Cowboys Ready for Rapid City X Bulls, X Broncs
After a historic performance at the 2020 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Stetson Wright is ready to add more successful chapters to his career.
Wright, who won his second consecutive all-around world championship and inaugural bull riding world crown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, Dec. 12, is back on the trail in 2021.
Wright and other top riders in the PRCA are scheduled to compete at the Rodeo Rapid City PRCA Xtreme Bulls, Jan. 29, and the Rodeo Rapid City PRCA Xtreme Broncs, Jan. 30.
Both events start at 9:30 p.m. (ET) and will be shown live on The Cowboy Channel and the Cowboy Channel Plus App
Wright will get on Dakota Rodeo’s Dr Campbell in the bull riding Friday. He drew Bailey Pro Rodeo’s Big Casino in saddle bronc riding for Saturday.
“I’m sure that bull is coming from Chad Berger,” said Wright, 21. “I try and treat these events just like another rodeo, like practice. I’m not going to change my approach for anything anymore. I don’t see any reason to. I feel like I ride good enough to where I can treat these events just like any other rodeo.”
There are 17 National Finals Rodeo qualifiers and four world champions entered among the field of 40 for the Xtreme Bulls event. The Xtreme Broncs event has 23 NFR qualifiers and five world champions among the field of 45.
Of Wright’s many accomplishments the past two years, the Xtreme Bulls and Xtreme Broncs season-ending tour titles have eluded him.
“Every rodeo I go to I want to win, so anything I show up to, my daily goal is to win at that place,” Wright said. “Hopefully, it will all add up and I can win those titles. I do this all year. That’s how I made the NFR in saddle bronc riding and bull riding. I didn’t ride bulls and then get into bronc riding because I qualified for one event. I had to show up last year (at NFR) and show people this is what I do for a living.”
Wright made his NFR debut in saddle bronc riding in 2020 in Arlington, Texas, finishing seventh in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $154,101.
“It took me until last year to put two and two together,” Wright said. “Normally I was riding bulls really well, but I wasn’t riding broncs. Now, I’m starting to get to where my mind and body are on the same page, and I can do both the same day and do them both well.”
Wright earned $106,603 and $207,295 at the 2020 NFR in saddle bronc riding and bull riding, respectively. Wright was the first cowboy to win the all-around crown and a roughstock world championship in the same year since ProRodeo Hall of Famer Ty Murray did it in 1998.
“I really enjoy the X Broncs events because they bring the top-end horses to most of them,” Wright said. “When you show up there the true champion comes out because you’re getting on the best horses, and the best guys usually come out on top. If I don’t win I dang sure want one of my family members to do it.”
Stetson’s brothers Ryder, the reigning saddle bronc riding world champion, and Rusty are entered in the Rodeo Rapid City Xtreme Broncs. Ryder drew Bailey Pro Rodeo’s Capone, and Rusty has Burch Rodeo’s Maria Bartiromo.
Bull rider Roscoe Jarboe, a four-time NFR qualifier (2016-18, 2020), is excited for the Rapid City Rodeo X Bulls. Jarboe drew Korkow Rodeos’ Standard Tuesday, a bull Ky Hamilton had a 90-point ride on to finish second in Round 1 of the 2020 NFR, Dec. 3.
“This year I’m trying to be consistent and ride a majority of the bulls I get on, and hopefully it will play out the way I think it should,” said Jarboe, 24. “I think this bull and I in Rapid should be a pretty good matchup, and hopefully my momentum starts there.”
Saddle bronc rider Zeke Thurston, a two-time world champion (2016 and 2019) and six-time NFR qualifier, agreed with Jarboe.
“It’s exciting to go to my first event after the NFR, and Rapid City should be really good,” said Thurston, who drew Sutton Rodeo’s Gangster. “I’ve been staying in shape here at home (in Big Valley, Alberta), and I’ll just have to knock the dust off and go at them. It would be nice if I could hit things hard right off the start in Rapid and get the ball rolling.”
Courtesy of PRCA