PRORODEO Sports News - Nov. 7, 2025

Hayden Welsh opens Resistol Rookie campaign with win at Boot Barn Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo By Shawn Harrison, Special to PRORODEO Sports News

C onsistency was the theme for Hayden Welsh in the bull riding at the Boot Barn Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo Oct. 24-25 in Loveland, Colo. The 20-year-old cowboy from Gillette, Wyo., proved that be ing the only bull rider to make the the eight-second whistle in all three rounds — two of which took place on Oct. 25. His 246 points won the three-head aver age and a nice paycheck. “Ah man, I’m beyond blessed, super blessed,” Welsh said. “All my glory goes to God for bless

eight seconds.” At the Boot Barn Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo, Welsh set the tone Oct. 24 with an 82-point ride on Rocky Mountain Rodeo’s Ugly Eddie. That mark placed third in the opening round. “He (Ugly Eddie) had an off day,” Welsh said. “He just had an off day with me, but praise God they marked me 82.” In the second round, the cowboy covered Summit Pro Rodeo’s Lets Go Brandon for a 79.5-point trip. Once again, he was third in the round.

Hayden Welsh started the 2026 season on a high note with a win at the Boot Barn Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo. (PRCA photo by Michael Pintar)

ing me with the ability and love for something. I’m just so pumped…This final transition to PRORODEO, that’s what I wanted to work on, being consistent.” Welsh fell short of the season title in the Mountain States Circuit, but the win was a nice way to officially start his 2026 Resistol Rookie season in the PRCA after a sensation al year on his permit. “A lot of people have been questioning me on why I haven’t bought my card,” Welsh said. “Well, I think it was in God’s perfect will to bless me with the amount of money and everything to show me that since I was four years old that you are going to be a world champion. I didn’t have any pressure this year to do anything but have fun and get used to traveling and chasing as many white lines as I could this summer. His Resistol Rookie season is now officially underway. “I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my rookie year,” Welsh said. During 2025, Welsh has had some memorable rides, particularly on the Rank 45 Xtreme Bulls Tour. The most memorable came in early September at the Pendleton Whisky Xtreme Bulls Tour Finale in Pendleton, Ore. He won the event with 266 points on three head. “That was my favorite one, that was awesome,” Welsh said. “It still makes me in awe, I did that. That’s what hav ing fun will do. We don’t ride bulls for fame, we don’t ride bulls for money, we ride bulls because we are wild childs and love to do it.” A hand injury during a practice ride after Pendleton had slowed him down for the past month. However, he shook that off going into the circuit finals and feels the hand is nearly healed. “It wasn’t major, but it was enough to make you kind of be a baby about it,” Welsh said. “I told the boys that if Jesus can go through what he did on the cross, I can shut up and go through a little pain in my hand and ride for

The Wyoming cowboy saved his best ride for last with an 84.5-point trip on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Twisted Smoke. “I really capped it off this evening,” Welsh said. “I was told he bucks, so be ready to cock your hammer.” Welsh was the lone bull rider to make a qualified ride in the third round, giving him the round win and the aver age win. Welsh began riding bulls at 4 years old. He had an inter action with bullfighter Dusty Tuckness after his first ride. “I rode my first bull for five, six, seven seconds and got bucked off,” Welsh said. “This was before Dusty Tuckness was the G.O.A.T. I walked over and he goes, ‘Man, what do you think of bull riding?’ and put a camera in my face. I was like, ‘shoot, that was the coolest thing.’ I was just like I am right now, wound up like a ten-day clock. It started like that.” The fact that Welsh chose bull riding is no surprise since he followed in the footsteps of father, Bobby Welsh, a sev en-time qualifier in bull riding for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo from 2005-2011. Trips to mini-bull riding finals led to eventually riding in junior rodeos, high school, then for Odessa (Texas) College and now the PRCA. “I need to stay healthy,” Welsh said. “I’m blessed to be living the dream that I’ve had since I was four years old. I want to have a whole bunch of fun and the time of my life doing it and serve God and put him number one.” Other winners at the $201,317 Boot Barn Mountain States Circuit Finals Rodeo were bareback rider Donny Proffit (252.5 points on three head); steer wrestler Payden McIntyre (14.6 seconds on three head); team ropers Garrett Tonozzi/Trey Yates (17.9 seconds on three head); saddle bronc rider Ira Dickinson (251 points on three head); tie-down roper Tate Talkington (24.6 seconds on three head); and barrel racer Karson Berger (42.27 seconds on three runs).

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Nov. 7, 2025