National Western Stock Show
COLORADO VS THE WORLD CROWNS FIRST CHAMPIONS OF THE 120TH NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW
DENVER, Colo. (Jan. 10, 2026) — As the dust settled over opening day of the National Western Stock Show, the first champions in the Denver Coliseum were crowned at Colorado Versus the World.
Rodeo action kicked off at 11 a.m. with the World performance. The Colorado performance saw athletes representing Colorado rodeos performing and then the evening featured the best from the earlier events.
Colorado Versus the World has been a tradition at the National Western for over a decade. Fans were not disappointed as the best of the best got to open up the event which is celebrating 120 years in Denver. Bareback riding, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, women’s barrel racing and bull riding were featured at each of the three performances.
At the Cinch Jeans Team World performance, contestants represented the Dodge City (Kansas) Round-Up, Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days, Rodeo Rapid City (South Dakota), Rodeo Austin (Texas), RodeoHouston, Calgary (Alberta) Stampede, San Angelo (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo, and the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.
The Pendleton Whisky Team Colorado athletes competed Saturday afternoon. The rodeos they were playing for are all based in the home state of the National Western Stock Show. Along with the rodeo here, they were also from the Larimer County Fair Rodeo (Loveland), Colorado State Fair Rodeo (Pueblo), Greeley Stampede, Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo (Colorado Springs), Rooftop Rodeo (Estes Park), and the Elizabeth Stampede.
The field was narrowed to the point that the best contestant from the World went head-to-head with the best contestant from the Colorado team. The winner-take-all Shootout saw the most exciting action of the day. A highlight was watching Amanda Welsh win her second title here in the women’s barrel racing.
Welsh was competing for Rodeo Austin in Texas and was riding her great horse Firefly that took her to the National Finals Rodeo in 2021. Firefly has had to have extra special care since then because of injuries. After lots of rehabilitation, he was back here in 2024 when they won the title the first time. Then he was off again, and she brought him back. She had loaned him to a young girl who has been bitten by the barrel racing bug and called to see if she could get him back to ride here. That paid off with another victory.
And after her win, she got to watch her nephew, Hayden Welsh wins the bull riding for team Colorado. He was riding for the Rooftop Rodeo. The whole family claims Gillette, Wyoming as home. Hayden is following in the footsteps of his father, Bobby Welsh, who won the pro rodeo here in 2014.
Pageantry and tradition will be on display in the Denver Coliseum on Sunday when the cross-cultural Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza takes place at 2 and 6:30 p.m.
Cinch Jeans World Team Performance – contestant, rodeo represented.
Bareback Riding: 1, Tuker Carricato, Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days, 84 points, $1,050. 2, Tanner Drueke, Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, 78, $750. 3, Brazos winters, Dodge City (Kansas) Round-Up, and Spencer DeNaeyer, Rodeo Rapid City (South Dakota), 71 and $467 each.
Steer Wrestling: 1, David Gallagher, Rodeo Rapid City (South Dakota), 5.91, $1,050. 2, Brady Buum, San Angelo (Texas) Stock Show & Rodeo, 7.32, $750. 3, Eli Lord, Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, 8.48, $650. 4, Tyke Kipp, Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days, 14.86, $550.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Waitley Sharon, Cheyenne (Wyoming) Frontier Days, 80, $1,050. 2, Thayne Elshere, RodeoHouston, 75, $750. 3, (tie) Brady Irvine, Dodge City (Kansas) Round-Up and Colby Smith, 74 and $467 each.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Amanda Welsh, Rodeo Austin (Texas), 15.511, $1,050. 2, Alyssa Urbanek-Wade, San Angelo (Texas) Stock Show and Rodeo, 15.520, $750. 3, Chandler Camblin, Calgary (Alberta) Stampede, 15.749, $650. 4, Bertina Olafson, RodeoHouston, 15.832, $550.
Bull Riding: (one ride)1, Thayne Elshere, Rodeo Houston, 83, $2,400. (also advancing, no score) Adam Cook, Rodeo Austin (Texas); Caden Bunch, Rodeo Rapid City (South Dakota); and Bodeee Burr, Dodge City (Kansas) Round-Up.
Pendleton Whisky’s Team Colorado Performance – contestant, Colorado rodeo represented
Bareback Riding: 1, Roedy Farrell, National Western Stock Show Rodeo, 81, $1,050. 2, Kash Martin, Rooftop Rodeo, 78.5, $750. 3, (tie) Tyler Ferguson, Colorado State Fair Rodeo, and Jade Taton, Larimer County Fair Rodeo, 74 and $600 each.
Steer Wrestling: 1, Logan Kenline, Greeley Stampede, 5.20, $1,050. 2, Tait Kvistad, Wild Card, 10.22, $750. 3, Brian Snell, Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, 10.99, $650. 4, Kalane Anders, National Western Stock Show Rodeo, 17.18, $550.
Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Spencer Wright, Elizabeth Stampede, 81, $1,050. 2, Quirt Carroll, National Western Stock Show Rodeo, 78, $750. 3, Garrett Long, Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, 76, $650. 4, Brayden Betsworth, Greeley Stampede, 75, $550.
Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Loralee Ward, Larimer County Fair Rodeo, 15.401, $1,050. 2, Chris Gibson, Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, 15,590, $750. 3, Amy Jo Reisdorfer, Colorado State Fair Rodeo, 15,749, $650. 4, Mackenzie McCuistion, Greeley Stampede, 15,832, $550.
Bull Riding: 1, Hayden Welsh, Rooftop Rodeo, 82.5 points, $1,050. 2, Mason Reine, Wild Card, 80, $750. 3, Dawson Gleaves, Colorado State Fair Rodeo, 76, $650. 4, Dillon Tyner, Larimer County Fair Rodeo, 73, $550.
Showdown – Colorado Vs. The World – Contestant, followed by team, score and money.
Bareback Riding: (Semifinals) Tuker Carricato, World, 80, $1,200. Roedy Farrell, Colorado, 79, $1,200. (Final) Carricato, 84, $8,000
Steer Wrestling: (Semifinals) Tyke Kipp, World, 6.77, $1,200. 2, Kalane Anders, Colorado, 4.43, $1,200. (Final), Kipp, 5.48, $8,000.
Saddle Bronc Riding: (Semifinals) Thayne Elshere, World, 86, $1,200. Spencer Wright, Colorado, 83, $1,200. (Final) Elshere, 84.5, $8,000.
Women’s Barrel Race: (Semifinals) Amanda Welsh, World, 15.288, $1,200. Loralee Ward, Colorado, 15.450, $1,200. (Final) Welsh, 15.402, $8,000.
Bull Riding: (Semifinals) Thayne Elshere, World, 83, $1,200. 2, Hayden Welsh, Colorado, 88, $1,200. (Final) Welsh, 86, $8,000.
PROVIDED COURTESY OF SUSAN KANODE FOR NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW & RODEO TO TENN TEXAS MEDIA
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