Wright in Right Spot at Roundup

By: Ted Harbin

DODGE CITY, Kan. – Injuries heal, but that doesn’t mean a competitor is ready to get back into the action.

Saddle bronc rider Ryder Wright understands that. He missed most of July because of a rib issue suffered the end of June, and he returned to action two weeks ago without much luck.

“This time around, (getting back into the rhythm) wasn’t very easy,” said Wright, 25, a two-time world champion and seven-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Beaver, Utah. “I’ve been having a little bit of trouble the last couple of weeks, but I feel like I’m getting things picked up and getting the ball rolling again.”

He proved that Friday night, riding Championship Pro Rodeo’s Magic Stick for 85 points to move into a three-way tie for second place at Dodge City Roundup Rodeo. It will secure another spot in the rodeo’s championship round, which features only the top 12 contestants in each event during a special showcase Sunday night.

“I’d seen some videos of that horse,” said Wright, the 2020 champion who has joined a parade of his family members that have claimed the Roundup title over the years. “It looked like he was going to pretty nice, so I was happy to have him.”

The Wrights are the first family of bronc riding. His father, Cody, was a two-time world champion who has five children, and two of them are world titlists: Ryder and Stetson, who owns four all-around, two bull riding and one saddle bronc riding gold buckles. Two other Wrights, Cody’s brothers Jesse (2012) and Spencer (2024), also own the top prize given annually to the sport’s best.

A handful of them have also claimed the Dodge City trophy belt buckle, something they all cherish. Cody Wright, Jesse Wright, Rusty Wright and Ryder Wright have all walked away with the prominent prize. Ryder Wright would like to add another one and continue to get back on track with his 2023 season; his time away from the game dropped him to 15^th in the world standings. Western Kansas earnings can go a long way to helping him climb back up the money list.

“The big thing is the mind game,” he said. “This game is 90 percent mental, and the rest is in your head. If that doesn’t go right, nothing goes right.

“You have to be doing everything right for the whole eight seconds. If you stub your toe on a bucking horse, you’re probably not going to recover. There’s a lot going on; you have to lift on your rein, stay back, set your feet and have to do a lot right in order to make a good ride.”

Even world champions can struggle.

“My past couple NFRs are prove of that,” Wright said. “I didn’t ride like I know how, and it shows. You’ve got to show out every single day. I think the biggest thing comes in the mental game. I know how to ride broncs, and my body knows how to ride broncs, but sometimes my brain gets the better of me.”

When Wright is on his game, though, he’s hard to beat.

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Dodge City Roundup Rodeo
Dodge City, Kan.
Aug. 2-6, 2022

Bareback riding leaders: 1. Cole Franks, 86.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s Big League; 2. Tim O’Connell, 85.5; 3. (tie) Jayco Roper, Andy Gingerich and Chad Rutherford, 85; 6. Ty Pope, 84; 7. Jess Pope, 83.5; 8. (tie) Jacob Lees and Will Lowe, 83; 9. Dean Thompson, 82; 11. (tie) Bil Tutor and Jacek Frost, 81.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Gage Hesse, 3.5 seconds; 2. Jule Hazen, 3.8; 3. Jace Melvin, 4.0; 4. Cyler Dowling, 4.2; 5. (tie) Cameron Morman and Dylan Schroeder, 4.4; 7. Stockton Graves, 4.5; 8. (tie) Kalane Anders and Brandon Volker, 4.6. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Jarek VanPetten and Jacob Talley, 3.7 seconds; 3. Olin Hannum, 3.9; 4. (tie) Tyler Scheevel and Tyler Wageuspack, 4.0; 6. (tie) Stephen Mullins, Blake Knowles and Stan Branco, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. Jule Hazen, 8.1 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Olin Hannum and Cameron Morman, 8.6; 4. Jarek VanPetten, 8.7; 5. Kalane Anders, 8.8; 6. Dirk Tavenner, 9.0; 7. (tie) Gage Hesse and Stan Branco, 9.1; 9. Tyler Scheevel, 9.3; 10. Brandon Volker, 9.4; 11. (tie) Cyler Dowling and Benjamin Robinson, 11.2.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Dustin Equsquiza, 5.0 seconds; 2. Jake Clay/Kollin VonAhn, 5.3; 3. Brye Crites/Rance Doyal, 5.4; 4. Pedro Egurrola/J.C. Flake, 5.6; 5. Garrett Tonozzi/Jace Davis, 5.7; 6. Zack Woods/Gavin Foster, 5.9; 7. (tie) Kyon Kruetzer/Clancey Kreutzer and Payden Emmett/Lucas Falconer, 6.1. Second round leaders: 1. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 4.2 seconds; 2. Jeff Flenniken/Tyler Worley, 4.3; 3. Jr. Dees/Ross Ashford, 4.4; 4. Cole Smith/Reed Boos, 4.8; 5. Kyon Kreutzer/Clancey Kreytzer, 5.6; 6. Garrett Tonozzi/Jace Davis, 5.9; 7. Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, 6.0; 8. (tie) Cooper White/Tucker White, Curry Kirchner/Billie Jack Saebens and Brye Crites/Rance Doyal, 6.5. Average leaders: 1. Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, 11.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Garrett Tonozzi/Jace Davis, 11.6; 3. Kyon Kreutzer/Clancey Kreutzer, 11.7; 4. (tie) Brye Crites/Rance Doyal and Jake Clay/Kollin VonAhn, 11;9; 6. Pedro Egurrola/J.C. Flake, 12.2; 7. Curry Kirchner/Billie Jack Saebens, 12.8; 8. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 14.2; 9. Cooper White/Tucker White, 18.0; 10. Coy Rahlmann/Jonathan Torres, 18.3; 11. Casey Hicks/Steve Orth, 20.2; 12. Clay Holz/Matt Zancanella, 21.2.

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Brody Cress, 87.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s No. 777; 2. (tie) Wade Sundell, Jake Finlay and Ryder Wright, 85; 5. Sterling Crawley, 83; 6. (tie) Lefty Holman, Tegan Smith and Isaac Diaz, 82.5; 9. (tie) Riggin Smith, Parker Fleet, Will Pollock and Stu Wright, 81.5.

Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1. Kenzie Kelton, 2.3 seconds; 2. Kelsie Domer, 2.5; 3. Alex Loiselle, 2.7; 4. (tie) Shelby Boisjoli, Josey Murphy, Quincy Sullivan Christi Braudrick, 2.8; 8. (tie) Kassidy Dennison and Brooke McLemore, 2.9; 10. (tie) Erika Frost and Kashly VanPetten, 3.0. Second round leaders: 1. KeAnn Hayes, 2.3 seconds; 2. Erin Johnson, 2.4; 3. Alli Masters, 2.6; 4. Quincy Sullivan, 2.7; 5. (tie) Alex Loiselle and Brooke McLemore, 2.8; 7. Bethany Stallons, 3.0; 8. Shelby Boisjoli, 3.1; 9. (tie) Kendal Pierson, Erica Heckman and Kashley VanPetten, 3.2. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Quincy Sullivan and Alex Loiselle, 5.5 seconds on two runs; 3. Brooke McLemore, 5.7; 4. Shelby Boisjoli, 5.9; 5. Bethany Stallons, 6.1; 6. Kashly VanPetten, 6.2; 7. (tie) Josey Murphy and Nicole Hadley, 6.9; 9. (tie) Amber Coleman and Erin Johnson, 7.0; 11. Christi Braudrick, 7.1; 12. Amy Wilson, 7.4.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Haven Meged, 8.8 seconds; 2. (tie) Cory Solomon and Lane Livingston, 9.0; 4. Riley Pruitt, 9.2; 5. Zack Jongbloed, 9.3; 6. Riley Webb, 9.5; 7. Shad Mayfield, 9.6; 8. Quay Howard, 9.9. Second round leaders: 1. Cole Clemons, 7.6 seconds; 2. Randall Carlisle, 7.7; 3. R.J. Straw, 8.5; 4. (tie) John Douch and Dylan Hancock, 8.6; 6. (tie) Quade Hiatt, Shad Mayfield and Luke Potter, 8.8. Average leaders: 1. Luke Potter, 17.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Shad Mayfield, 18.4; 3. Riley Pruitt, 19.1; 4. John Douch, 19.5; 5. Cory Solomon, 19.6; 6. Cole Clemons, 19.7; 7. Ty Harris, 19.8; 8. (tie) Chad Weitz, Roy Lee and Tom Crouse, 20.2; 11. Roan Hudson, 20.5; 12. Dylan Hancock, 20.9.

Barrel racing: First round leaders: 1. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.48 seconds; 2. Kassie Mowry, 17.52; 3. Hailey Kinsel, 17.54; 4. Josey Groves, 17.60; 5. (tie) Andrea Busby and Britta Strain, 17.65; 7. Molly Pritchard, 17.68; 8. Sydney Graham, 17.76; 9. Molly Ottto, 17.77; 10. Stacey Hansen, 17.8. Second round leaders: 1. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 17.03; 2. LaTricia Duke, 17.25; 3. (tie) Hailey Kinsel and Tracy Nowlin, 17.34; 5. Britta Strain, 17.36; 6. Andrea Haden, 17.45; 7. Sydney Graham, 17.54; 8. Jessi Wade, 17.59; 9. Cayla Small, 17.61; 10. Stacey Hansen, 17.62. Average leaders: 1. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, 34.51; 2. Hailey Kinsel, 34.88; 3. Britta Strain, 35.01; 4. Andrea Busby, 35.29; 5. Sydney Graham, 35.30; 6. LaTricia Duke, 35.31; 7. Molly Pritchard, 35.35; 8. Jessi Wade, 35.50; 9. Stacey Hansen, 35.42; 10. Andrea Haden, 35.44; 11. Tracy Nowlin, 35.47; 12. Victoria Proctor, 35.60.

Bull riding leaders: 1. J.B. Mauney, 88.5 points on Frontier Rodeo’s He’s Legit; 2. Victor Vieira Losnake, 86; 3. Trevor Reiste, 85.5; 4. Deklan Garland, 85; 5. Hunter Boydston, 84; 6. Cody Teel, 82.5; 7. Riley Harris, 82; 8. Dustin Boquet, 80.5; 9. Colton Byram, 80; 10. Cullen Teller, 75; no other qualified rides.

Courtesy of twisTEDrodeo.com