The leaderboard at the Central Wyoming Fair & PRCA Rodeo saw significant changes Thursday night as top competitors delivered standout performances — with the Wright brothers once again taking center stage, Casper Star-Tribune reports.
Eight-time world champion Stetson Wright closed the evening with an 85.0-point bull ride aboard Generations Pro Rodeo’s “Flex,” propelling him to the top spot in bull riding. This strong finish came just an hour after a misstep in saddle bronc riding, where he was bucked off Cervi Championship Rodeo’s “Wilamena.”
“Shoot, those things happen,” said Rusty Wright, Stetson’s younger brother and a five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier. “Even Superman is just a man some days.”
Rusty made his own mark soon after, scoring 89.0 points on Rocky Mountain Rodeo’s “Honey, Darlin” to take the lead in the saddle bronc first round.
“That’s a little-bitty horse, but it bucks big,” Rusty said. “He was awesome … Maybe I should have rode him a touch better and I would have been 90.”
Rusty, currently ranked 21st in the world, is aiming to break into the top 15 for another trip to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. He’ll compete again tonight in Sheridan before returning to Casper for Saturday’s final round.
Reflecting on his brother’s earlier fall, Rusty said it reminded him to focus on the basics:
“Not that [Stetson] did anything wrong, but you don’t want that to happen back-to-back.”
Other notable performances in saddle bronc riding included Wyoming native Tanner Butner, who tied for third with an 84.0, and Texas rider Isaac Diaz, who currently holds ninth after an 82.0-point ride.
The breakaway roping competition also saw changes at the top. Jenna Dallyn briefly took the lead with a 2.6-second run before Josie Conner surpassed her with a time of 2.5 seconds. Conner ranks second in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association world standings, while Dallyn is 13th.
Aspen Miller, ranked fourth, is tied for third with a 3.1-second run, and Bradi Good (No. 7) sits in 11th place with a 3.3.
In tie-down roping, Quade Hiatt of Canyon, Texas, tied Max Mathis for the top spot with an 8.6-second run. Zach Jongbloed, ranked 11th in the world, recorded a 9.9 to tie for eighth.
Bull riding featured dramatic moments, including a gritty performance from 19-year-old Hayden Welsh of Gillette. Welsh, who leads the PRCA Permit Standings, held on for a full 8 seconds despite nearly falling off Rocky Mountain Rodeo’s “Life Coach,” scoring 65.0 points and tying for third.
Other riders to complete 8-second rides include Sage Vance (84.0 points) and Jate Frost (65.0), joining Wright and Welsh as the only qualifiers so far this week.
Three competitors broke into the bareback top 10 Thursday:
Cooper Cooke (82.5) – 5th place
Myles Carlson of Evanston (81.5) – 8th place
Donny Proffit of Diamondville (81.0) – 9th place
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