Rodeo Recap: June 3 – June 9

First Full Week of June Brings Nationwide Rodeos and Big Payouts

Author

Sydney Butler
June 11, 2024

As summer temperatures rise, so do the payouts of summer run rodeos! In the last week alone, roughly $1.87 million in prize money was up for grabs, and that’s just added money.

In the last seven days, rodeos took place from the Northwest in Eagle, Idaho, Sisters, Oregon and Monticello, Utah to down South in Woodward, Oklahoma and Weatherford, Texas. The travels are long, but for the rodeo road warriors who put in the miles, the paychecks are well worth it.

Fun Fact!

This past week’s payout is roughly 8% of the total contestant payout for the 2024 pro rodeo season. So far, the PRCA has awarded nearly $24 million in contestant payouts!

As the summer run kicks off, we’ll bring you the highlights of the previous week’s events, keeping you updated on the shuffle in standings and who brings the heat to summer’s biggest rodeos.

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Woodward Elks Rodeo | Woodward, Oklahoma

All Around Jake Clay: Team Roping and Steer Roping

Jake Clay is an Oklahoma team roper and steer roper. He qualified for his first NFR last year in the Team Roping and finished the year 14th in the event and sixth in the All-Around World Standings.

Over halfway through the 2024 season, Clay is again looking good in both standings and two wins this weekend at the Woodward Elks Rodeo certainly help his position.

Clay and his partner, heeler Trey Yates roped for 4.6 seconds to win the Team Roping. With his win in the Team Roping and a check in the Steer Roping, Clay also took home the Woodward Elks Rodeo All-Around title and another check for $3,600.

Clay is currently 2nd in the 2024 All-Around World Standings and 11th in the ’24 Team Roping World Standings!

Bareback Rocker Steiner: 89 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s, Unleashed

2x NFR qualifier Rocker Steiner hasn’t had a win since this year’s San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo which took place in February. It figures the firey 20-year-old would add another win to his roster with an impressive 89-point ride in Woodward.

Steiner is currently 4th in the 2024 Bareback World Standings!

Bull Riding Creek Young: 87 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s, Aces High

3x NFR qualifier and Missouri cowboy Creek Young is after his first World Title. He’s been on the top of the Bull Riding leaderboard since his win at this year’s RODEOHOUSTON. After an 87-point ride on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s, Aces High this weekend in Woodward, Young earned himself a $4,200 check, boosting his lead in the standings by nearly $25,000 over second place.

Young is currently leading the 2024 Bull Riding World Standings!

Parker County Sheriff’s Posse Frontier Days | Weatherford, Texas

Bareback Leighton Berry: 86.5 points

Weatherford, Texas crowned one of their own the Bareback champ of the Parker County Sheriff’s Posse Frontier Days Rodeo this year. 3x NFR qualifier Leighton Berry calls Weatherford home.

Nothing feels sweeter than winning your hometown rodeo in front of a hometown crowd, and Berry’s 86.5-point ride gave him just that. Berry’s win earned him a check worth $2,673 and he’s exactly $1,865.05 over second place in the current Bareback standings, making his win that much sweeter to hang on to Bareback’s number one spot.

Berry is currently leading the 2024 Bareback World Standings!

Saddle Bronc Sage Newman: 87.5 points

Texas has been good to 3x NFR qualifier Sage Newman. His win in Weatherford over the weekend is his third win at a Texas rodeo. Newman finished 2023 2nd in the Saddle Bronc standings, just out of reach of a World Champion title. Newman’s 87.5-point ride earned him a Texas-sized $3,300 check, another dollar closer to number one.

Newman is currently 6th in the 2024 Saddle Bronc World Standings!

Tie-Down Roping Shad Mayfield: 7.7 seconds

World Champion and 5x NFR qualifier, Shad “Money” Mayfield is after a second world title. Mayfield is currently $45,000 ahead of second-place, and a $4,000 check in Weatherford after a 7.7 second run to win the rodeo certainly helped that lead. Mayfield was close in 2023, finishing the year third in the world. The money awarded each go-round at the NFR can change everything, but for now, Mayfield is looking like a shoe-in for the 2024 champ.

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

Eagle Rodeo | Eagle, Idaho

Bareback Coop Cooke: 88 points on Western Rodeos’, Unforgiven

The 2024 Bareback standings is currently a tight race; less than $4,000 separates first from third so every dollar counts during this year’s summer run.

For Idaho cowboy Coop Cooke, a $4,400 check at an Idaho rodeo after an 88-point ride on Western Rodeo’s, Unforgiven made a big difference. Cooke has yet to make an NFR, but his growing list of 2024 rodeo wins is looking like this year will be Cooke’s first at the Thomas and Mack.

Cooke is currently 3rd in the 2024 Bareback World Standings!

Steer Wrestling Tyler Waguespack: 11.1 seconds on two head

Louisiana’s Tyler Waguespack is a five-time Steer Wrestling World Champion. He’s won the world in the Steer Wrestling the last three years in a row and is tied with Luke Branquinho for the most Steer Wrestling World Titles won.

Going into the summer run, Waguespack is on the Top 15 bubble, so every dollar earned over the next few months will be make or break for him in pursuit of his tenth NFR qualification. In the first round at the Eagle Rodeo, Waguespack placed fourth after a 5.5 second run, and tied again for fourth in the second run with a 5.6. Waguespack’s consistency proves why he’s one of the greats, winning Eagle with a total of 11.2 seconds on two head.

Waguespack is currently 15th in the Steer Wrestling World Standings!

Saddle Bronc Kade Bruno: 87.5 points on King Rodeo and Wentz Bucking Bulls’, Oh Toodles

Idaho’s own, 2x NFR qualifier Kade Bruno did not say “toodles” to his bronc in Eagle, Idaho this weekend. Instead, Bruno covered King Rodeo and Wentz Bucking Bulls’, Oh Toodles for 87.5 and a check for nearly $4,200 and the win.

Bruno is currently 9th in the 2024 Saddle Bronc World Standings!

San Juan Stampede | Monticello, Utah

All-Around & Bull Riding Josh Frost: Bull Riding (87 points on Salt River Rodeo’s, Train Station), Tie-Down Roping and Team Roping

4x NFR qualifier and Utah cowboy Josh Frost is a four-time Linderman Award Winner. In order to qualify for the Linderman Award, a contestant must compete in three events including one roughstock and one timed-event and win at least $1,000 in each. It’s a prestigious award and Frost has won three in a row.

This weekend at the San Juan Stampede, Frost competed in the Tie-Down and the Team Roping, and won the Bull Riding with an 87-point ride on Salt River Rodeo’s, Thin Lizzy. His performance in all events also won Frost the All-Around title and a total payout of $5,600.

Frost is currently 4th in the 2024 Bull Riding World Standings! 

Bareback Dean Thompson: 86.5 on Legacy Pro Rodeo’s, Out of Bounds

Dean Thompson is another NFR qualifier who hails from Utah. 2023 was the Bareback rider’s first trip to Las Vegas. He won nearly $40,000 over the 10 days at the Thomas & Mack and finished the 2023 season 13th in the world. His 2024 season is shaping up for a return trip to Vegas and now, Thompson can add a Utah rodeo to his list of wins in pursuit of a second NFR qualification.

Thompson is currently 4th in the 2024 Bareback World Standings!

Saddle Bronc Statler Wright: 85 points on Legacy Pro Rodeo’s, Hutterite

The Wright family is infamous in Utah. Nearly each Wright brother, son or uncle has qualified for the NFR and/or won at least one World Championship in their respective events. Statler Wright is the youngest and newest member of the Wright family legacy and is well on his way to qualifying for his first NFR this year.

It's been a trying time for the Wright family recently. World Champion Saddle Bronc rider, Spencer Wright recently lost his son, Levi, due to a tragic accident. It seems Levi was riding with Statler this weekend in Monticello as Wright rode for 85-points and the rodeo win.

Statler Wright is currently 3rd in the 2024 Saddle Bronc World Standings!

Sisters Xtreme Bulls | Sisters, Oregon

Nestled in the heart of the three Sisters peaks in the mountains of Oregon, the Sisters Rodeo is one of the largest PRCA rodeos in the country, and arguably one with some of the best views. 

You may have heard by now that a bull jumped a seven-foot fence this weekend in Sisters. Luckily, no one was injured and the incident is a true testament to the athleticism of rodeo’s four-legged athletes.

That happened at the PRCA rodeo itself, still ongoing. Before the rodeo action kicked off, the Sisters Rodeo Xtreme Bull Riding kept the action in the arena and awarded a $5,000 check to the best bull rider. 

Make that two, $5,000 checks. NFR qualifier and Utah cowboy, Hayes Weight covered Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s, Sea Smoke for 87 points, as did Hawk Whitt who earned an 87 on Corey & Lange Rodeo’s, Scared Famous. 

Whitt is a Wyoming cowboy and is currently unranked, however following his Sisters’ Xtreme Bulls win, he traveled down the hill to Eagle, Idaho where he took second in the PRCA rodeo there. Weight qualified for his first NFR last year and finished 2023 10th in the world. He’s well on his way to a second appearance at the Thomas and Mack.

Weight is currently third in the 2024 Bull Riding World Standings!

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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