ProRodeo Sports News - August 2, 2019

OGDEN PIONEER DAYS OGDEN, UTAH

StetsonWright continued to shoot up the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings in saddle bronc riding. The rookie fromMilford, Utah, earned $5,020 after winning Ogden (Utah) Pioneer Days with an 89-point ride onThree Hills Rodeo’s Tennessee Whiskey. On July 2, Wright was 30th in the world standings in saddle bronc riding. As of July 30, he had climbed to 18th with $52,328. Wright, who was first in the world standings in the all-around, has pretty much secured a But saddle bronc riding had been another story for the 20-year-old. “I was fighting my saddle, but now it feels really good,” saidWright before breaking his jaw July 31. “Everything is going really good. When I was showing up to rodeos, it was like, do I have to get on another horse to get bucked off, you’ve got to be kidding me. Now, I’m getting there knowing I can win bulls and broncs.” Wright climbs in saddle bronc riding spot at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in bull riding (as of July 30 he was first in the world with $149,202).

James Fain photo Stetson Wright won the saddle bronc riding in Ogden, Utah, with an 89-point ride on Three Hills Rodeos’ Tennessee Whiskey.

PRO TOUR ROUNDUP DEADWOOD DAYS OF ’76 RODEO DEADWOOD, S.D. Before last year, steer wrestler Stan Branco hadn’t been successful at Branco on mend, wins in Deadwood

Reno (Nev.) Rodeo kicked off June 21. “Reno through the Fourth (of July) wasn’t bad,” he said. “I had a decent couple of weeks. The last two weeks had been slow. But last week turned around a little bit.” Last season, Branco earned $37,982 to finish 37th in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings. His lone trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo came in 2013. He didn’t rodeo much in 2016 or 2017. Branco earned $4,804 in Deadwood after tying for second in the first round and winning the average. He’s won $17,449 on the season.

the Deadwood (S.D.) Days of ’76 Rodeo. But he placed there in 2018, then returned this year and won it in 8.6 seconds on two head. And he did it less than a year removed from rotator cuff surgery. “I hadn’t had much luck there until the past couple years,” the 32-year- old fromChowchilla, Calif., said. “It’s pretty cool to win a rodeo like that. It’s one of the better ones going on that week.” Branco underwent surgery in November. He didn’t start rodeoing again until mid-May. Things really started to pick up for him when the

ProRodeo Sports News 8/2/2019

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