Stetson Wright is back to his winning ways at the National Western Stock Show Rodeo. After a year off with injuries, he rode The Cervi Brothers’ bull Heyoka for 89 points to take the lead in the first round of competition. Wright, from Beaver, Utah, will compete again here at the Saturday morning rodeo. NWSS photo by Ric Andersen
Friday’s rodeo at National Western sees contestants returning to action
DENVER, Colo. (Jan. 17, 2025) — In 2023, Stetson Wright of Milford, Utah left the Denver Coliseum as the all-around champion at the National Western Stock Show. Last year he had a torn hamstring and couldn’t compete at Denver and missed the whole season.
Rodeo fans have anxiously awaited the eight-time world champion’s return to competition. Wright did just that in a very big way in Denver on Friday night. He rode The Cervi Brothers’ bull named Heyoka for 89 points and is looking very good to advance out of Bracket 2 to the Semi-Finals on Jan. 25th.
The second comeback story of the night was in the women’s barrel race. Carlee Otero qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the fourth time last December. While she was there, she got kicked by a horse and ended up with a fractured pelvis. Doctors recommended six to eight weeks of rest. The Las Vegas, Nevada, event was completed on December 14th and just one month later she is back in the saddle and winning.
Otero, from Perrin, Texas, has had the fastest time at this year’s rodeo so far at 14.56 seconds, close to the arena record of 14.50 set by Tessa Arnold during last year’s rodeo. Otero wasn’t sure if she was going to come to Denver knowing the stress of driving from Texas would put pressure on her injury. Tie-down roper, Pecos Tatum was also up in Bracket 2 and offered to bring her horse so she could fly up here.
Tatum didn’t have any luck on Friday, but got to watch as HB Firewater Vanilla made his first run at a big rodeo like Denver’s. The horse that Otero calls Leroy is just five years old but handled everything in the Denver Coliseum like a champion.
“I’m just so proud of him,” Otero said. “This is the first time he’s faced anything like this. When Pecos offered to bring him so I could fly that made a big difference. I just love our rodeo family.”
She will fly back to Texas after her second run tomorrow and if she has another good run, will need to figure out a plan for the Semi-Finals. Her husband, tie-down roper Michael Otero will be competing in Bracket 6, and it would be a great rodeo memory for the couple to both advance to the Semi-Finals here.
All of the contestants who were in Denver Friday night will compete in their second round on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. Bracket 3 will be completed during the 3:30 and 8 p.m. performances.
DENVER, Colo. (Jan. 17, 2025) — The following are results from the first performance of the National Western Stock Show Rodeo.
Bracket 1 – Round 2
Bareback Riding: 1, Richmond Champion, Stevensville, Mont., 81 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Colorado Cayenne. 2, Bucky McAlpine, Anaconda, Mont., 79. 3, Clay Jorgenson, Watford City, N.D., 78.5. 4, Tristan Hansen, Dillon, Mont., 77.5. (Semi-Finals Qualifiers) 1, Jorgenson, 162 points on two. 2, Champion, 161. 3, Ben Kramer, Max, N.D., 159.5.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Trisyn Kalawaia, Hilo, Hawaia, 3.7 points. 2, Rooster Yazzie, Coyote Canyon, N.ee M., 4.0. 3, Gavin Soileau, Bunkie, La., 4.3, 4, Traver Johnson, Eltopia, Wash., 5.1. (Semi-Finals Qualifiers) 1, Soileau, 8.2 seconds on two. 2, Yazzie, 10.0. 3, Traver Johnson, Eltopia, Wash., 12.6.
Team Roping: (three times) 1, Quinton Parchman, Cumberland City, Tenn., and Derrick Crawford, Lebanon, Tenn., 5.9 seconds. 2, David McCallister, Bosque Farms, N.M., and Brandon Baca, Las Vegas, N.M., 9.8. 3, Joshua Torres, Miami, Fla., and Caleb Hendrix, Fallon, Nev., 14.2. (Semi-Finals Qualifiers) 1, Parchman and Crawford, 17.8 seconds on two. 2, McCallister and Baca, 9.8. 3, Kolton Schmidt, Barrhead, Alberta and Landen Glenn, McAlester, Okla., 4.7 on one.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Q Taylor, Nanton, Alberta, Canada, 82 points on The Cervi Brothers’ Turbulence. 2, Lucas Macza, High River, Alberta, 81.5. 3, Statler Wright, Beaver, Utah, 81. 4, K’s Thomson, Lundbreck, Alberta, 80.5. (Semi-Finals Qualifiers) 1, Statler Wright, 163.5 points on two. 2, Thomson, 160. 3, Macza, 156.5.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, John Douch, Huntsville, Texas, 9.5 seconds. 2, Tyler Milligan, Pawhuska, Okla., 9.7. 3, Chet Weitz, London, Texas, 11.9. 4, Brody Stallard, Fort Sumner, NM, 14.0. (Semi-Finals Qualifiers) 1, Milligan, 18.0 seconds. 2, Douch, 18.6. 3, Weitz, 21.0.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Summer Kosel, Glenham, S.D., 14.77. 2, Ashley Day, Volborg, Mont., 14.83. 3, Acey Pinkston, Stephenville, Texas, 14.89. 4, Karson Bradley Berger, Saratoga, Wyo., 14.91. (Semi-Finals Qualifiers) 1, Oceane Veilleux, Commerce, Texas, 29.83 seconds on two. 2, Kelly Yates, Pueblo, Colo., 29.89. 3, Day, 29.9.
Bull Riding: (two rides) 1, Cody McElroy, Loretto, Ky., 83.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Bio-K. 2, Garrett Uptain, Craig, Colo., 79. (Semi-Finals Qualifiers) 1, Scottie Knapp, Albuquerque, N.M., 85 on one. 2, Scott Wells, Goondiwindi, Queensland, Australia, 85. 3, Cody McElroy, Loretto, Ky., 83.5.
Bracket 2 – Round 1
Bareback Riding: 1, Garrett Shadbolt, Merriman, Neb., on The Cervi Brother’s Assailant. 2, Spur Owens, Helena, Mont., 83.5. 3, (tie) Kashton Ford, Sturgis, S.D., and Darien Johnson, Tremonton, Utah, 82 points each.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Justin Shaffer, Hallsville, Texas, 4.0. 2, Landris White, Angleton, Texas, 4.2. 3, Grant Peterson, Livermore, Calif., 6.0. 4, Tucker Allen, Ventura, Calif., 6.2.
Team Roping: 1, Cash Duty, Weimer, Texas, and Cashton Weidenbener, Payson, Ariz., 5.2 seconds. 2, Eric Martin, Aurora, Colo., and Ryon Tittel, Pueblo, Colo., 5.7. 3, Talan Cummins, Lodge Grass, Mont., and Casey Cummins, Lodge Grass, Mont., 10.9. 4, Jake Smith, Broken Bow, Okla., and Douglas rich, Herrick, Ill., 11.3.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Weston Patterson, Waverly, Kan., 85.5 points on Generation Pro Rodeo’s Cheap Sunglasses. 2, Noel Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz., 79. 3, Brady Love, Loveland, Colo., 78. 4, Wade Stansfield, Spring City, Utah, 71.
Tie-Down Roping: 1, Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M., 8.2 seconds. 2, Cash Fuesz, Eureka, Kan., 8.3. 3, Trevor Hale, Perryton, Texas, 8.7. 4, Brey Yore, Rupert, Idaho, 10.4.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Carlee Otero, Perrin, Texas, 14.56 seconds. 2, Stephanie Fryar, Waco, Texas, 14.88. 3, Kim Schulze, Larkspur, Colo., 14.89. 4, Kayla Jones, Watkins, Colo., 15.11.
Bull Riding: 1, Stetson Wright, Beaver, Utah, 89 points on The Cervi Brothers’ Heyoka. 2, JR Stratford, Byers, Kan., 83. 3, Coy Pollmeier, Fort Scott, Kan., 80. 4, Tyler Kippes, Stephenville, Texas, 78.5.