ProRodeo Sports News - Dec. 20, 2019

PRCA ROOKIES OF THE YEAR The Wright Rookie

TOP 2019 ROOKIES BY EVENT ALL-AROUND Stetson Wright $297,923 BAREBACK RIDING Garrett Shadbolt $54,580 STEER WRESTLING Denell Henderson $47,347 TEAM ROPING HEADING Kal Fuller $41,762 TEAM ROPING HEELING Paden Bray $67,014 SADDLE BRONC RIDING Stetson Wright $71,301 TIE-DOWN ROPING Haven Meged $246,013 STEER ROPING Cole Patterson $43,671

Stetson Wright won the PRCA | Resistol Rookie of the Year titles in all-around, saddle bronc riding and bull riding and is the first member of his family to win the all-around world and all-around rookie titles. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Dan Hubbell

Stetson Wright claims three rookie titles during 2019

BY MATT NABER T here was an unusually large number of rookies at the 2019Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, which made races for many PRCA | Resistol Rookie of the Year titles stiffer than normal. But it was StetsonWright who cashed in on a windfall. Wright won four titles his rookie year – the 2019 PRCA | RAMAll- AroundWorld Championship and the PRCA | Resistol all-around, saddle bronc riding and bull riding rookie of the year titles. Wright, Haven Meged and Daylon Swearingen were all in contention for the all-around rookie title. Meged and Shad Mayfield competed at the Wrangler NFR in tie-down roping. The bull riding rookie race involved Wright, Daylon Swearingen and Trey Kimzey. “It feels awesome, and there are no words to explain it,” Wright said at the end of Round 10. “It’s the happiest day of my life.” There’s only one chance in a ProRodeo athlete’s career to win rookie of the year, and it’s when they’re still learning how to compete at the professional level. Between riding, roping, figuring out which of the 700-plus competitions to enter and how to get there, it’s a sink or swim season during the first year in the PRCA – but the best cowboys in each event are recognized for rising to the top as PRCA | Resistol Rookie of the Year. The saddle bronc riding rookie title is a family legacy for the Wrights. Stetson’s uncle Jesse Wright won it in 2009, followed by uncle Spencer Wright in 2012. Stetson’s brothers Rusty and Ryder won it in 2014 and 2016, respectively. In addition to that, CoBurn Bradshaw, the 2015 saddle bronc

riding rookie of the year, is married to Stetson’s aunt Rebecca. With a family full of rodeo royalty, StetsonWright had plenty of people in his corner. “My whole family and friends (helped),” Wright said. “Nobody was more important than another, and any help was as much as a ton of help.” Wright’s rookie year was highlighted with 11 all-around cowboy wins at some of the biggest

BULL RIDING Stetson Wright $267,345

rodeos of the year, such as the Cody (Wyo.) Stampede. He also won six rodeos for saddle bronc riding, including major ones such as Ogden (Utah) Pioneer Days. Among the 12 rodeos he won in bull riding, his biggest wins included Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days and California Rodeo Salinas. Competing against seasoned world champions wasn’t the hardest part, he said. “Breaking my jaw (in the summer), that was the hardest thing,” Wright said. “Just watching everyone win when all you can do is lay in bed.” When the dust settled at theThomas &Mack Center, Wright could barely believe his accomplishments. “When it was over,” Wright answered when asked when he realized it was a possibility. “I wanted to do it, but I didn’t want to get ahead of myself.”

ProRodeo Sports News 12/20/2019

ProRodeo.com

103