PRORODEO Sports News February Digital Edition

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