National Western Stock Show Rodeo action underway
Statler Wright of the famed saddle bronc riding Wright family won the title at Colorado VS The World at the National Western Stock Show on Jan. 11. Wright earned nearly $10,000 representing Team Colorado for the Greeley Stampede. NWSS photo by Ric Andersen.
By Susan Kanode
DENVER, Colo. (Jan. 11, 2025) — For over a decade, the National Western Stock Show has kicked off rodeo action in the Denver Coliseum with Colorado Versus the World.
The first performance at the 119th edition of the Denver tradition featured contestants representing rodeos from the world in bareback riding, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, women’s barrel racing and bull riding. Those eight rodeos included the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, Rodeo Austin, Rodeo Houston, and the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo in Texas, Dodge City Round-Up in Kansas, Wyoming’s Cheyenne Frontier Days, Rodeo Rapid City in South Dakota and Canada’s Calgary Stampede.nd
The best four from the World performance advanced to Saturday night’s performance to face off against the best four from the Colorado team. The matinee performance was all Colorado with contestants representing the National Western, the Elizabeth Stampede, the Greeley Stampede, Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo in Colorado Springs, the Larimer County Fair Rodeo in Loveland and the Colorado State Fair Rodeo in Pueblo.
When it was all said and done, four contestants from the World team and four from the Colorado team competed on Saturday night where each team got one spot in a winner-take-all shootout. Three out of five championships were won by contestants representing the World rodeos. It started out with Ben Kramer in the bareback riding who was representing the Dodge City (Kansas) Round-Up. Kramer scored 90 points to earn the first $8,000 check of the night.
In the steer wrestling, Nick Guy stopped the clock in 4.52 seconds for the championship. He also was on the World team for the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo in Texas.
The saddle bronc riding saw a battle of the Wrights. Spencer Wright rode for Rodeo Houston on the World team and Statler Wright represented the Greeley Stampede for Colorado. Statler is Spencer’s nephew, and he emerged victorious with a 91-point ride to win the first title for team Colorado.
Katelyn Scott took her horse around the cloverleaf pattern in 15.119 seconds to win the barrel racing for the world team. She rode in the Denver Coliseum for Canada’s Calgary Stampede.
Team Colorado got the bull riding when Parker McCown was the only man to make the eight-seconds. McCown represented the Rooftop Rodeo in Estes Park.
Super Saturday came to a close with each champion earning a pair of championship spurs to go with their $8,000 checks.
Sunday’s events will see multi-cultural entertainment in the Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza in the Denver Coliseum. Performances are at 2 and 6:30 p.m.
Cinch Jeans World Team Performance – contestant, rodeo represented
Bareback Riding: 1, Cooper Bennett, San Angelo (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo, 85.5, $1,050. 2, Cooper Filipek, Rodeo Rapid City (South Dakota), 84, $750. 3, Clayton Hibler, Calgary Stampede, 80, $650. 4, Ben Kramer, Dodge City (Kansas) Round-Up, 79, $550.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Kalane Anders, Dodge City (Kansas) Round-Up, 3.76 seconds, $1,050. deo Guy, San Angelo (Texas) Stock Show and Rodeo, 4.40, $750. 3, Jacob Edler, Rodeo Austin (Texas), 4.52, $650. 4, Trisyn Kalawaia, RodeoHouston, 4.94, $550.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Luke Shields, Rodeo Rapid City (South Dakota) and Spencer Wright, RodeoHouston, 82 points and $900 each. 3, Cooper Thatcher, San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, 80, $650. Cody Faulkner, Cheyenne Frontier Days, 79, $550.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Taryn Boxleitner, Dodge City (Kansas) Round-Up, 15.070, $1,050. 2, Katelyn Scott, Calgary Stampede, 15,342. 3, Amy Jo Reisdorfer, San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, 15.455, $650. 4, Teneille Angland, Rodeo Austin (Texas), 15.551, $550.
Bull Riding: (three rides)1, Jate Frost, Dodge City (Kansas) Round-Up, 84 points and $1,167. 2, Jackson Ward, Rodeo Rapid City (South Dakota), 61, $867. 3, Cooper McLain, Calgary Stampede, 30, 767.
Pendleton Whisky’s Team Colorado Performance – contestant, Colorado rodeo represented
Bareback Riding: 1, Seth Hardwick, Wildcard, 84 points, $1,050. 2, Myles Carlson, National Western Stock Show, 83.5, $750. 3, Hunter Carlson, Pikes Peak or bust Rodeo (Colorado Springs), 82, $650. 4, Tanner Drueke, Greeley Stampede, 81.5, $550.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Tristan Martin, Colorado State Fair (Pueblo), 4.3 secodns, $1,050. 2, Payden McIntyre, Elizabeth Stampede, 4.53, $750. 3, Michael Bates, Greeley Stampede, 6.78, $650. 4, Zach Mamar, Larimer County Fair Rodeo (Loveland), 7.23, $550.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Bailey Small, Colorado State Fair (Pueblo), 86 points, $1,050. 2, Statler Wright, Greeley Stampede, 85.5, $750. 3, Kaden Horrocks, 84.5, Rooftop Rodeo (Estes Park), 84.5, $650. 4, (tie) Wade Stansfield, Elizabeth Stampede and Coleman Shallbetter, Larimer County Fair Rodeo (Loveland), 83 and $375 each.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Shali Lord, Rooftop Rodeo (Estes Park), 15.083 seconds, $1,050. 2, Alex Odle, Elizabeth Stampede, 15.234, $750. 3, Kim Schulze, Greeley Stampede, 15.333, $650. 4, Sara Winkelman, Larimer County Fair Rodeo (Loveland), $15.367.
Bull Riding: 1, (tie – two rides)) Parker McCown, Rooftop Rodeo (Estes Park), and J.R. Stratford, National Western Stock show, 82 points and $1,300 each.
Showdown – Colorado Vs. The World – Contestant, followed by team, score and money.
Bareback Riding: (Semifinals) Ben Kramer, World, 86 points, $1,200. Seth Hardwick, Colorado, 82, $1,200. (Final) Kramer, 90, $8,000.
Steer Wrestling: (Semifinals) Nick Guy, World, 4.01 seconds, $1,200. Tristan Martin, Colorado, 4.55, $1,200. (Final), Guy, 4.52, $8,000
Saddle Bronc Riding: (Semifinals) Spencer Wright, World, 83 points, $1,200. Statler Wright, Colorado, 87, $1,200. (Final) Statler Wright, 91, $8,000.
Women’s Barrel Race: (Semifinals) Katelyn Scott, World, 14.894 seconds, $1,200. Alex Odle, Colorado, 15.142, $1,200. (Final) Scott, 15.119, $8,000.
Bull Riding: (Semifinals) Jate Frost, 81 points, World, $1,200. Parker McCown, 76, Colorado, $1,200. (Final) McCown, $8,000.