2023 CNFR Competition Kicks Off with Bulls Broncs & Breakaway
Dawson Gleaves won the first round of bull riding at
the College National Finals Rodeo with a 79-point effort on Vold Rodeo’s
Easy Sid. CNFR photo by Jackie Jensen
CASPER, Wyo. – When college rodeo athletes have opportunities to win national titles, they give it their all time after time.
That has been the case at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) and as the 73rd edition kicked off Sunday at the Fort Wyoming Center in Casper, it was evident once again. Competition kicked off with the Bulls Broncs and Breakaway. Qualifying for the CNFR is a lofty goal for students pursuing degrees. Juggling classes, practices and traveling to competitions is real life preparations for a future career in or out of the rodeo arena.
Dawson Gleaves, a bull rider from Amarillo, Texas, stayed in his home state to attend Weatherford College. He is one of the contestants hoping to make rodeo a professional career. With a nickname of Sticky, Gleaves did just that on his first bull here. He was one of two bull riders to make it to the eight-second mark scoring 79 points on Vold Rodeo’s Easy Sid.
The other bull rider to make it to the whistle was the 2021 champion, Tristen Hutchings who has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo while competing for Sul Ross State University at Alpine, Texas. The breakaway roping was extremely tough with a four-way tie for first place. Former CNFR champion Zoie Bedke from Idaho State University is on that list along with the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association student president, Tyree Cochrane from Cal Poly State University. Maggie Usher, also from Cal Poly and Sydney Theobald who attends Black Hills State University finish the top four out. Each of them stopped the clock in 2.4 seconds.
Third generation rodeo competitor Weston Timberman who is a freshman at Clarendon College won the bareback riding with an 81.5-point score. Winning the saddle bronc riding was Quintin McWhorter who is representing the Cal Poly State University men’s team. Competition here features three full rounds in each event. These competitors will have their second round during slack on Monday and Tuesday. The steer wrestling, barrel racing, team roping, goat tying, and tie-down roping contestants will complete their first round on Monday.