PRORODEO Sports News February Digital Edition

SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

1952

THE COWBOYS’ CHOICE SINCE

CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BONAFIDE, HARD-TO-BEAT PRORODEO HALL OF FAME COWBOY’S TITLE Chris LeDoux

NO OFFSEASON IN PRORODEO PRCA BOARD CONSIDERS RELOCATING HEADQUARTERS AND HALL OF FAME TO CHEYENNE RILEY WEBB LIVING WITH QUIET CONFIDENCE JESS CARDON MAKING HISTORY IN PRORODEO

FEBRUARY 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 1

HOW THE WEST IS WORN

RYDER WRIGHT 2024 WORLD CHAMPION SADDLE BRONC RIDER

2 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

CONTENTS

PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

MANAGER’S MESSAGE No offseason in PRORODEO ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5 THE REAL DEAL Celebrating the 50th anniver sary of Chris LeDoux’s title ���������������������������������������������������������������� 6 PRCA Board of Directors considers Relocating PRCA Headquarters, Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy to Cheyenne, Wyoming ���������������������������������������������������� 12 The National Western celebrates 120 years with open ing of new facility ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� 16 Steer wrestler Cash Robb eager to bounce back in 2026 ������������������������������� 24 Jess Cardon making history in PRORODEO ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28 Positive times Riley Webb living with quiet confidence ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 47 ProRodeo Hall of Famer Rich Skelton on the road with partner’s son, Gabe Williams �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 52

5 6

12 16

24 28

47 52

on the cover Chris LeDoux’s iconic image on his self-released 1989

album: Powder River. The Kaycee, Wyoming cowboy qualified for the NFR five times and won the 1976 PRCA Bareback Riding World Championship. He lived, ranched, sang, record ed songs about life in Powder River Country on the plains east of the Bighorn Moun tains and sold his albums from the back of his truck.

SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

1952

THE COWBOYS’ CHOICE SINCE

LISA CUSH • MANAGER DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS Lisa holds a BFA from LSU. Geaux Tigers! She's the creative responsi ble for the visual style, layout, and design of publications for the PRCA, including the PSN. She's not a rodeo queen but she knows a few and leans into her Western roots to ensure the PSN reflects the PRCA’s mission, vision, and values.

CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BONAFIDE, HARD-TO-BEAT PRORODEO HALL OF FAME COWBOY’S TITLE Chris LeDoux

NO OFFSEASON IN PRORODEO PRCA BOARD CONSIDERS RELOCATING HEADQUARTERS AND HALL OF FAME TO CHEYENNE RILEY WEBB LIVING WITH QUIET CONFIDENCE JESS CARDON MAKING HISTORY IN PRORODEO

FEBRUARY 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 1

FEBRUARY 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 3

4 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

2026 PRORODEO SEASON ALREADY IN GEAR MANAGER’S MESSAGE

ne thing to understand about PRORODEO is there’s no offseason – literally. Fresh off another record-setting Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Dec. 4-13 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas – the contestants have to reset and get back to the grind. The 60-rodeo PRORODEO Playoff Series presented by Pendleton Whisky began with the Sand O

In 2025, the No. 15 qualifiers were as follows: bareback rider Tilden Hooper ($129,951); steer wrestler Gavin Soileau ($105,899); team roping header Lightning Aguilera ($114,736); team roping heeler Jona than Torres ($111,672); saddle bronc rider Lefty Holman ($144,872); tie-down roper Shane Hanchey ($126,957); and bull rider Luke Mackey ($138,918). To understand how much the money has increased in PRORODEO just look back at the No. 15 qualifiers for the 2021 NFR – which will be five years ago in December. Bareback rider Zach Hibler ($65,381); steer wrestler Curtis Cas sidy ($66,943); team roping header Quinn Kelser ($62,403); team roping heeler Joseph Harrison ($61,688); saddle bronc rider Spencer Wright ($74,061); tie-down roper John Douch ($88,874); and bull rider Ros coe Jarboe ($95,778). The message is clear – cowboys must seize opportunities and be con sistent throughout the regular season to have a shot to qualify for the NFR and chase a gold buckle in Las Vegas. Excitement has never been high er in the world of PRORODEO. Get your popcorn ready.

NFR. That line of thinking doesn’t make sense now because of how much all these rodeos pay. The total payout in 2025 was nearly $80 million and it should increase in 2026. That number is almost mind-bog gling considering in 2019 that payout was only $50 million.

With all this prize money up for grabs these days, cowboys must develop a game plan to get the most out of their sea sons while maximizing their respective event ro deo counts that they can count in the PRCA | Bill Fick Ford World Standings. In 2026, the PRORO DEO event rodeo counts are 100 for bareback riding and saddle bronc riding and 125 for bull riding. Steer wrestling is 85 and team roping is 100. Contestants must

hills Stock Show & Rodeo in Odessa, Texas, which concluded on Jan. 17. That was followed by the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver, Jan. 15-25, and then the Fort

Worth (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo, Jan. 23 through Feb. 7

is on tap. Sand wiched in between Denver and the start of Fort Worth was the Division 1 Rank 45 Xtreme

make all the puzzle pieces fit together and also be mindful of having enough rodeos to use at the

Tie-down roper John Douch qualified for the 2021 NFR at No. 15 in the world standings. He’s now one of the top ropers in the world.

Bulls event – Bulls Night Out – Jan. 20-21 – at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. That event paid out $100,000. This is just the beginning of a lucrative winter run and it is a great way for cowboys to get a jumpstart on their 2026 seasons. Back in the day, the mindset of many cowboys was that they could start their seasons at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo, which is June 18-27 this year, and do enough to qualify for the

end of the regular season for lucra tive rodeos like the Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls, S.D., at the end of September. It takes work to make all the piec es of the puzzle fit – and more money than ever has to be earned – to achieve

a coveted qual ification to the 2026 Wrangler NFR Dec. 3-12 in Vegas.

TRACY RENCK • MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Tracy has three decades of experience in sports journalism with the last decade-plus consumed by PRORODEO. He previ ously served three years as editor of PRORODEO Sports News.

FEBRUARY 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 5

THE REAL DEAL CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHRIS LEDOUX’S 1976 PRCA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

By ALEX DODD • MEDIA REPORTER

Alex has worked in sports media for over a decade and most recently served as a sports editor in Rapid City, S.D. Alex is a proud Clemson University alum.

M ost country music singers never dare to get on the back of a bucking horse or bull, or throw a loop in an arena or on a ranch. But Chris LeDoux was different. He didn’t sing about dreams of loading up in a bucking chute. He sang about lived experiences on the ranch and in the rodeo arena. This year, 2026, marks 50 years since LeDoux first etched his name in PRORODEO history. Before Garth Brooks put LeDoux in the cultural spotlight with the hit song “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)” in 1989, LeDoux made a name for himself in the arena while cutting his teeth as an independent country music singer-songwriter. LeDoux gave credibility to his rodeo ballads, winning the 1976 PRCA Bareback Riding World Championship. Fifty years later, his music and legacy as a competitor live on in the sport he loved. “What I know of him is he was damn sure tough, and obviously he rode good enough,” ProRodeo Hall of Famer and nine-time PRCA World Champion Ty Murray said. “You don’t get a gold buckle by being lucky. It was different when he won it, but he’s still beat the fourteen other guys there (at the National Finals Rodeo).” A LONG ROAD The 1976 season proved difficult for LeDoux. He battled a slew of injuries, most notably a broken collarbone sustained in Phoenix early in the year. LeDoux went back to his hometown of Kaycee, Wyo., to heal up and get back into riding shape. Despite the challenges of the season, all he needed to be in contention for a world championship was to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City, Okla. Ahead of the season, the PRCA launched a three-year experiment. Instead of world championships being awarded based on total earnings from the season, NFR qualifiers would start the Finals with a clean slate and the highest money earner in Oklahoma City earned a gold buckle. The rules change lasted from 1976 to 1978 before returning to the standard format still used today. But the alteration gave LeDoux a legitimate shot at gold buckle glory despite arriving at the NFR 14th in the PRCA World Standings. The rules change lasted from 1976-78 before returning to the standard format still

6 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

Chris LeDoux wrote songs like “He Rides The Wild Horses” based on his personal experiences as seen here riding Trumpet in St Paul, Ore., in July of 1970. PRCA Photo by Jim Vincent

FEBRUARY 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 7

how tamed the beast to earn his world championship. “He didn’t look like that with Chris. He didn’t look like the most unbelievable handful,” Steiner said. “You’d have to have seen other people on him to know. Everybody knew that horse, and he was one of the all-time baddest eliminators. For Chris’ gold buckle, he didn’t just draw it, he earned it by that ride.” LeDoux earned a 78-point ride on Stormy Weather to finish sec ond in Round 10 and clinch his lone PRCA World Championship. He earned $4,912 at the NFR, $1,170 more than the reserve world champ and NFR average winner Jack Ward Jr. LIFE CHANGING LeDoux’s life, music career and stint as a PRORODEO athlete were defined by authenticity. For years, LeDoux sold eight tracks of his records out of the back of his truck along the rodeo road. He didn’t really play gigs while he criss-crossed the country in search of a gold buckle, but he always brought his guitar to strum out a song around a fire or behind the bucking chutes. LeDoux wrote songs about what he knew — harping on his ranching roots in Wyoming and life on the road as a rodeo cowboy. “There are guys that rodeo and ranch, but he’s the only one who was ever a world champ and also a very successful singer-songwriter himself,” his son Ned LeDoux said. “It’s kind of flattering when somebody who doesn’t rodeo or wrench writes a song about it as long as it’s done right. But when you have that background and then write and sing about it, people are going to believe you. Because oth erwise, you’re just pretending.” After LeDoux’s world champi onship, his music career started to take off. He sold more than 250,000 albums without a record deal. LeDoux’s parents, siblings and en tire family set out to make his career as a singer-songwriter successful.

“I was able to start riding and winning by late summer,” Le Doux penned in the chapter on 1976 for The Finals: A Complete History of the National Finals Rodeo (1998). “I finally won enough money to guarantee my NFR qualification. “Man, the electricity and adrenaline at the NFR could power New York City for a year.” LeDoux’s support system, in cluding his wife, Peggy Rhoads, ensured he was ready to compete at his fifth NFR in Oklahoma City. “My mom built this homemade strap, or whatever you want to call it, to keep it in place,” Chris’s son Ned LeDoux recalled. “He made one ride, and everything stayed together. And he thought, ‘Maybe this is going to work.’” After four rounds at Jim Norick Arena, LeDoux estab lished himself as a legitimate gold buckle contender. He won the second go-round with an 80-point ride and placed third in Round 4 with a 75-point ride. LeDoux kept pushing with a sec ond-place finish in Round 7 thanks to a 73-point trip. TOUGH DRAW When Round 10 rolled around, LeDoux was third and Chick Elms sat atop the leaderboard. LeDoux needed a big trip to finish atop the world, but he drew a horse nobody wanted, a ferocious bucker from Steiner Rodeo Company named Stormy Weather. “Nobody wanted Stormy Weather,” LeDoux said. “In an earlier go-round, he had slammed (ProRodeo Hall of Famer and five-time bareback riding world champion) Bruce Ford into the ground, and all year that horse had been throwing guys off or jerking their collarbones apart.” LeDoux arrived at the arena two hours early ahead of the final perfor mance, and 1973 RCA Bull Riding World Champion Bobby Steiner was there with his dad and the horse’s owner, ProRodeo Hall of Famer Tom my Steiner. The duo wished him luck, but in Le Doux’s chapter in The Finals, he said,

Chris LeDoux was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2005 as a bareback rider and notable. His rodeo career included five trips to the National Finals Rodeo.

“I’m sure (Tommy) wants me to buck off so his horse will win bareback horse of the year.” “He was a legitimate great big buckskin,” Bobby Steiner said of Stormy Weather. “It was a bucker, but they didn’t ride. If you did ride, you couldn’t ride him good. There were only two legitimate good rides on that horse that I consider good enough rides, by Chris and Rusty Riddle, that ever got by that horse pretty damn good. That’s because he was what no one wanted to get on, and that’s what Chris had.” LeDoux said he felt like he may have gotten ready for the ride too early and remembered having to level himself out as the first six or seven bareback riders loaded into the chutes. But when it was his turn to make a ride, he was ready. “This is the only ride of my life that matters,” LeDoux said. “Live or die or get crippled, it doesn’t matter. This is the demon we all must stand up to at some point in our life.” Bobby Steiner said LeDoux some-

8 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

“What I want to be known for, on top of everything else, is that I was a good husband and family man.”

~ Chris LeDoux

The renowned rodeo champion and country singer, was famously devoted to his family. The LeDoux family from left to right Ned (who continues the family’s country music tradition), Cindi, Chris, his wife Peggy, Clay and in front Will and Beau.

They recorded many of the records in a hand-built studio, eight tracks were produced in LeDoux’s mother’s kitchen, his sister put the labels on the records, his uncle hit the road to sell the tapes at feed stores and his son Ned said that his dad probably gave away more music than he sold “Once he retired from rodeo, he re ally buckled down on playing shows,” Ned LeDoux said. “He got a band to gether. But he released 22 albums on his own before he got a record deal.” His music career made another massive jump in 1989 thanks to Garth Brooks. The hit song “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)” de buted that year at the same time that LeDoux started building his band and

Brooks later played with LeDoux at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1996, and the two became close friends. “When you define the title, ‘cowboy’, it’s as much about what you do out of the saddle as you do in the saddle,” Brooks told the PRORODEO Sports News. “Chris was a success at being a cowboy on a horse and on the ground. He was a true and honest, loving hus band, father and friend. “Nobody gets to lead the perfect life. But for the record, if I could ever be half the man Chris was, I feel I would have lived a perfect life.” Ned LeDoux remembers the first time he heard that song on the way back from Casper, Wyo., in a van with his family while his dad was behind

shifting his focus to playing more gigs and signing a record deal. The song was released as Brooks’ debut single and served as the first single from his self-titled album, which was co-written by Brooks and Randy Taylor. The song shot all the way up to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart that year. The song about an aging rodeo cow boy mentioned LeDoux in the third verse. “The competition’s getting younger/Tougher broncs, you know, I can’t recall/A worn-out tape of Chris LeDoux, lonely women and bad booze/They seem to be the only friends I’ve left at all”

FEBRUARY 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 9

the wheel.

“He never really listened to the radio, but he might have it up just enough for a little background noise,” Ned LeDoux recalled. “I remem ber the song came on, and it men tioned something about rodeo, so he went to turn it up a little bit. Then it said, ‘worn out tape of Chris LeDoux.’ And he kind of jerk ed the wheel. “I was like, ‘What did that guy just say?’ His career was already building quite well, but I give a big thanks to Garth

for letting the rest of the world know. It was a great relationship, and I think it benefited them both. The rodeo and ranch fans and fans of dad were

LeDoux was awarded two gold and one platinum album certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America. PRCA File photo

introduced to Garth, and millions of fans that Garth had were introduced to dad.” LeDoux’s longtime guitarist and tour manager, Mark Sissel, joined the band around the same time the song came out. He acknowledged that the song brought LeDoux’s music to new audiences, but his superpower was authenticity. He sang about rodeo as a PRCA World Champion bareback rider. He wrote about days on the ranch after spending hours there. He sang about life on the road because he’d lived it. “Chris LeDoux was the guy. He was ours,” Sissel said. “He was telling stories about a lifestyle. People connected with that because he was the real deal. It wasn’t a guy with a hat singing cool stories about ro deo. He had a buckle. He was the man. He went down the road and did that.” LeDoux died on March 9, 2005, at the Casper Med ical Center after a battle with bile duct cancer. But his songs and the memories of his 1976 PRCA World Championship are alive and well.

LeDoux recorded 36 albums as a singer-songwriter, including 22 self-recorded albums before he signed his first record deal. PRCA File photo

10 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

LeDoux spent many hours on the Haywire Ranch, his cattle ranch in Kaycee, Wyo. He grew up as an active participant in the Western lifestyle. PRCA File Photo

FEBRUARY 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 11

PRCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING RELOCATING HEADQUARTERS, HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN COWBOY TO CHEYENNE, WYOMING

PRCA Staff

amenities. The relocation represents a strategic move for the PRCA and underscores Wyoming’s deep-root ed connection to western heritage, rodeo and the cowboy way of life. The transition is anticipated to occur early in 2029. The proposed PRCA campus will be located near the highly visible inter section of Interstate 25 and Interstate 80, positioning it at one of the most traveled crossroads in the region. The approximately 35-acre site is envi sioned as the anchor of a new west ern-themed entertainment, cultural and shopping district, creating a year round destination for fans, families and visitors from around the world. PRCA leadership emphasized the long-term benefits of the move for the organization and its members. “This is a strategic decision that po sitions the PRCA for the future,” said Tom Glause, CEO of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. “Wyo-

ming lives and breathes rodeo, and Cheyenne offers authenticity, visibility and alignment with our sport’s values. The opportunity to build a pur pose-driven campus that celebrates rodeo’s history while supporting its growth is incredibly exciting.” Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon praised the decision and highlighted its significance for the state’s economy and cultural identity. “Rodeo has been a part of Wyoming since before we were a state. It is in our DNA. I grew up roping a dummy at every PRCA rodeo, first my dad and then myself, competed in,” Gov. Gor don said. “There is no better place on Earth than right here in the Cowboy State for the PRCA to be headquar tered. We have the legacy, respect the tradition, and will always honor the cowboy way and Code of the West. Powder River, Let’er Buck!” The relocation is contingent upon approval of project funding by the

CHEYENNE, Wyo./Colorado Springs, Colo. — The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Board of Directors approved a non-binding memorandum of understanding to se riously consider relocating the organi zation’s headquarters, along with the PRCA Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy, to Wyoming. The move would bring professional rodeo’s premier organization to the Cowboy State, where rodeo is officially recognized as Wyoming’s professional sport, by vote of the Wyoming Legis lature. The process was thorough and included productive conversations from multiple locations and a propos al from Colorado Springs leadership. In addition to a friendly business climate and no state income tax, Cheyenne offered to build a Hall of Fame and an administrative building to host the PRCA national headquar ters with upgraded office space, first class conference rooms and other

12 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

The ProRodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy in Colorado Springs. PRCA photo by Emily Hilton

Wyoming Legislature. In Decem ber, the Cheyenne LEADS Board of Directors voted to commit $15 million from its reserves as matching funds toward the proj ect. Additional public and private funding sources will be pursued to support development of the campus and surrounding district. “This announcement reflects both Wyoming’s legacy and its future,” said Betsey Hale, CEO of Cheyenne LEADS. “Rodeo is woven into the fabric of our state, and welcoming the PRCA, its headquarters, and the Hall of Fame to Cheyenne is a natural fit. The Cheyenne LEADS Board strongly believes in this oppor tunity and voted to invest $15 million as a show of commitment. We look forward to partnering with the City of Cheyenne, Lara mie County, along with the PRCA, and other stakeholders to bring this visionary campus to life.” The future PRCA campus will house administrative offices, the Hall of Fame, and the Museum of the American Cowboy, creating a centralized home that honors the sport’s legacy while supporting innovation, education, and fan engagement. Additional details regarding funding, design, and development timelines will be released as the project moves forward. About the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) The Professional Rodeo Cow boys Association (PRCA) is the oldest and largest professional rodeo-sanctioning body in the world. The recognized leader in professional rodeo, the PRCA is committed to maintaining the highest standards in the industry in every area, from improving working conditions for contes tants and monitoring livestock welfare, to boosting entertain ment value and promoting sponsors. The PRCA also proudly supports youth rodeo with our ed ucational Youth Camps program and financial assistance to young standouts preparing to enter the professional ranks.

FEBRUARY 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 13

NATIONAL WESTERN

PARKER FLEET PICKS UP FIRST MAJOR WIN AT NATIONAL WESTERN SINCE RETURN FROM INJURY

By ZACH ALVIRA • PSN EDITOR AND DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST

Zach has over a decade of experience working in sports media and communications, serving as a communications editor and sports editor for many years in Phoenix.

P arker Fleet spent the 2025 season figuring out a way to make ends meet.

The 25-year-old Axtell,

lowing the 2024 season, in which he earned $63,023. His recovery kept him out all 2025, forcing him to resort to building bridges and day work to collect paychecks. Healthy to start the new year, Fleet padded his pockets with $8,316 Sun day, Jan. 25, in Denver, matching Cer vi Championship Rodeo’s R. Watson’s Prairie Fire for an 89.5-point ride to secure the first PRORODEO Playoff Series Rodeo championship of his career. “I had to find a way to stay afloat,” Fleet said of his con struction work in 2025. “I’ve made the short round one other time here and it didn’t really go my way. It’s a great rodeo and I’m happy to be here. It felt great.” Fleet was matched in the Finals Jan. 25 with some of the top saddle bronc riders in PRO RODEO. Ten-time PRCA World Champion Stetson Wright headlined the group. His 89-point ride on Cervi Champion ship Rodeo’s Vitalix Womanizer nearly

Texas, saddle bronc rider had hip surgery fol

After missing the entire 2025 season due to injury, Parker Fleet returned to pick up his first major win in saddle bronc riding in Denver.

PRCA photo by Ric Andersen

14 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

Team ropers Tanner Tomlinson/Coleby Payne, fresh off the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, impressed in Denver by tying the arena record to win the title. PRCA photo by Ric Andersen

the talent, it’s about the friendship and chemistry,” Tomlinson said. “We’ve roped together forever and we’ve been best friends for years now. We’ve been waiting for this opportunity, and we’re blessed to be here.” STETSON WRIGHT BECOMES SECOND COWBOY TO EVER REACH $4 MILLION EARNINGS MARK After his 90-point bull ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Vitalix Ringling Road to win the title at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, 10-time PRCA World Champi on Stetson Wright became just the second cowboy to ever reach the $4 million mark in career earnings. Wright added $29,325 to his ledger in Denver. He was the top all-around cowboy after his first-place finish in the bull riding and second in saddle bronc. He now has $4,027,539 in career earnings. Other winners from the Na tional Western Stock Show and Rodeo were bareback rider Cooper Filipek (85.5 points on The Cervi Brothers Rodeo’s R. Watson’s Mamo); steer wres tler Mike McGinn (3.6 seconds); tie-down roper Dylan Hancock (7.1 seconds); barrel racer Heidi Gunderson (14.91 seconds); and bull rider Stetson Wright (90 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Vitalix Ringling Road).

blew the roof off the Denver Coliseum. It was

TEAM ROPERS

TANNER TOMLINSON/

COLEBY PAYNE TIE ARENA RECORD Fresh off the 2025 Wrangler Nation al Finals Rodeo, Tanner Tomlinson and Coleby Payne were eager to begin their 2026 seasons with a bang in Denver. The two teamed up for the National Western, made a run to the Finals and put on a show, tying the arena record with a 3.6-second run to win the title. “It’s a very long season so any time you can get started like this, it seems to make things a lot easier and save us in the summer from going to rodeos we don’t have to go to and killing our selves,” Payne said. “Everything in the winter is gravy, I think. Get as much as you can before June.” The pair finished 10th and 11th respectively in Las Vegas. Tomlinson won Round 6 with his NFR partner, Travis Graves. Payne knew Tomlinson would set him up for a win in Denver if the two became a pair. Chemistry wasn’t an issue, either, as the two have been friends for years. In their minds, talented ropers benefit more from friendship. That showed in the Finals. “I think team roping isn’t all about

the highest marked ride of the short round up to that point. But three riders later Fleet beat it by a half point. Still, the lead wasn’t secure. Four time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier Kade Bruno and three-time PRCA World Champion Ryder Wright were the final two cowboys to ride in the short round. Both had 88-point rides. Fleet was announced as the champion. “Everybody rides great here, es pecially if you’re making the short round,” Fleet said. “You can throw a rock and hit somebody who rides great. But you can’t think about it too much. You just have to do your job and focus.” The win does more for Fleet than give momentum heading into the Texas swing and winter run. It showed that he belonged. He hopes his showing will give him the opportunity to compete at some of the biggest rodeos in the PRCA. A year ago, he could only dream of that opportunity while he built bridges. “It’s going to get me into some stuff,” Fleet said. “I’m going to keep going now. It’ll be fun.”

FEBRUARY 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 15

NATIONAL WESTERN CELEBRATES 120 YEARS WITH OPENING OF NEW FACILITY

By Alex Dodd

T he National Western Stock Show signaled the start of its 120th edition on Saturday, Jan. 10, with the opening of its new world headquarters – The Legacy. The four story 115,000-square-foot building serves as the permanent headquarters of the Western Stock Show Association and positions the

National Western to continue its role as a cornerstone event in Denver and Colorado for the foreseeable future. “This is the culmination of a lot of work,” National Western CEO Wes Allison said. “We started this process in 2014 to really focus on creating a des tination campus here. This is the first phase here with CoBank Arena, The

showcase agriculture and continue to entertain folks here in the Greater Colorado area,” Allison said. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Den ver Mayor Mike Johnston also joined the festivities to kick off the state’s sesquicentennial, commemorating 150 years of Colorado’s statehood. Gov. Polis acknowledged the impor tance of celebrating the rich tradition of ranching and agriculture in the state and the National Western’s significance in the state. “It’s fun for me to be behind the scenes as the governor because I grew up coming to the stock show and I’ve experienced it for decades as a regular customer,” Polis said. “Not only is it the 120th anniversary of the stock show, but it’s the 150th anniversary of our state and the 250th anniversary of the country … We really want to tell the story of Colorado’s farmers and ranch ers across the entire state.” Mayor Johnston said celebrating the start of the three anniversaries at the same time was like celebrating Christ mas in January. “(The National Western) is at the core of what Denver is,” Johnston said. “We are the West. We still love the fact that we’re a big grownup cowtown. So we love that all of the rodeo and agricultural folks in the world come to Denver, Colorado. That’s an important part of who we’ve been and it’s a really important part of who we are.” Allison said the new building projects on the grounds of the National West ern Stock Show position the event for future success. “We’re excited to kick off the next cycle of what we’ll all be and how we’ll grow,” he said.

Legacy and The Sue An schutz-Rod gers Livestock Center.” The Sue An schutz-Rod gers Livestock Center features the 5,000-seat CoBank Arena for livestock exhibitions, room for over 1,400 head of cattle and a new 500-seat “It gives us a place here in the heart of Denver in a historic space to be CoBank Auction Arena.

The National Western Stock Show focuses on honoring our roots, inspiring the next generation, and creating memories that last a lifetime. PRCA photo by Donald Christner

able to really

16 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

The National Western Stock Show is celebrating its 120th anniversary by opening its new world headquarters, “The Legacy,” in Denver. Courtesy National Western Stock Show

FIRST FRONTIER SMITH/BROWN TAKE FIRST FRONTIER CIRCUIT CROWN

By Ted Harbin, Special to PRORODEO Sports News

T.J. Smith/Scot Brown knew they had some work to do when they arrived at Harrisburg, Pa., for the Boot Barn First Fron tier Circuit Finals Rodeo. They were about $5,000 behind the regional lead ers, Chase and Riley Quynn of Schuylerville, N.Y., so Smith and Brown didn’t necessarily need a Hail Mary heave; consistent work over the four-round championship might do the trick. It did. Smith and Brown won the opening round with a 5.5-second run, then grabbed three more pay checks to win the aggre gate title and $12,189 each. That catapulted them to the circuit title, and both men will represent the Northeastern United States circuit at the NFR chance,” said Smith, 54, of San Mateo, Fla. “It had to be a good weekend, and it was. It was awesome.” He and Brown – a 48-year-old heeler from Mt. Joy, Pa. – snagged $7,164 in go-round money, highlight ed by their $2,512 payday in Thurs day’s opener at New Holland Arena. They finished fourth the next morn ing, then were second Friday night and finished tied for second Saturday Open at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo in Colorado Springs, Colo., in July. “We came in a little bit behind, but we knew we had a

afternoon to clean house. “My head horse (Blondie) is so easy

my partner called and asked me about roping. I had just gotten that horse back, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to head again. We roped our first steer together ever at the first rodeo this year.” The two had been friends for years, dating back to when the two were com peting on a more national level. Brown is competing in his 21st year of PRO RODEO, while Smith earned his PRCA card in 1992. “Scot just heels so fast that it’s easy

to ride, and my heel er is so good, so that just makes it easy for me,” Smith said. “That horse (was) owned by my uncle, Bob Herrington, and he gave that horse back to me, and that horse is the only reason I even started back heading because I trained him. “I heeled for seven years, and then

18 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

T.J. Smith/Scot Brown caught fire in Harrisburg, Pa., at the Boot Barn First Frontier Circuit Finals Rodeo,

winning the team roping title. PRCA photo by Casey Martin

saddle bronc rider Ray Hostetler (291 points on

for me,” Smith said. “All I do for him is catch and set him up.” That helps stop the clock a lot fast er. In roughly 20 circuit finals qual ifications, this will be Smith’s first qualification to the national stage at the NFR Open July 14-18. “It’s just amazing that we get to go to that,” Smith said. “It’s really cool for guys that are able to work and still get to compete for stuff like that. “I don’t think any of this is possible without our circuit president, Brock

four head); barrel rac er Willie Horzepa (46.69 seconds on four runs); bull rider Nathan Bayous (239 points on three head); breakaway roper Georgia Warner (10.3 seconds on three head); tie-down roper J.R. Myers (52.8 seconds on four head); and all-around cowboy Robert Erck ($8,479 in tie-down roping and team roping).

Hower. He has done so much for us.” Other winners at the Boot Barn First Frontier Circuit Finals Rodeo were bareback rider Tristan Bush (310 points on four head); steer wrestler Clay Harp Jr. (27.2 seconds on four head);

FEBRUARY 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 19

BULLS NIGHT OUT COLTON BYRAM MAKES MOST OF OPPORTUNITY, TAKES BULLS NIGHT OUT CROWN By Kensie Darst-Todd, Special to PRORODEO Sports News

C olton Byram made the most of his opportunity during the Fort Worth, TX, Bulls’ Night Out Jan. 20-21 at Dickies Arena. The 26-year-old Mound City, Kan., cowboy didn’t qualify as one of the top 40 bull riders in the world, so he took a chance and walked up. When Luke Mast doctor released out of the event, Byram was drawn in as a replacement. On the night of Jan. 21, Byram couldn’t have asked for the script to be written any better as he walked away as the event champion and earned a $30,000 payday. Byram set his memorable outing in motion with an 87-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Misunderstood in Round 1 on Jan. 20, on a bull that had previously gotten the better of him. “I got on Misunderstood a couple of years ago and he bucked me down,” Byram said. “I knew he was going to be a bucker. I got on him and had a real good ride. I tried really hard again and got to the whistle.” The opening-round score positioned Byram among the leaders, placing fourth in the round behind Tyler Bingham,

Hayes Weight and 2025 PRCA Bull Riding and All-Around World Champion Stetson Wright. Still, the middle round nearly derailed his run. Paired with Sutton Rodeo’s One Chance, Byram was bucked off short of the eight seconds. That moment tested both his patience and resolve. “I drew a really good bull in the second round, but it got me down and it ticked me off,” Byram said. “I kind of let it eat at me for just a second, and I knew I still had one in the short round and that’s where the money’s at.” Byram refocused, relying on a mindset he credits to effort and discipline rather than outcome. “I cleared my head and my buddies told me, ‘Just calm down and when you load in there, take the fight to ‘em,’” he said. “A lot of effort goes into this game. You can ride as good as you want, but effort goes a long way. Effort beats anything in this world.” That approach paid off in the short round. Matched with United Pro Rodeo’s Top Gun, a bull that had bucked him off on two previous occasions, Byram stayed focused

and finally matched the bull jump for jump and spurred through the eight seconds for an 88.5-point ride to secure the title and a $26,600 check for winning the final round. The victory in Fort Worth carried extra sig nificance for the Kansas bull rider, who has battled a lingering shoulder injury and en dured a string of tough breaks at the venue. “I haven’t had much luck here at Fort Worth, and I finally got it turned around,” he said. “Last year I was kind of dealing with a shoulder injury, but I trust my ability that I can ride anything at any time. Doesn’t matter how hurt you are.” As his season rolls forward, Byram’s mo mentum continues with an upcoming stop at the Fort Worth (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo. “I know I’m meant to be here,” he said. “I’ve loved it since Day 1, and if that love ever goes away, it’s probably time to hang up the rope. But it ain’t going away for a little while longer.”

Byrum made the most of a walk-up opportunity to win the Fort Worth, TX, Bulls’ Night Out title. PRCA photo by James Phifer

20 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

SANDHILLS

BOUDREAUX CAMPBELL BEGINS 2026 SEASON WITH TWO BIG WINS By Kensie Darst-Todd, Special to PRORODEO Sports News

T he 2026 season has been The 27-year-old Crockett, Texas, bull rider clinched the SandHills Stock Show & Rodeo title with a 90-point ride on Jan. 8. The score held up until the 17th, when the one-header came to an end. Just a week after claiming the SandHills buckle, he won yet again. This time in Alabama for the Bulls Bash X-Bulls event in Rainsville. “Going up to Odessa, I knew I had a really great bull,” Campbell said. “I knew that bull and I fit together well, and if I could just do the dance for eight seconds, I’d have a good shot to win it. I stayed focused on the task at hand, crawled over in the chute, got on a good bull, did my job, and the bull did his.” The ride in Odessa, Texas, was a reminder of the level Campbell expects from himself. While the 90-point mark stood out statistically, he viewed it as part of the standard he’s held throughout his career. “That ride was just awesome. I’m very blessed and thankful for God’s grace in that win,” he said. “I’ve been riding the PBR the last five years, so I’ve been over 90 every year, so it was nothing different. I’m thankful and very blessed for the opportunity, and that’s just doing my job.” Campbell, a five-time Wrangler Na tional Finals Rodeo qualifier (2017 21), says his motivation has evolved, though the competitive fire remains unchanged. “When I was younger, the motiva- friendly thus far to Boudreaux Campbell.

tion was wanting to make the NFR and be the best in the world,” he said. “Now that I’m married, I do it for my wife, my family and myself, and it’s a good way to make a living.

You’re on the road all the time, but you only have a few years to do it, and you might as well make as much money as you can before you get too old.” The win in Odessa gave Campbell valuable ear

ly-season confidence, which he took with him to Alabama. He continued to build early-sea son momentum with an 88.5-point ride on Korkow Rodeos’ Mr. Manson for the title and a $15,837 paycheck. But the win in Alabama came with challenges. It was the first time Camp bell had stepped into the Northeast Alabama Ag Business Center. He also dealt with challenging winter weather. But he felt comfortable in the bucking chutes. “I knew I had a good bull,” Campbell said. “The buddy I enter and travel with, (2025 Resistol Rookie Bull Rider of the Year) Bryce Jensen, rode that bull in Indianapolis, so I knew he was going to be good.” The matchup with Mr. Manson proved to be a test of timing and com posure. After a harder-than-expect ed start, he stayed patient, matched the bull jump for jump and spurred through the whistle to post the night’s high score of 88.5 points, edging out Robbie Taylor’s 84-point ride.

Boudreaux Campbell has started the 2026 PRORODEO season strong with two big wins in bull riding. PRCA photo by Robbie Freeman

“When I nodded my head, he bucked a little harder than what I expected, and he was really good,” Campbell said. “We just danced it out for 88.5. He was a good pairing for me, and I was very lucky to get the win there.” The Bull Bash X-Bulls event, now sanctioned by the PRCA on the Rank 45 Xtreme Bulls Tour, delivered a strong atmosphere and a quality pen of bulls. “I’ve never competed over there, but it’s always been good bull riding,” Campbell said. “Rickey West puts it on. It was a great crowd. They sure did love their bull riding. It was a good set of bulls, and I definitely will be back next year for it.”

FEBRUARY 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 21

MONTANA PRO RODEO CIRCUIT TY ERICKSON CLAIMS AGGREGATE, YEAR-END TITLE AT BOOT BARN MON TANA PRO RODEO CIRCUIT FINALS RODEO BIG WINS By Ted Harbin, Special to PRORODEO Sports News T here’s nothing quite like the comforts of home for steer wrestler Ty Erickson. He rode into the Pacific Steel & Recy cling Arena at Montana ExpoPark fifth in the circuit standings. He dominated

His equine partner has been a stand out. Crush has been vital at the NFR, guiding J.D. Struxness to the 2024 world title. Of the $246,000 Erickson won in 2025, most of it came on the athletic gelding, including more than $140,000 during 10 nights in Las Ve gas. Crush was just as valuable in Great Falls. “He makes your job a lot easier, be cause he stands in the box so well and runs so hard,” he said. “He just gives you a great go and gives you a chance to win every time you nod your head.” It happened in Great Falls, and it’s just the thing the big Montana bull dogger needs as he prepares for the remainder of the 2026 PRORODEO campaign. “I love coming to our circuit finals, because it’s one of the biggest rodeos we have in Montana,” Erickson said. “I also love it because you have so much support. If a guy can do good here, it gives you a really good jump for the new year.” Other winners of the Boot Barn Montana Pro Rodeo Cir cuit Finals Rodeo were bull rider Gavin Knutson (170 points on two head), barrel racer Taylor Jane Gardner (39.38 seconds on three head), tie-down roper Dillon Hahnkamp (36.5 seconds on three head), breakaway roper Joey Williams (7.9 seconds on three head), saddle bronc rider Sage Newman (262.5 points on three head), team ropers Dillon Johnson/Colten Fisher (25.2 sec onds on three head), and bare back rider Sam Petersen (250.5 points on three head).

The 2019 world champion has been a dominant force, and he proved it this weekend during the Boot Barn Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals Rodeo at Great Falls, Mont., Jan. 15-17. “I just love the circuit finals up here,” said Erickson, 35, a 10-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Helena, Mont. “I always seem to have some luck, and my horse worked great. Then I had Ryder Gaasch haz ing up there. He’s a younger kid, but he did a phenomenal job.” It all came together well. Erickson won the first round with a 4.7-sec ond run, then placed fourth Jan. 16. He closed with the fastest run of the weekend at 4.3 seconds to not only win the third round but also claim the aggregate title.

three days of competition with two round wins and the average buckle, finishing his three days of work with $11,013. With that, he outlasted Jaden Whitman by less than $300 to win the year-end circuit championship, too. He has now won the circuit eight times and has seven average crowns at the regional finale and 11 qualifications to the national circuit finals, which is now the NFR Open, set for July 14-18 at Colorado Springs, Colo. That’s a week later than has been the case for the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, which offers a reprieve for cowboys like Erickson. He owns Crush, the 2024 Nutrena Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year presented by AQHA. He hopes to ride the champion horse at the Calgary Stampede before heading to Colorado. “That’s great news for me, because it always seems like guys are trying to make it work to where you can go to both of them,” he said. “I can have my own horse down there. With

Calgary and the NFR Open be ing over the top of each other, a guy had to choose. “A guy can win $50,000 at Calgary, so it’s hard not to have my horse up there. It makes me really excited that they’re different weekends now, and I can have my main horse at both of them.”

Erickson put on a show at the Boot Barn Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals Rodeo Jan. 15-17, winning the aggregate and year-end titles. PRCA photo by Clay Guardipee

22 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2026

ROOKIE RALLY DAXTYN FEILD WINS ROOKIE RALLY, EARNS SPOT IN FORT WORTH STOCK SHOW & RODEO By Kensie Darst-Todd, Special to PRORODEO Sports News S tepping into a new arena with pressure firmly attached to his name stood not as a barrier, but an opportunity for 19-year-old Daxtyn Feild at the Fort Worth (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo Rookie Rally, where he claimed the bareback riding title with an 86.5-point ride and earned a $4,000 paycheck on Jan. 22. “He’s taught me things, shortcuts, that took him a few years to figure out. I’m very blessed to have him and the family that I have.” Feild said his uncle’s influence has been lifelong, with a precise focus on his riding.

“He’s been coaching me forever,” he said. “If he wasn’t coaching me in the bare backside, then I was learning stuff mentally from him, and he’s pretty mentally sharp. I started riding bareback horses when I was 15, about to turn 16. So that’s when he started really coaching me in bareback riding.” As Feild looks ahead to the rest of the season, his mo tivation remains rooted in a simple truth that echoes his family’s legacy in bareback riding. “I compete for the love of the sport, honestly,” he said. “I love to win. That’s probably what motivates me to do it the most. I love winning, and I love the sport more than anything.” Other winners from the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo – Rookie Rally were all-around cowboy Thayne Elshere ($7,000 in saddle bronc riding and bull riding); steer wrestler Colin Fox (4.0 sec onds); team ropers Jet Toberer/Cody Egusquiza (4.8 seconds); saddle bronc rider Thayne Elshere (87.5 points on Penthouse Pro Rodeo’s Painted Habitat); tie-down roper Ace Reese (8.7 seconds); barrel racer Jaylan Neatherlin (16.65 seconds); and bull rider Braxton Whitesell (85 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Jelly Roll).

The Roosevelt, Utah, cowboy was matched against Pent house Pro Rodeo’s The Patch, a horse he had watched from the chutes and respected for its reputation. It was a match up that came with nerves, but also belief. “I knew that I had a really good horse drawn,” Feild said. “They marked that horse 47 points when I watched him last year, and it was one of the highest-marked horses all year. So, I was pretty dang nervous, honestly, but really excited about it.” Feild’s ride delivered when it mattered most, securing the Rookie Rally bareback title and giving him an early-season boost in both confidence and standings. For a competitor just beginning his PRCA journey, the victory carried practi cal and personal weight. “Man, [this win] helps me a lot,” Feild said. “It gives me a bump up in the world, the standings in the rookie race, and gives me some more cash to get up and down the road to get to the rest of the rodeos.” The win also validated his preparation under pressure and secured his qualification for the 2026 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. This year, for the first time ever, winners of the Rookie Rally earned a spot in the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo starting Jan. 23. “This gives me some confidence, too,” Feild shared. “Something about drawing that horse that no one had really had any luck on, being pretty nervous, and then doing what I wanted to do just gave me quite a bit of confidence, especially heading into the short round at Denver. And then I get to go back to Fort Worth next week to Pro Rodeo and coming off a win like that helps my confidence hugely.” Behind Feild’s steady rise is a familiar rodeo name. His uncle, six-time PRCA World Champion bareback rider and 2024 ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductee Kaycee Feild, has been a constant presence in his development, guiding him both in the arena and in mindset. “Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but I’m very blessed to have him, and to have him as a coach,” Feild said.

Bareback rider Daxtyn Field shined at the Rookie Rally in Fort Worth, Texas, and earned a spot in the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. PRCA photo by James Phifer

FEBRUARY 2026 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE 23