ProRodeo Sports News - Jan. 6, 2023

EDITOR’S LETTER TRACY RENCK

Stetson Wright could hit $1 million mark in regular season

T he wild roller-coaster ride that was the 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge is in the rear-view mirror, but it will not be forgotten anytime soon. It was one for the ages, highlighted by StetsonWright. The Utah cowboy joined the PRCA in 2018 with plenty of hype. His family made a legacy in the saddle bronc riding ranks winning PRCA world championships, including two by his father, Cody in 2008 and 2010. Yet no one could have imagined the rodeo rock star/ legend Stetson has become in such a short period of time. After the 2022 NFR, Stetson upped his world title count to seven, when he claimed his fourth all-around world championship in a row and his second bull riding world crown. At 23, Wright already has seven PRCAWorld Championships. Only 17 men in the history of the PRCA have won more world titles than him. In 2023, if he wins at least two more world championships he will be tied with ProRodeo Hall of Famers Ty Murray, Tom Ferguson, and Casey Tibbs for nine world titles. Consider this, in his last two record-smashing years in the PRCA in 2021 and 2022, Stetson earned $686,513 and $927,940. That’s $1,614,453 in just two seasons. To put that into context, it used to be an amazing accomplishment for a PRCA cowboy to surpass $1 million in career earnings – and it still is – because nothing comes easy in the sport of rodeo. And Stetson accomplished that feat in two seasons. Honestly, if

Wright would not have missed the majority of the 2022 Cowboy Christmas run after having surgery on his left wrist June 30, he likely would have eclipsed $1 million in season earnings. That is mind-boggling. You would be hard-pressed to find anybody to think the PRCA would have a $1 million cowboy in one season. Well, if Stetson continues his meteoric rise $1 million is definitely in his reach. He’s one of the best saddle bronc riders and bull riders in the world. He’s a modern-day Ty Murray. Murray made a name for himself as a star bareback rider, saddle bronc rider and bull rider. Plus, the PRCA circuit is paying more than ever with huge paydays at the Calgary Stampede, RodeoHouston, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Cheyenne (Wyo.). Then, there’s the NFR Open powered by RAM in Colorado Springs, Colo., in July, which is expected to payout $1 million, followed at the end of the season by the Cinch Playoffs. The Cinch Playoffs will have athletes competing for the Governor’s Cup and vying for the more than $1 million purse Sept. 28-30, 2023, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, S.D. Catching recently inducted ProRodeo Hall of Famer Trevor Brazile in world championships will be a tall task for Wright. Brazile, the King of Cowboys, has won a PRCA-best 26 world championships. However, records are made to be broken andWright has proven in his brief ProRodeo career, that is something he

Tracy Renck is the editor of the ProRodeo

Sports News . He previously served more than seven years as a media coordinator at the PRCA. He has three decades of experience in sports journalism with the last several consumed by ProRodeo.

enjoys doing. Sit back and see what 2023 has in store.

KEEP UP WITH THE HERD!

To subscribe to the ProRodeo Sports News call 800.763.3648 or go to ProRodeo.com

ProRodeo Sports News 1/6/2023

ProRodeo.com

6