STETSON WRIGHT’S BIG WINS CONTINUE AT NATIONAL WESTERN STOCK SHOW & RODEO IN DENVER, COLORADO

DENVER, Colo. (Jan. 16, 2026) — Stetson Wright from Beaver, Utah, is going to be making several trips to Denver to compete at the National Western Stock Show Rodeo.

Wright who earned the all-around and bull riding world championship in 2025 finished third in the saddle bronc riding behind his two brothers. He competed in Bracket 1 in the saddle bronc riding here and has command of the leaderboard with 83 and 86 point rides. He will be back in Denver Thursday, Jan. 22 to compete in Bracket 7 in the bull riding. With his success here already in the saddle bronc riding, the 10-time world champion has the potential to compete in both of his events in the Semi-Finals. The three contestants with the highest total score or fastest total times in each bracket will be back here in just over a week for the Semi-Finals

Wright’s success here on Friday afternoon was on a horse named Big Bang owned by The Cervi Brothers Rodeo. His 86-point effort is the highest so far at this year’s rodeo. If it holds, he stands to get a good check in the second round of competition as well.

Weston Patterson from Waverly, Kansas also competed in Bracket one of the saddle bronc riding. He was awarded a re-ride on Thursday and got to get on that horse Friday afternoon. It paid off with an 83 putting him in a tie for round one with Wright. Then Patterson got on his round two horse and scored 78 points. He finished second in the bracket and will be trying to earn his first title in the Denver Coliseum. Wright earned the saddle bronc riding title here in 2023.

Reigning college champion barrel racer Acey Pinkston, from Stephenville, Texas, showed the rodeo fans in the Denver Coliseum the speed and skill that she used to win the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming, last June. Pinkston earned her collegiate title for Uvalde’s Southwest Texas Junior College. She is now focusing on her professional career and will advance to the Semi-Finals after having the fastest total time in Bracket 1. She had a total time of 30.41 and is making plans to be back here next week.

Saturday will see three full performances at the rodeo. The morning performance at 11 a.m. will feature the second round of Bracket 2. Bracket 3 will have their two rounds of competition at 3:30 and 8 p.m.

DENVER, Colo. (Jan. 16, 2026) — The following are results from the National Western Stock Show Rodeo.

Bracket 1 – Round 2

Bareback Riding: 1, Cooper Filipek, Rapid City, S.D., 82.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Zipper Trick. 2, Daxtyn Feild, Roosevelt, Utah, 81. 3, Connor Griffith, Merryville, La., 80.5. 4, (tie) Cole Franks, Clarendon, Texas, and  Colton Clemens, Blackfoot, Idaho, 80. (advancing to Semi-Finals) 1, Feild, 163. 2, Franks, 160.5. 3, Filipek, $160. 

Steer Wrestling: 1, Tad Williams, Coalville, Utah, 3.9. 2, Ty Allred, Tooele, Utah, 4.1. 3, Emmett Edler, State Center, Iowa, 4.7. 4, Landris White, Angleton, Texas, 4.8. (advancing to Semi-Finals) 1, White, 8.5. 2, Williams, 9.5. 3, Edler, 10.1.

Team Roping: 1, Ketch Kelton, Mayer, Ariz., and Paden Bray, Stephenville, Texas, 4.1. 2, Luke Brown, Rock Hill, S.C., and Trey Yates, Pueblo, Colo., 4.4. 3, (tie) Cyle Denison, Iowa, La., and Lane Mitchell, Bolivar, Tenn.; and Tee McLeod, Waldeck, Saskatchewan and Buddy Hawkins II,  Stephenville, Texas, 4.6 each. (advancing to Semi-Finals) 1, Shay Dixon Carroll, Stephenville, Texas, and Denton Dunning, Surprise, Ariz., 9.6. 2, Cam Jensen, Bingham, Neb., and Clayton Symons, Mitchell, Neb.,. 11.3. 3, Brown and Yates, 13.7.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Stetson Wright, Beaver, Utah, 86 points on the Cervi Brothers’ Big Bang. 2, Skinny Parsons, Morse, Texas, 85. 3, Kaden Horrocks, Tablona, Utah, 79.5. 4, Carson Bingham, Rigby, Idaho, 78.5. (advancing to Semi-Finals) 1, Wright, 169. 2, Weston Patterson, Waverly, Kan., 161. 3, Bingham, 160.

Tie-Down Roping: 1, Chip Wilson, Arthur, Neb., 8.8 seconds. 2, Riley Webb, Falls City, Texas, 9.7. 3, Stran Dunham, Souris, Manitoba, 9.9. 3, (tie) Paden Bray, Stephenville, Texas, and Cole Clemons, Okeechobee, Fla., 10.1 each. (advancing to Semi-Finals) 1, Clemons, 19.2. 2, Webb, 19.9. 3, Dunham, 22.4.  

Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Morgan Addison, Wolforth, Texas, 15.10. 2, Kappie Bryant, Sunset, Texas, 15.23. 3, Acey Pinkston, Stephenville, Texas, 15.25. 4, Whitley Sharp, Caldwell, Idaho, 15.27. (advancing to Semi-Finals) 1, Pinkston, 30.41. 2, Addison, 30.51. 3, Sharp, 30.70.

Bull Riding: 1, Kobie Olson, Cascade, Idaho, 83 points on Rocky Mountain Rodeo’s Spilled Communion. 2, (tie) Jacob Carige, Rockhampton, Australia, and Scott Wells, Goondiwindi, Australia, 82 each. 4, Brody Nelson, Minot, N.D., 77. (advancing to Semi-Finals) 1, Olson, 166. 2, Riley Shippy, Colome, S.D., 159.5. 3, Rawley Johnson, Swan Valley, Idaho, 159.          

Bracket 2 – Round 1

Bareback Riding: 1, (tie) Ben Kramer, Max, N.D., on The Cervi Brothers’ Above the Rim and Devon Moore, Clear Lake, S.D., on The Cervi Brothers’ Mama Help Me, 80 points each. 3, Chett Dietz, Milo, Alberta, 79.5. 4, Bodee Lammers, Tolar, Texas, 77.

Steer Wrestling: 1, Jacob Edler, Alva, Okla., 4.4 seconds. 2, Bray Armes, Stephenville, Texas, 5.3. 3, Paul Melvin, Paradise, Texas, 6.1. 4, Garrett Curry, Richmond, Texas, 7.6.

Team Roping: 1, Curry Kirchner, Ames, Okla., and Tanner Braden, Dewey, Okla., 4.7 seconds. 2, Hagen Peterson, Delta, Utah and Dylan Ahlstrom, Hooper, Utah, 4.9. 3, Zane Bamson, Pintura, Utah, and Kycen Winn, Annabella, Utah, 11.2. 4, Riley Kittle, Woodland, Ala., and Cole Curry, Liberty, Miss., 11.4.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Cooper Thatcher, Darbalara, New South Wales, 83 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Boo Willie. 2, Q McWhorter, Petrolia, Calif., 81. 3, Waitley Sharon, Ordway, Colo., 80. 4, John Thelen, Pierre, S.D., 77. 

Tie-Down Roping: 1, Kyan Wilhite, Clovis, N.M., 8.3 seconds. 2, Catfish Brown, Sanger, Texas, 8.5. 3, Jayden Broussard, Broussard, La. 9.3. 4, Coltin Rauch, Herrrick, Ill., 10.6.

Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Fallon Forbes, O’Donnell, Texas, 15.09 seconds. 2, Shali Lord, Lamar, Colo., 15.30. 3, Bonnie Wheatley, Kremmling, Colo., 15.35. 4, C.J. Vondette, Rifle, Colo., 15.40.

Bull Riding:  (one ride) Jate Frost, Randlett, Utah, 80 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Bar Fly.

About the National Western Stock Show — Established in 1906, the National Western Stock Show is a 501(c) (3) charitable organization that provides college and graduate level scholarships in agricultural-related fields of study. Its mission is to serve producers and consumers throughout the world by being the premier stock show, equestrian competitions, and center for year-round events. The 16-day show also serves as an entertainment arena, host in one of the world’s richest regular season professional rodeos, family and educational shows plus Colorado’s largest western trade show. For more information, visit nationalwestern.com.

PROVIDED COURTESY OF SUSAN KANODE FOR NATIONAL WESTERN SHOW & RODEO TO TENN TEXAS MEDIA