Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

THAYNE ELSHERE WINS $8,000 AT FORT WORTH’S ROOKIE RALLY

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1 minute ago

January 23, 2026

Thayne Elshere of Sturgis, South Dakota, was the biggest money winner at the $100,000 FWSSR Rookie Rally at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. Elshere won the saddle bronc riding with an 87.5-point ride on Penthouse Pro Rodeo’s Painted Habitat. He also won second in the bull riding when he rode Rafter G Rodeo’s Darth Vader for 80 points. FWSSR Photo by James Phifer

FORT WORTH, Texas (January 22, 2026)— The 129^th edition of the Fort Worth Show & Rodeo (FWSSR) debuted a new event featuring the top first-year members of professional rodeo.

The FWSSR Rookie Rally showcased the top rookie contestants in all eight the pro rodeo contests competing for nearly $100,000 in prize money. The winning cowboys in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) events also earned a coveted spot in the $1.6 million FWSSR Pro Rodeo Tournament which runs January 23 through February 7.

Since contestants in the tournament must meet qualification standards that virtually eliminate rookies, winning the Rookie Rally gave these cowboys a big opportunity.

Thayne Elshere of Sturgis, South Dakota, took the biggest advantage of the opportunity. Elshere, the son of National Finals Rodeo bronc riding veteran JJ Elshere, took first in that event with an 87.5-point ride on Penthouse Pro Rodeo’s Painted Habitat which earned him $4,275.

The 21-year-old also competed in bull riding, scoring 80 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Darth Vader to win second place and $3,700. Elshere had already qualified for the tournament in bull riding, so he will have the chance to win two events and an all-around title while vying for a share of the $1.6 million purse.

Braxton Whitesell of Walker, Louisiana, had to ride two bulls to win the championship. His first ride on Rafter G’s Ticky Ricky earned him a reride and he made the most of it with an 85-point winning effort on Rafter G’s Jelly Roll. He won $4,700 and earned a spot in the tournament.

Other event winners were Daxtyn Feild of Roosevelt, Utah, in bareback riding; Lucy Richards of Hereford in breakaway roping; Ace Reece of Aquilla in tie-down roping; Jet Toberer of Lipan and Cody Egusquiza of Uvalde in team roping and Jaylan Neatherlin of Brock in barrel racing.

Thursday night was also Texas A&M night with special appearances by the Aggie yell leaders and the rodeo team. Richards, a current member of the team, gave the Aggie faithful an extra reason to cheer her breakaway roping victory.

The FWSSR Pro Rodeo Tournament begins Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Dickies Arena with round one of bracket one.

FORT WORTH, Texas (January 22, 2026)—The following are unofficial results of the FWSSR Rookie Rally, January 22, 2026.

Bareback Riding: 1, Daxtyn Feild, Roosevelt, Utah, 86.5 points on Penthouse Pro Rodeo’s The Patch, $4,000. 2, Kooper Heimberg, Marshall, Mo., 86, $3,000. 3, Carson Hildre, Velva, N.D., 83, $2,000. 4, Tuker Carricato, Saratoga, Wyo., 81, $1,000. 5, Mason Yancy, Fruitland, Idaho, 78, $275. 6, Roedy Farrell, Thermopolis, Wyo., 76, $275. 7, Isaac Ingram, Eunice, La., 70, $275.

Steer Wrestling: 1, Colin Fox, Manvel, Texas, 4.0 seconds, $4,092. 2, Jace Mayfield, Midwest, Wyo., 4.3, $3,092. 3, Sam Shofner, Jasper, Texas, 4.8, $2,092. 4, Clayton Culligan, Okeechobee, Fla., 5.1, $1,092. 5, Clay Tom Hurt, Dilley, Texas, 5.3, $367. 6, Wyatt Fields, Silsbee, Texas, 14.5, $367.

Breakaway Roping: (three times) 1, Lucy Richards, Hereford, Texas, 2.7 seconds, $4,700. 2, Simone Park, Lipan, Texas, 3.4, $3,700. 3, Kirby Rawlinson, Waller, Texas, 3.5, $2,700.

Saddle Bronc Riding: (four rides) 1, Thayne Elshere, Sturgis, S.D., 87.5 points on Penthouse Pro Rodeo’s Painted Habitat, $4,275. 2, (tie) Regan Lyons, Snyder, Texas, and Blake Steuck, Hume, Mo., 82, $2,775 each. 4, Logan Nunn, Lovell, Wyo., 78, $1,275.

Tie-Down Roping: (six times) 1, Ace Reece, Aquilla, Texas, 8.7 seconds, $4,092. 2, Kyan Wilhite, Clovis, N.M., 10.4, $3,092. 3, Brodey Clemons, Weatherford, Texas, 11.4, $2,092. 4, Colton Suther, Palo Cedro, Calif., 12.2, $1,092. 5, Jayden Broussard, Broussard, La., 13.0, $367. 6, Dalton Porch, Kodoka, S.D., 14.3, $367.

Team Roping: (five times) 1, Jet Toberer, Lipan, Texas and Cody Eguisquiza, Uvalde, Texas, 4.8 seconds, $4,165 each. 2, (tie) Roan Oldfield, Lovington, N.M., and Creed West, Fort Sumner, N.M,; and Denton Parish, Perrin, Texas, and Trey White, Los Osos, Calif., 9.4, $2,665 each. 4, Cole Smith, Stephenville, Texas, and Blake Walker II, Forest City, N.C., 10.7, $1,165 each. 5, Conley Kleinhans, Montague, Texas, and Kyler Kanady, Breckenridge, Texas, 15.0, $440 each.

Barrel Racing: 1, Jaylan Neatherlin, Brock, Texas, 16.65 seconds, $4,000. 2, Emma Smith, Pleasanton, Texas, 16.90, $3,000. 3, Morgan Bagnell, Heath, Texas, 16.93, $2,000. 4, Hailey Thompson, Columbia, Miss., 16.94, $1,000. 5, Brooke Krolcayk, Cypress, Texas, 16.96, $275. 6, Brooke Henry, Waller, Texas, 17.79, $275. 7, Catherine Asmussen, Laredo, Texas, 17.95, $275. 8, Parker Asam, Murrieta, Calif., 21.92, $275.

Bull Riding: (three rides) 1, Braxton Whitesell, Walker, La., 85 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Jelly Roll, $4,700. 2, Thayne Elshere, Sturgis, S.D., 80, $3,700. 3, Hayden Welsh, Gillette, Wyo., 79, $2,700.