PRORODEO Sports News - July 2, 2026

SHORT ROUND

Tie-down roper Kyan Wilhite tied the arena record in Reno. PRCA photo by Click Thompson

BY ZACH ALVIRA KYAN WILHITE TIES RENO RODEO RECORD IN TIE-DOWN ROPING; GRAHAM BROTHERS BREAK TEAM ROPING MARK

K yan Wilhite has wasted little time making a name for himself in PRORODEO. The Clovis, N.M., cowboy started his Resistol Rookie campaign on a hot streak, reaching the pay window at 12 of the rodeos he’s competed in. Leading up to the summer run, his best finish came in April at the Clark County Fair & Rodeo in Logandale, Nev. It was there the 20-year-old placed first in the average, securing his first-ever PRORO DEO Playoff Series rodeo win. But Wilhite turned it up a notch June 21 at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo. He registered a time of 7.2 seconds, tying the arena record set in 2013 by Scott Kormos while picking up the round win. “It was dang sure special to me,” Wilhite told the PRO RODEO Sports News. “I mean, I knew I had a decent one drawn, but I dang sure didn’t plan on it being that good. I

had no idea it was the arena record. “It was a great feeling because I went on a little bit of a dry spell. Then to be able to come out and do that, it meant a lot to me, for sure.” The run brought Wilhite’s aggregate time to 19.5 seconds on two head, good for sixth overall in the average. Whether it will hold up and allow him a chance at the Reno champi onship remains to be seen. Wilhite’s talent doesn’t come as a surprise to his Clovis, N.M., counterpart, two-time PRCA World Champion Shad Mayfield. Mayfield, who spoke with Kendra Santos, said his father, two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Sylvester May field, trained Wilhite. Wilhite is also riding Jag, a horse that was previously owned by Mayfield. “You could tell from a young age he loved it, and had the

50 PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS DIGITAL MAGAZINE July 2, 2026