ProRodeo Sports News - November 19, 2021

ALL-AROUND COWBOY

Another in Sight

Stetson Wright seeks third straight crown BY SCOTT KANIEWSKI S tetsonWright has lofty aspirations. The 22-year-old is already knocking them down. For the second consecutive year, Wright was the All-AroundWorld Champion, winning the 2020 prestigious award with $392,302 in saddle bronc riding and bull riding. Those high goals aren’t going anywhere but getting closer. “They (the goals) are year to year, I want to win three (titles) every single year,” he said. “But I want to break Ty Murray’s record (seven all- around titles in roughstock), then after I break Ty Murray’s record, I’m shooting to break Trevor Brazile’s 14 all-around titles.” Wright is on pace to win all-around title No. 3 in 2021. He’ll go into the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo with $320,482. And he’s going into the NFR competing in both saddle bronc riding and bull riding for the second straight season. Repeating as the 2020 all-around champ meant a lot toWright. “It almost felt better than the first because it proved to the world that the first wasn’t a fluke,” he said. Not only didWright win the all-around title, but he helped back it with his first bull riding world championship. Wright finished the season with $154,101 in saddle bronc riding, good for seventh in the standings, and $267,941 in bull riding taking first by a little more than $9,000. He won 13 all-around titles during the 2020 season, including at prestigious rodeos like the Spanish Fork (Utah) Fiesta Days Rodeo, the Magic Valley Stampede in Filer, Idaho, and the Gem State Classic Pro Rodeo in Blackfoot, Idaho. He nearly doubled his all-around titles in 2021. He added wins in St. Paul, Ore., Prescott, Ariz., and Caldwell, Idaho. The all-around crowns are adding to his goal of winning three titles this year. He has battled with his brother Ryder in the saddle bronc riding all season to be in first or second. He’s going into the NFR in saddle bronc riding with more than $180,000 in

2021 ALL-AROUND COWBOY STANDINGS

1. Stetson Dell Wright, Milford, Utah. ........ $320,482 2. Paden Bray, Stephenville, Texas............... 135,143 3. Clay Smith, Broken Bow, Okla.................. 126,360 4. Caleb Smidt, Bellville, Texas..................... 122,311 5. Tuf Case Cooper, Decatur, Texas............... 121,560 6. Taylor Santos, Creston, Calif...................... 94,727 7. Rhen Richard, Roosevelt, Utah. ................. 92,913 8. Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah.......................... 80,729 9. Marty Yates, Stephenville, Texas................ 77,744 10. Zack Jongbloed, Iowa, La.. ....................... 65,863 11. Marcus Theriot, Lumberton, Miss............. 48,776 12. Tanner Green, Cotulla, Texas..................... 45,836 13. Laramie Allen, Llano, Texas....................... 44,154 14. Landon McClaugherty, Tilden, Texas......... 42,823 15. Caden Camp, Belgrde, Mont.. ................... 41,742

FROM THE CHAMP

Stetson Wright is the first cowboy to win back- to-back all-around world championships since Trevor Brazile in 2014-15, and he’s the first to win the all-around title and a roughstock world title since Ty Murray in 1998. At 21, Wright was the

Wright

In 2020, Stetson Wright became the first cowboy to win back-to-back all-around world championships since Trevor Brazile in 2014- 2015. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Alaina Stangle

QUOTABLE “They (the goals) are year to year, I want to win three (titles) every single year. But I want to break Ty Murray’s record (seven all-around titles as a roughstock rider), then after I break Ty Murray’s record, I’m shooting to break Trevor Brazile’s 14 all-around titles.” – Stetson Wright

his pockets.

While he’s battled some injuries, like all cowboys

It’s not much different in the bull riding, either. He’s earned more than $200,000 in that event and chasing only six-time World Champion Sage Kimzey. Wright will have a shot at other records, too. His combined money earned before the Wrangler NFR was $397,196. That puts him about $136,000 away from breaking Brazile’s all-time single-season earnings record of $518,011, set in 2015. That seems more than plausible after he earned more than $300,000 at the 2020 Finals and $114,000 in 2019 when he qualified only in bull riding.

do, Wright has plenty more winning to do.

youngest cowboy to be crowned All-Around World Champion in his first two seasons. “I just want to be one of the greatest cowboys to ever live, regardless of how many gold buckles I get,” Wright said. “I want to be remembered as a true champion and someone who worked hard at it and treated people good along the way. That’s how I want to be remembered. There’s no number of world titles I’m working toward, I’m going to do it until my body can’t take it anymore."

And if for some reason, fate steps in and stops

him, he’s OK with that.

“They (records) definitely do drive me,” he said. “The success I’ve had in my short career, a lot of guys would be happy with as much success as I’ve had. If I had to quit riding today, I wouldn’t look back. I for dang sure went about it full throttle – all gas, no breaks. I mean, winning world titles and breaking world records is what keeps everybody going. I’m dang for sure pretty happy. I’m not satisfied, but I’m pretty happy with how everything’s gone.”

ProRodeo Sports News 11/19/2021

WRANGLER NATIONAL FINALS RODEO

DEC. 2-11, 2021

ProRodeo Sports News 11/19/2021

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