PRORODEO Sports News - August 8, 2025

RILEY WEBB WINS FIRST CAREER TITLE AT DAYS OF '76 IN DEADWOOD

Riley Webb secured the victory in Dead wood. PRCA photo by Kristen Schurr

By Kensie Darst-Todd Special to PRORODEO Sports News

O n a day dedicated to honoring the spirit of the American cowboy, Riley Webb embodied every bit of skill and tra dition. The Denton, Texas, cowboy capped off the National Day of the Cowboy with a powerful win at the Days of '76 Rodeo in Deadwood, S.D., marking his first career victory at the historic event. "It's a really cool rodeo," Webb said. "I didn't make the short round at Cheyenne (Frontier Days), so I came over here to finish the week out. I was able to win a little money and go over the $200,000 mark for the season here, so that's pretty cool." Established in 1923, the Days of '76 Rodeo was created to honor Deadwood's frontier history, and it has since become one of the most respected events on the PRORODEO calen dar. A 19-time PRCA Rodeo of the Year recipient, it consis tently draws top-tier talent. For Webb, earning his first win in Deadwood marked more than a paycheck, it added his name to a longstanding tradi tion in one of rodeo's most historic arenas. The 2022 Resistol Rookie of the Year and two-time PRCA Tie-Down Roping World Champion (2023 and 2024) looked sharp through both rounds, locking in a commanding 8.4-second run during the first round and with a 10.4-second run in the final performance on Saturday night aboard his

trusted gelding Rudy, to secure the aggregate win. "Round one, I had a good calf, got a good start, and was able to win the first go-round," Webb said. "Tonight, the calf was stronger, and I knew what I had to do. I just tried to set ev erything up clean, and Rudy worked great." Capturing these titles secured his second-place spot in the Bill Fick Ford | PRCA World Standings with a little over $200,000 banked on the year, setting himself up for a strong finish as the regular season races toward its close. "I'm feeling good," he said. "It's the end of July, and I'm ex cited to start August and September off the last push of the season and I am pretty confident. My horse is doing great, and I feel like I'm roping well. I'm excited for the last two months to make the final push and finish the season off." Other winners in Deadwood were all-around cowboy Thayne Elshere ($6,218, saddle bronc riding and bull riding); bareback rider Roedy Farrell (89.5 points on Burch Rodeo's Bunk House Mouse); steer wrestler Bridg er Anderson (8.3 seconds on two head); team ropers Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira (11.1 seconds on two head); saddle bronc rider Thayne Elshere (89 points on Burch Rodeo's Moose); steer roper Kelton McMillen (34.3 seconds on three head); barrel racer Emily Beisel (17.29 seconds); and bull rider Gavin Mitchell (89 points on Sutton Rodeos' Schott in the Dark).

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