place and I had to stay third in the average. I knew I had a great steer because Cash Myers tied him in 9.7 (in Round 5). I just wanted to be a little off the barrier and just blast him on the ground and that’s the way it worked out.” Patterson, who went moments after J. Tom needed to finish third or better in Round 10 to claim his second world crown in a row. However, Patterson stopped the clock in 11.0 seconds, which tied for seventh in the round and out of the money. Patterson needed a third-place check or better in Round 10, since he was out of the average money. “This is just incredible,”J. Tom said.“I worked at this every day the last 20 years and this something you dream about, having a chance to win the round to win the world. You think about something like that every day. I’m just very blessed that this all worked out.” The coveted gold buckle was a long time

coming for the Fisher family. Father Dan, has 16 NFSR qualifi cations, Vin Jr. has 19 and J. Tom has 10. Finally in 2022, the family left with a gold buckle. Vin has been second in the steer roping world standings two times in 2015 and 2019 and Dan was reserve world champ in 1996. “Getting this gold buckle after all those (NFSR) qualifica tions in my family is incredible,” J. Tom said. “In the 1990s, you started off the year trying to be reserve because Guy Allen was going to win it and there was nothing you could do about it. So, this never seemed like it could be a reality until seven or eight years ago.” J. Tom was riding Gump, 20, a horse Vin had ridden at the NFSR in the past, including when he set the record for the fastest time in NFSR history with an 8.2-second run in 2020 at the Kansas Star. – Tracy Renck

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Rod Connor

Veteran steer roper J. Tom Fisher finally won the elusive PRCA Steer Roping World Championship in his 10th appearance at the NFSR.

32

2023 WORLD CHAMPIONS