Stetson Wright Scores Big at Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Stetson Wright proved why he’s one of the best all-around cowboys in the sport of ProRodeo over the weekend at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo.
The reigning two-time all-around PRCA World Champion won the saddle bronc riding in Colorado Springs with a 91.5-point ride on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Angel Eyes. His run was good enough to take down his brother Ryder and Sterling Crawley in the shootout round.
“I guess I drew right when it came to that final round tonight,” said Wright, 21. “Ryder and Sterling looked like they had a bit of a tougher draw. When the horse does its job, it makes it pretty easy on you as a cowboy.”
Wright made it look easy, but he was put to the test in the rodeo’s final performance. He rode five different animals between the saddle bronc riding and bull riding. He admitted it took a toll on him but said it was a rewarding experience.
“On long nights like this, especially when they end good like this it’s truly rewarding,” Wright said. “It really shows where I’m at physically, emotionally and mentally. I felt like I handled everything they threw at me tonight as best as I could. I’m just going to keep trying to get better from it.”
The win in the final round in Colorado Springs was worth $12,500. He also earned $1,283 earlier in the rodeo, which closed the gap further on Ryder. Stetson sits second in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $109,827, $11,825 behind his brother for the top spot in saddle bronc riding. It’s a battle that’s been ongoing since the season began.
“I got $10,000 closer to him awhile back, but then all of a sudden he’s back up to a $20,000 lead,” Wright said. “It sure seems like we are going to keep going back and forth this season. It’s pretty fun honestly, we play a game to see who can score higher on horses that we’ve already been on.”
Stetson Wright wasn’t the only cowboy to put together a career performance on the final night in Colorado Springs. J.B. Mauney added another title to his name, winning the bull riding with an 87.5-point ride on 4L & Diamond S Rodeo’s Space Unicorn in the shootout round.
The Colorado rodeo was kind to the 34-year-old cowboy. Mauney took home $17,105 with the only qualified ride in round two and the overall title on Saturday night. His final ride was on a bull he’s found success on before.
“I couldn’t have hand picked a better bull out of the final three to get on,” Mauney said. “I got on him this year at Del Rio (Texas) and I won the round on him there. It got a little wild at the start, but I finished it off and it all worked out for me. The more bulls I get on the better I ride.”
Other winners at the $331,049 ProRodeo Tour rodeo were all-around cowboy Stetson Wright ($19,355, saddle bronc riding and bull riding); bareback rider Cole Reiner (90 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Vegas Confused); steer wrestler Don Payne (4.5 seconds); team ropers Clay Tryan/Jake Long (5.0 seconds); tie-down roper J.D. McCuistion (9.4 seconds); and barrel racer Jessica Routier (17.04 seconds).
Courtesy of PRCA