PRORODEO Sports News - January 10, 2025

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Retirement won’t keep Bennett away from rodeo

BY THE NUMBERS 3.6M The total amount of money ($3,669,642) earned by the 2024 PRCA World Champions during the season, including at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge. All-Around champion Shad Mayfield ($335,474); Bareback rider Dean Thompson ($412,121); steer wrestler J.D. Struxness ($309,220); team roping header Tyler Wade ($361,480); team heeler Wesley Thorp ($361,480); saddle bronc rider Ryder Wright ($479,957); tie-down roper Riley Webb ($475,214); barrel racer Kassie Mowry ($457,809); and bull rider Josh Frost ($476,887). 13 The number of PRCA World Championships won by Cody Wright and his sons Stetson Wright and Ryder Wright. Cody Wright won two world titles in 2008 and in 2010. Stetson Wright owns eight gold buckles with five in all-around (2019-23), two in bull riding in 2020 and 2022 and one saddle bronc title in 2021. Ryder Wright won his third PRCA Saddle Bronc World Championship in December, adding to his titles in 2017 and 2020.

Caleb Bennett always told himself that if his body couldn’t handle the strain of competition or if he didn’t crave the sport anymore, he’d go ahead and retire from PRORODEO. The 36-year-old bareback rider and 10-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier’s love for rodeo never waned, but a shoulder injury last summer led him to hang up his spurs and start the next chapter of his life.

going to finish the year and move on. So, now I’m looking forward to spending more time with her.” The Bennetts are expecting their first child, a girl, in May. He also started working with his father in-law’s car dealerships in Salmon, Mont., and Hamilton, Mont. “We’re looking forward to that,” Bennett said. “This is actually Day 1 of the new chapter in my life.”

Bennett

While Bennett won’t be hopping on a bareback horse this season, he plans to continue his involvement in rodeo and inspire the next generation of competitors. Bennett serves on the PRORODEO Contestant Executive Council as the bareback riding representative and plans to serve the two remaining years of his term. He also hosts rodeo camps and mentors young riders with Doug Champion and the Optimal Performance Academy. “Bringing up that next generation is what fuels our sport,” Bennett said. “Showing these younger guys that might not know anybody or have any guidance is one of the biggest things I’ve always tried to do to help out. I sure wish I would have known a few different things when I started because it would’ve made rodeo a lot easier.”

“Last summer, I separated another shoulder, and I spent more time in the gym and took more supplements than the regular rodeo athlete. And that was the turning point for me,” Bennett said. “I said, ‘Okay, I’m going to finish the year out, and then this has to be enough for me.” Bennett earned nearly $2 million in his career and made 10 trips to compete under the bright lights of Las Vegas, including eight straight NFR appearances from 2012-19 and consecutive trips from 2021-22. “Eventually, my wife (Savannah Bennett) and I are going to have kids, and I want to be able to play with my kids and go hunt and camp and fish and not be all crippled up and not getting around,” Bennett said. “That’s when I made the decision that I was

Rostockyj, Gander join PRCA Board The PRCA is proud to announce that Cody Rostockyj and Steve Gander have joined the PRCA Board of Directors. Rostockyj will be on the Board as a contestant director replacing Chet Johnson. Gander rejoins the Board as a committee director replacing Cory Wall. PRCA CEO Tom Glause also announced rodeoed collegiately at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo. He then received his bachelor’s and two master’s degrees from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., and a specialist degree from the University of Nebraska. “I was a school teacher and a school

on Jan. 7 that Ron Howard joined PRORODEO as the organization’s new Supervisor of Pro Officials. Howard boasts nearly four decades of experience as a rodeo judge, educator and coach. Howard is from Juniata, Neb., and

administrator, and I rodeoed and rode bulls,” Howard said. “Then I started judging, and I’ve judged off and on for a long time.” Howard served for 20 years as a school teacher and 20 years as a school superintendent. Howard started in the new role on Jan. 2.

ProRodeo Sports News 1/10/2025

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