PSN_Dec3 2028

BULL RIDING

RAZOR THIN WACEY SCHALLA HOLDS SLIM ADVANTAGE IN BULL RIDING RACE By Alex Dodd T he bull riding race drew attention from the PRO RODEO world all season,

and that won’t change at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. All year, 19-year-old Wacey Schalla and eight-time PRCA World Champion Stetson Wright (All-Around 2019-23, Bull Rid ing 2020, 2022, Saddle Bronc Riding 2021) traded spots atop the PRCA | Bill Fick Ford World Standings. Then, at the end of the summer run, 2023 PRCA World Champi on Ky Hamilton closed the gap and inserted himself in a three man race for the gold buckle. When the regular season wrapped up on Sept. 30, Schal la – fresh off his Resistol Rookie season – found himself atop the standings with a $2,421 lead over Wright to enter the NFR as the bull riding season leader with $352,596. “Last year, I went into the NFR seventh,” Schalla said. “Seeing that (season leader) buckle, they get going into the back number

PRCA photo by Ryan Jae

ceremony, I really wanted that. I was shooting for that No. 1 back number. I was No. 3 last year, and I’m No. 2 this year. So to be able to keep moving up like that leaves a ton of room for improvement.” Last season, Schalla struggled to find momentum under the bright lights of the Thomas & Mack Center. He bucked off in each of the first seven rounds, but turned things around with a second-place finish in Round 8 and a third-place finish in Round 9 to earn the No. 7 spot in the world. Schalla hopes to keep his momentum from this past season going in a heated battle for his first world cham pionship. “At the end of the day, it’s another rodeo that adds a lot of money,” Schalla said. “So you’ve got 20 chances to do the best you can and hopefully come out with the gold buckle. I’m not planning on changing anything other than keeping my head on straight. I think being there in two events will actually help a lot. So I’m excited about that.” Schalla also qualified in the bareback riding for the

first time in his young PRORODEO career, setting up another heated battle with Wright for the PRCA All Around World Championship. Wright, who also qualified in saddle bronc riding, holds a $2,685 advantage in the all-around race. Schalla relishes the opportunity to get on 20 head (10 bulls, 10 bareback horses) over 10 days at the NFR. “My whole goal every year is to outdo what I did last year,” Schalla said. “To be able to do that in not one, but two events was everything that I wanted to do. Now it’s time to bring that over into Las Vegas in December.” While Schalla holds a slim advantage in the bull riding entering the NFR, he knows anything can happen with the amount of money on the table in Las Vegas. With almost $37,000 on the line each night and $94,000 up for grabs for the NFR average winner, the PRCA World Championship is anything but settled. “I’m freaking pumped,” Schalla said. “I’ve been hang ing out at the house and I’m ready to get on the road. It’s coming up pretty dang quick, so I’m excited.”

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