Rodeo Recap: July 22 – 28

Bareback: Clay Jorgenson – 90 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s, Game Trail

North Dakota’s Clay Jorgenson scored the highest-marked Bareback ride of this year’s Cheyenne Frontier Days on the final night of the rodeo. Jorgenson qualified for the Semifinals in Cheyenne during the second performance after an 80-point ride, then tied for second in the Semifinals, scoring an 85.5. In the Finals and aboard Summit Pro Rodeo’s, Game Trail, Jorgenson rode for 90 points, earning himself his biggest rodeo win to date and over $10,000 in total earnings.

Jorgenson is currently 34^th in the 2024 PRCA Bareback World Standings!

Saddle Bronc: Logan Cook – 90 points on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’, The Black Tie

90-point rides filled the top spot in multiple rounds of Cheyenne Frontier Day’s Saddle Bronc contest. 4x World Champion and 9x NFR qualifier, Zeke Thurston rode Brookman Rodeo’s, Ragin Lunatic for 90 in the third performance, 2x NFR qualifier Kolby Wanchuk was 90 in the first Semifinal on Brookman Rodeo’s, Apollo, but it was Texas’s Logan Cook who covered Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’, The Black Tie for 90 points in the Finals, earning himself the 2024 Saddle Bronc title at ‘The Dad’ and over $10,600 in total prize money.

Cook is currently 20^th in the 2024 PRCA Saddle Bronc World Standings!

Tie Down: Shad Mayfield – 9.8 seconds

World Champion Tie Down roper and 5x NFR qualifier, Shad Mayfield has won a long list of rodeos throughout his career, including a stellar 2023-24 season of wins including Guymon, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Clovis and Reno, yet – he’s never won the Daddy of ‘Em All, Cheyenne Frontier Days. This year, Mayfield changed that. He won the sixth performance, roping in 10.8 seconds. He then won the first Semifinal, roping in 10.1. Finally and most importantly, Mayfield won the Finals with a 9.8 second run. On top of winning one of the world’s most infamous rodeos for the first time, Mayfield took home over $16,000 in winnings.

Mayfield is currently leading the 2024 PRCA Tie Down World Standings!

Bull Riding: T.J. Gray – 90 points on Smith Pro Rodeos’, No Doze

With a pair of 90-point rides winning the roughstock events so far in the Final round at Cheyenne, it only makes sense a 90-point ride should win the Bull Riding as well. Oregon’s T.J. Gray has never qualified for an NFR, but winning ‘The Dad’ has him well on his way to his first appearance at the Thomas and Mack this December. Gray covered Smith Pro Rodeos’, No Doze for 90 points in Cheyenne’s Finals, earning himself over $10,500 in total for a nice boost in the standings.

Gray is currently 7^th in the 2024 PRCA Bull Riding World Standings!

Fun Fact

Cheyenne Frontier Days has been awarded the PRCA’s Largest Outdoor Rodeo of the Year Award 16 times!

Bareback: Leighton Berry

 3x NFR qualifier and Texas Bareback rider, Leighton Berry split the win in Deadwood with 4x NFR qualifier, California’s R.C. Landingham. Both rode for 87 points, Berry on Harper & Morgan Rodeo Co’s, Sippin Firewater and Landingham on Dakota Rodeo’s, American Grafiti, each taking home a paycheck for $5,293.

Berry is currently 2^nd in the 2024 PRCA Bareback World Standings, Landingham is 4^th!

 Team Roping: Lightning Aguilera and Lane Mitchell

NFR qualifier and Texas Header, Lightning Aguilera with his partner, Tennessee Heeler, Lane Mitchell were lightning quick at this year’s Days of ’76. The pair won the rodeo with a 10 second flat average time on two head. The pair placed second in both rounds, roping in 5.1 seconds in the first and 4.9 in the second. The fastest time of the rodeo was from Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp who roped in 4.6 seconds to win the second round.

Aguiler is currently 14^th in the 2024 PRCA Team Roping Header World Standings, Mitchell is 26^th in the Heeler standings!

Barrel Racing: Wenda Johnson

4x NFR qualifier from Oklahoma, Wenda Johnson raced to the win in Deadwood with a stellar 17.16 second run. The win earned Johnson a check for $5,573.

Wenda Johnson is unofficially 7^th in the 2024 WPRA Barrel Racing World Standings!

Bareback Gold Medalist: Keenan Hayes – 89 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s, Hooey Rocks

If gold medals were handed out during every round at the Days of ’47 Arena, World Champion Bareback rider Keenan Hayes would have two of them. Hayes won the fourth performance, covering Championship Pro Rodeo’s, Big Show for 87 points. In the Gold Medal Round, Hayes beat some of Professional Rodeo’s best Bareback riders, showing us all why he’s the reigning world champ, earning an 89 on Championship Pro Rodeo’s, Hooey Rocks. In total, Hayes earned $15,000 and a gold medal at this year’s Days of ’47 Rodeo.

Hayes is currently leading the 2024 PRCA Bareback World Standings!

Steer Wrestling Gold Medalist: Don Payne – 3.9 seconds

NFR qualifier and Texas Steer Wrestler Don Payne was 4.5 seconds in Salt Lake’s second performance, qualifying him for the Gold Medal Round. The Days of ’47 pays out four places in each performance and second was good for $1,500. The Gold Medal Round? That round pays the winner $13,000, a check that now has Payne’s name on it. He won the medal and the check after a 3.9 second run.

Payne is currently 4^th in the 2024 PRCA Steer Wrestling Standings!

Saddle Bronc Gold Medalist: Brody Wells – 92 points on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’, The Black Tie

Throughout the Gold Medal qualifying rounds in Salt Lake, no Saddle Bronc rider managed to break 90. That all changed when Wyoming’s Brody Wells climbed aboard Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’, The Black Tie. The same horse had just carried Logan Cook to a 90-point ride in Cheyenne Frontier Days. Wells took the opportunity to and was 92 to win the gold medal and $15,000 in total earnings.

Wells is currently 15^th in the 2024 PRCA Saddle Bronc World Standings!

Tie Down Gold Medalists: Riley Webb and Haven Meged – 7.3 seconds

A pair of World Champion Tie Down ropers are now a pair of gold medalists. Reigning World Champion and 2x NFR qualifier, Riley Webb and 2019 World Champion and 5x NFR qualifier, Haven Meged split this win at this year’s Days of ’47 Rodeo. Webb won the second performance with a flying-quick 6.9 second run before Meged won the fourth performance with an 8.3 second run. Both ropers tied in 7.3 seconds in the Gold Medal round, splitting the win and each taking home $13,000 in total earnings.

Webb is currently 4^th in the 2024 PRCA Tie Down World Standings, Meged is 3^rd!

Bull Riding Gold Medalist: T.J. Gray | 85.5 points on Andrews Rodeo’s, Shockazooloo

23-year-old T.J. Gray from Oregon had a stellar week. First, he won the Bull Riding at Cheyenne Frontier Days. Then he won the first performance at the Days of ’47 in Salt Lake, riding for 87.5 to make the only qualified ride of the night on Championship Pro Rodeo’s, Yela Wolf. Gray qualified for the Gold Medal Round alongside seven other riders and of the eight total contestants, only two qualified rides were made. Gray was one of them, riding Andrews Rodeo’s, Shockazooloo for 85.5 points for the gold and over $18,000 in total earnings.

Gray is currently 7^th in the 2024 PRCA Bull Riding World Standings!

Bareback: Dean Thompson

NFR qualifier and Utah’s very own Dean Thompson took the win in front of a hometown Utah crowd in Ogden’s Bareback competition. Thompson rode Smith Pro Rodeos’, North Star for 89 points and a $12,000 winning check.

Thompson is currently 5^th in the 2024 PRCA Bareback World Standings! 

Saddle Bronc: Kade Bruno

2x NFR qualifier Kade Bruno traveled south from his home state of Idaho to Ogden, Utah this weekend and ended up splitting the win in the Saddle Bronc with 3x NFR qualifier, California’s Lefty Holman. Bruno covered Korkow Rodeos’, Acapulco Relish while Holman rodeo Three Hills Rodeo’s, Devils Advocate, both for 87.5 points and $10,000 each.

Bruno is currently leading the 2024 PRCA Saddle Bronc World Standings, Holman is 3^rd!

Tie Down: Marty Yates

9x NFR qualifier Marty Yates took home $16,000 this weekend in Ogden. Yates split third in the first round, roping and tying in 7.7 seconds. He then won the second round in 6.8 seconds for an average of 14.5 seconds on two head, winning this year’s Pioneer Days Tie Down Roping.

Yates is currently 6^th in the 2024 PRCA Tie Down World Standings!

Barrel Racing: Kassie Mowry

4x NFR qualifier and Texas cowgirl Kassie Mowry was the only lady to make a 16 second run this year at Ogden’s Pioneer Days. World Champion Barrel Racer Jordon Briggs was close, running in 17.01 seconds, however Mowry was 16.93 seconds to win the rodeo.

Mowry is unofficially 13^th in the 2024 WPRA Barrel Racing World Standings!

Steer Wrestling: J.D. Struxness

5x NFR qualifier from Minnesota, Steer Wrestling’s J.D. Struxness had some luck in Utah this weekend, his first win out West this season. Struxness won the first round in Spanish Fork with a 3.9 second run, then won the second round with an even faster run of 3.7 seconds. All in, Struxness was 7.6 seconds on two head, winning the rodeo and over $15,000 in total earnings.

Struxness is currently 7^th in the 2024 PRCA Steer Wrestling World Standings!

Saddle Bronc: Zeke Thurston

4x World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider and 9x NFR qualifier, Zeke Thurston covered Frontier Rodeo’s, Two Good for 88.5 points at this year’s Fiesta Days Rodeo. The ride earned Thurston the win and a check for $12,000.

Thurston is currently 6^th in the 2024 PRCA Saddle Bronc World Standings!

Tie Down: Marty Yates

Utah was good to 9x NFR qualifier Marty Yates. After winning Ogden’s Pioneer Days, Yates split the win in Spanish Fork with 10x NFR qualifier Cory Solomon, both with a 16.8 second average on two head.

Yates is currently 6^th in the 2024 PRCA Tie Down World Standings, Solomon is 33^rd!

Bull Riding: Tristen Hutchings

2x NFR qualifier, Idaho’s Tristen Hutchings added his name to the Utah pot of rodeo prize money up for grabs this week. Hutchings rode for an incredible 92.5-point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s, Cold Roll, earning himself the Bull Riding win in Spanish Fork and over $12,000 in winnings.

Hutchings is currently 6^th in the 2024 PRCA Bull Riding World Standings!