Rodeo Recap: February 25 – March 4

Author

Sydney Butler
March 05, 2024

There’s nothing quite like riding under the lights at RODEOHOUSTON. Last year, the rodeo had the highest payout of any in the PRCA’s regular season.

Winning – or losing – in Houston can be a make or break moment for contestants, especially as they compete in the Houston’s NRG Stadium with a whopping capacity of nearly 75,000.

The RODEOHOUSTON Super Series is a 20-day, invitation-only, tournament-style competition. The best 40 cowgirls and cowboys compete in Five Super Series, each consisting of three rounds.

Each round includes nine contestants and the top four in each event advance to the Semifinals. The remaining six contestants get one more chance to battle for a chance in the semis during the Wildcard Round.

With a total payout of over $2.1 million, each champion is awarded $50,000 plus previous round winnings, a custom-made saddle and belt buckle, plus – and possibly the most important – an invitation to compete at RODEOHOUSTON the following year.

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RODEOHOUSTON

Two Super Series are complete, let’s take a look at some of your Semifinals qualifiers:

Bareback

  • Nick Pelke, currently ranked 14 th in the 2024 Ram World Standings

  • 8x NFR qualifier, Tanner Aus, who ended 2023 10 th in the world

  • 2x NFR qualifier, Garrett Shadbolt, currently ranked 6 th in the ’24 standings after his big win at Denver’s National Western Stock Show & Rodeo

  • 2x NFR qualifier, Cole Franks, currently sitting 9 th in the standings

  • 4x NFR qualifier, R.C. Landingham

  • NFR qualifier, Chad Rutherford

  • 8x NFR qualifier, Clayton Biglow, currently 13 th in the ’24 standings

  • 2x NFR qualifier, Taylor Broussard, currently sitting 5 th in the world

Steer Wrestling

  • NFR qualifier, Stephen Culling, currently 7th in the 2024 Ram World Standings

  • 3x NFR qualifier, Rowdy Parrott

  • 2018 World Champion and 8x NFR qualifier, Ty Erickson, currently 8th in the world after claiming the 2024 Montana Circuit Championship

  • 5x NFR qualifier, J.D. Struxness, currently 14th in the ’24 standings

  • 4x NFR qualifier, Jesse Brown; finished 2023 3rd in the world

  • 4x NFR qualifier, Stetson Jorgensen, currently 6th in the ’24 world standings

Team Roping

  • NFR qualifier, header Lightning Aguilera with 2x NFR qualifier, heeler Jonathan Torres

  • 2018 NFR Average Champion and 3x NFR qualifier, header Aaron Tsinigine with 5x NFR qualifier, heeler Ryan Motes, who currently sits 13 th in the ’24 standings

  • 3x NFR qualifier, header Andrew Ward with heeler Tanner Braden; Ward is currently 4th in the header standings

  • 2x NFR qualifier, header Jr. Dees with heeler Coleby Payne, who currently sits 2nd in the world after his win at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo

  • 14x NFR qualifier and 3x NFR Average Champion, header Luke Brown with 14x NFR qualifier and 2017 NFR Average Champ, heeler Travis Graves

  • 3x NFR qualifier, header Clint Summers with 13x NFR qualifier, Jake Long; both are currently leading the ’24 world standings

Saddle Bronc

  • 3x NFR qualifier, Lefty Holman, currently ranked 6th in the ’24 world standings

  • Statler Wright, who leads the ’24 standings after a solid win at the Sandhills Stock Show and Rodeo

  • 4x NFR qualifier, Cole Elshere, currently 14th in the world

  • 7x NFR qualifier and 3x NFR Average Champion, Brody Cress, who’s win at the NWSS in Denver has helped his position as 4th in the ’24 standings

  • 2x World Champion and 8x NFR qualifier, Ryder Wright, currently 5th in the world

  • NFR qualifier and 2023 Resistol Rookie of the Year, Ryder Sandford, currently 11th in the ’24 standings

Tie Down

  • 4x World Champion, 4x NFR Average Champion and 10x NFR qualifier, Caleb Smidt, currently 13th in the ’24 standings

  • 3x NFR qualifier, John Douch

  • 2013 World Champion and 14x NFR qualifier, Shane Hanchey

  • Reigning World Champion and 2x NFR qualifier, Riley Webb, who sits 3rd in the world

  • 3x NFR qualifier, Westyn Hughes

  • 2x NFR qualifier, Kincade Henry, sitting 9th in 2024

Barrel Racing

  • 2x NFR Average Champion and 17x NFR qualifier, Lisa Lockhart, now sitting 9th in 2024’s WPRA Pro Rodeo World Standings

  • NFR qualifier, Paige Jones, who finished 2023 in 15th

  • NFR qualifier, Leslie Smalygo

  • 6x NFR qualifier, Jessica Routier, topped off 2023 with an 8 th place finish in the world standings

  • Ashley Castleberry, currently 2nd in the world

  • 4x NFR qualifier, Dona Kay Rule

Bull Riding

  • 6x NFR qualifier, Jeff Askey, who finished 2023 8th in the world standings

  • 3x NFR qualifier, Dustin Boquet, now 10th in the ’24 world standings

  • 2x NFR qualifier, Tristan Hutchings, finished 9th in 2023’s standings

  • NFR qualifier, Hayes Weight, sitting 7th in the world

  • NFR qualifier, T. Parker, started January with a bang and a win at the NWSS; he now sits 12th in the ’24 world standings

Breakaway

  • 2x NFBR qualifier, Danielle Lowman, who leads the 2024 WPRA Pro Rodeo World Standings

  • 4x NFBR qualifier, Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, currently 3 rd in the ’24 standings

  • 2023’s Rookie of the Year, Braylee Shepherd, now 15 th in the world

  • 2x NFBR qualifier, Josie Conner

With three more Super Series to come in RODEOHOUSTON, there’s a lot of action left. If you’ve never experienced the rodeo, put it on your bucket list. Or for now, catch the rodeo on the Cowboy Channel.

Check back next week and each week thereafter for all the highlights on your favorite contestants as they work their way down the 2024 rodeo road.

- Richard S.

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