PRORODEO Sports News - July 2, 2026

PLAYOFF SERIES

GARRETT OATES SETS NEW ARENA RECORD TO WIN SILVER STATE STAMPEDE

BY KENSIE DARST-TODD, SPECIAL TO PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS

A year after leaving the Silver State Stampede in Elko, Nev., empty-hand ed, bulldogger Garrett Oates returned and clocked in the fastest run of his season. His 3.4-second run earned the championship title and estab lished a new arena record. The 26-year-old steer wrestler stopped the clock June 27 to claim one of the biggest wins of his season at a pivotal point in the race for a spot at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “I’ve been fighting some horse issues, and winning a little bit,” Oates said. “I got to get on a pretty cool one that I’ve been hazing for. I’ve been watching her for a while, but a lot of stuff fell together right there.” Oates credited a favorable draw and the opportunity to compete aboard Stella, a horse owned by Dylan Schro eder that he had admired for some time. The mare helped him capital ize on a moment he knew could be important as the summer run intensifies. The arena-record performance added another accomplish ment to Oates’

season. Oates is now ranked No. 25 in the PRCA | Bill Fick Ford World Standings and he remains focused on climbing up the world standings as the summer run continues. After a difficult 2025 season, Oates believes his bulldogging has taken a step forward. “Honestly, I’m aiming to be bet ter overall,” he said. “I kind of had a rough year last year and didn’t get the (Rookie of the Year won), but I feel more confident. I feel like my bulldogging is sharper than it was last year. I want to get to my first National Finals this year and honestly just win as much as I can.” The win in Elko carried added significance at a rodeo where his pre vious appearance produced a much different outcome. Last year, Oates competed in slack at Elko and left with a memora ble story after a steer carried him down the arena and ripped his shirt during the run. This

year, he returned to the performance and left with a championship title and a place in the rodeo’s record book. “I didn’t have a very good one,” Oates said. “He actually packed me off nearly three-quarters of the way down the pen and ripped my shirt off. It was pretty cool to come back and have a good steer this year.” Breaking the arena record this year added another layer to the victory. “It’s kind of cool, and a pretty special deal,” Oates said. “There’s not a lot of people who get to say they’ve done that. Elko has been a great rodeo for a long time and just having the opportunity to be able to do it, it’s just a blessing.” Other winners from the PRORO DEO Playoff Series rodeo in Elko, Nev., were ALL-AROUND COWBOY BODIE MATTSON ($1,339 in tie-down roping and team roping); BARE BACK RIDER COOPER COOKE (89 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Lonesome Medicine); TEAM ROPERS LIGHTNING AGUILERA/ KADEN PROFILI (4.3 seconds); SADDLE BRONC RIDER KADE BRUNO (89.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Mighty Girl); TIE-DOWN ROPER JOHN DOUCH (7.2 seconds); BARREL RACER TAYLA MOEYKENS (15.68 seconds); and BULL RIDER COL TEN FRITZLAN (88.5 points on Double J Rodeo Company’s Thunderstorm).

Steer wrestler Garrett Oates won the Silver State Stampede with a 3.4 second run. PRCA photo by William Bruce

34 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE July 2, 2026