ProRodeo Sports News - May 12, 2023

XTREME BULLS UVALDE, TEXAS

Wright On

Stetson Wright wins Cactus Jack Xtreme

BY BRADY RENCK, Special to ProRodeo Sports News N ot long after securing first place at a raucous event, the Cactus Jack Xtreme Bull Riding in Uvalde, Texas, Stetson Wright gathered in the truck with friends. They were laughing in the background, preparing for an all-night midnight run to Oklahoma. This is the Wright that sometimes goes unseen. In the arena, he is clinical in his technique. Only 23 years old, he owns seven PRCA World Championships. He rides in rhythm with saddle bronc horses and appears glued to the back of ornery bulls. His resume would allow for bravado. But Wright knows that’s wrong. He grew up watching his father Cody, a two-time PRCA World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider. It left him inspired, and influenced in a way that helps him navigate his own stardom. “I love everything about rodeo. I was raised around it. But that’s only partially why I love it. It was never forced upon us. My dad rodeoed, but he never brought it up. He let us all decide what we wanted to do with our life,” Wright said. “He didn’t care what we chose to do. He would support us 100 percent. My love for the sport grew from being around it, from growing up watching my dad compete and how people treated him. That’s how I wanted to go about my career. He was the perfect cowboy in my mind. I am damn sure I will never be him, but he showed the way.” Wright blends humility, motivation, and precision every time a chute opens. He never takes a ride for granted. Such was the case on May 6 in Uvalde, where he won the Cactus Jack Xtreme Bull riding crown with a score of 266.5 points in the three-head average. He set the tone for the event with a first round 91-point trip on United Pro Rodeo’s Pit Bull, earning $4,195. After finishing fifth in the second round, Wright embraced the pressure of the final go. He maintains a narrow vision when pursuing titles, believing a widened lens can become a distraction. He pocketed $17,059 in prize money after posting an 89-point ride on United Pro Rodeo’s Happy Days. “I wasn’t worried about winning it. If I started worrying about the end goal, that can get me off track. I act like it is just another ride,” said Wright, who has won PRCA Bull Riding World Championships in 2020 and 2022. “I had been on that bull three times before and had similar scores. He was good, doing a lot of the same things. He went around the right and stayed in the middle. I was able to do my job.” It would be easy for Wright to take his foot off the gas if he glanced at his resume. His professional highlights take roughly five clicks to get through the page on the PRCA website, with wins everywhere from San Antonio, Austin, Logandale, Clovis, Heber City, Utah, and roughly 50 other cities across the country. What motivates Wright is the pristine, the unblemished. Can he ride all 10 animals at the NFR? When watching Wright, nothing seems impossible or implausible. “I just feel like I can always improve. I set a goal of making a million dollars this year (after earning $927,941 in 2022). If I do that, I will set it higher,” said Wright. “There’s no such thing as a perfect season, but it is what I am chasing.”

Kay Miller photo

Complete results/Page 68

Stetson Wright, the reigning PRCA Bull Riding World Champion, started his victory march at the Cactus Jack Xtreme Bull Riding in Uvalde, Texas, with a 91-point trip on United Pro Rodeo’s Pit Bull in round one on May 5.

ProRodeo Sports News 5/12/2023

ProRodeo Sports News 5/12/2023

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