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News

Shadolt Eager to Return to WNFR

November 22, 2022 By Cooper Leave a Comment

Even though he missed much of the last two months of ProRodeo action, bareback rider Garrett Shadbolt has earned the right to compete at the National Finals Rodeo. He earned more than $100,000 and will battle for more bucks during the 10-day championship that begins Dec. 1 in Las Vegas. (PHOTO BY ROBBY FREEMAN)

Oftentimes there is a fine line between great and awful.

Garrett Shadbolt walked that line over the summer of his 2022 ProRodeo regular season. In a two-week stretch from the end of July to the first of August, he experienced the highest of highs as a bareback rider, but it also led to some pretty big lows.

“The highlight of the year actually was those couple of weeks where I was just on a roll and was drawing really well,” said Shadbolt, 26, of Merriman, Nebraska. “It all started when I finished third in Cheyenne (Wyoming), but I won my performance and my semifinals. I got a check in Deadwood (South Dakota) that week, then the next week, I got a good check out of the long round in Dodge City (Kansas) and in Lovington (New Mexico), and I won Phillipsburg (Kansas).

“I went back to Dodge City and won the short round and got the Dodge City win. It was a really good stretch.”

In all, he pocketed nearly $22,000 in just two weeks of riding bucking horses, and it’s a big reason why he returns to the National Finals Rodeo for the second straight year. He finished the regular season with $103, 949 and holds down the 15th and last spot to qualify for the December championship in Las Vegas.

His championship round- and event-winning ride in southwest Kansas came on Aug. 7 when he rode Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire for 91.5 points. That ride capped off an impressive stand, and he added $6,014 to his earnings.

Gun Fire is also impressive, a powerful buckskin mare that was named the 2022 PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year based on voting by the cowboys that have ridden bucking broncs all season. Her power came into play right as the eight-second buzzer sounded, as she launched Shadbolt forward and the two combatants smacked heads together.

Shadbolt crashed to the dirt, and the victor needed a bit of assistance getting out of the arena after having suffered a concussion because of the collision. That incident, in essence, put him out of competition for the better part of the final two months.

“I’ve been rodeoing for quite a while but a career wrestler who competed at the college level was also part of that, so it’s been a pretty rough lifestyle,” said Shadbolt, who has support not only from his family but also his sponsors, East Sandhills Beef, Romsa Farm & Ranch, The Lodge at Deadwood, Raise American and Fuel Grill.

“When you have that kind of history and you take a hit like that, it can affect you for a while. I didn’t really feel right until recently, and that was affecting me. I tried to go at it again, but I just didn’t feel right.”

All the while, he kept watching more bareback riders pass him in the standings. Because of his excellent run in the winter and spring, he was able to hold on to his spot among the top 15, but he had fallen from fifth in the standings to 15th.

“I was pretty confident I could make it this year,” he said of the NFR. “I had a great winter, spring and early summer, then I was having some hard luck. I wasn’t drawing very good. I got on a lot of questionable horses in a row. I went to six rodeos over the Fourth of July run and didn’t win any money.

“I don’t think I made any mistakes, but bareback riding is just so competitive right now that it’s hard to win, especially over the Fourth run when everybody’s rodeoing.”

Cowboys are matched with their animals by random draw, and the better the horse, the better the score and the better the opportunity to win big money. While he was being matched with good horses through a stretch of the season, he was hoping other match-ups would help increase his earnings.

That’s just an aspect of rodeo that remains out of his control, though. He can control how he rides and how he approaches the game mentally. That’s been a big plus for the Nebraska cowboy. It’s also why he’s been a bit conservative when it comes to his head injury.

“I’ve had concussions in my past,” said Shadbolt, who lives on his family’s ranch outside Merriman with his wife, Katie, son George and daughter Mavis. “I don’t want to be brain dead when I’m 40. I’ve got a wife and kids to think about. It’s definitely not a fun injury to have. It’s hard to tell when you’re ready to go back and when you need to just stay home.”

There’s definitely a competitor deep in the heart of his 132-pound body, and it’s what drives him. Having been able to match moves with a powerful horse like Gun Fire is something that he can build on.

“For me, getting a match-up like that and getting tested and coming out on top is the pinnacle of success in bareback riding,” he said. “That’s the feeling I’m chasing. I like to say every man should know what he’s capable of. I enjoy that; some people don’t. There were a couple jumps on Gun Fire where I was riding a razor’s edge.”

That’s what happens when two determined athletes meet. When the NFR begins its 10-day run Dec. 1, he will have more opportunities to ride rank horses. Not only does the NFR feature the top bareback riders from this past season, but it also is home to the top 100 bucking horses in the game.

“Everything’s going to buck really hard, and I may have been a little overconfident in that first round and came out swinging for the fence last year,” Shadbolt said. “It really pays to recover from mistakes you make and finish your rides. I don’t want to safety up; that’s not my style or my strategy. I’m definitely going to try to finish all my rides.”

Only $57,000 separates first to 15th heading into the NFR. With go-round winners earning $28,914 per night, that difference can be made up after Night 2. That would put Shadbolt into contention for a world championship race in a hurry.

“It’s going to be tough this year,” he said. “There are a lot of very good bareback riders right now. If you safety up at the NFR, I don’t think it’s going to help you win checks. One of my goals this year is to win a round. I could be more conservative and go for a better spot in the average, but that’s not my style.

“It’s better for me to just go for it.”

That’s the mindset he needs as he battles for ProRodeo gold.

Courtesy of twisTEDrodeo.com

Filed Under: News

Bull rider Cole Fischer to compete at 2022 Wrangler NFR

November 22, 2022 By Cooper Leave a Comment

Due to unique and unusual circumstances, the PRCA has made the decision to take 16 bull riders to the 2022 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge.

Cole Fischer will now make his Wrangler NFR debut Dec. 1-10 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

“I don’t really know if this has sunk in yet,” said Fischer, 30. “Any cowboy who puts his hand in a bull rope it is their dream to make the NFR. You can dream it, but there is a lot that has to go right, and it is a long year.”

Fischer, of Elk City, Okla., is optimistic about what he can accomplish in Vegas.

“I have faith in my talent,” he said. “My talent has got me this far and I’m just going to go and have fun and enjoy it. It is a dream come true, but I don’t want to take it too seriously. I want to go in and enjoy every minute of it. You never know when you will get the chance to be there again.”

Courtesy of PRCA

Filed Under: News

Watch NFR 2022 on Cowboy Channel Plus

November 17, 2022 By Cooper 4 Comments

NFR on Cowboy Channel Plus

The Cowboy Channel offers 24/7 programming dedicated to Western sports and lifestyle, with distribution in 42 million homes through cable and satellite partners and online streaming platforms. You can catch all the action of the 2022 NFR right on the Cowboy Channel.

The National Finals Rodeo is set for 1-10 December 2022. The NFR Streaming Pass is now available for $99.99 and includes access to Cowboy Channel + from now until March 1, 2022. If you’ve already purchased the NFR Streaming Pass, you’ll still have access to Cowboy Channel + through March 1.

Get 10 nights of the NFR and all the cowboy channel programming like Road to Las Vegas, Western Sports Round up, Over 250, 2020 PRCA rodeos, previous years NFRs and a jump start on the 2022 PRCA Rodeo season – all for just $99.99.

Visit cowboychannelplus.com now to sign up and get started.

Filed Under: News

Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo will be stop on 2023 PRCA Playoff Series

November 17, 2022 By Cooper Leave a Comment

The Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City takes pride in setting a high standard in rodeo and in 2023 it will bring that standard to the ranks of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA).

The 2023 event will payout an estimated $750,000 and will play an important role in determining Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifiers and eventual world champions. Not only will PRCA and WPRA contestants have a chance to walk away with a pocket full of cash but they will get the opportunity to win a gold, silver or bronze medal, a staple at this rodeo since 2017, making it the only Gold Medal Rodeo in the world.

“We are excited to once again partner with the PRCA, WPRA and their members that dream of qualifying for the NFR each year,” stated Dan Shaw, Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo President & CEO. “It is our hope we can make that dream come true for a number of contestants, while also bringing world class rodeo action to our fans here at the Days of ’47 Arena. July has always been a profitable month for rodeo athletes, and we are honored to now elevate that even more and put Utah on the map among top paying ProRodeos.”

The 2023 Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo presented by Zions Bank, is slated for July 19-22, 24, and will take place at the $17.5 million state-of-the-art Days of ’47 Arena at the Utah State Fairpark, custom designed and built for rodeo. The venue – an outdoor arena located in the heart of Salt Lake City – features over 10,000 stadium-style seats.

“We are excited to have the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo return as a PRCA rodeo and it will offer contestants a great opportunity to win even more money and capture a gold medal as they chase their NFR goals,” PRCA CEO Tom Glause said. “It also will be a key rodeo for contestants as part of the lucrative PRCA Playoff Series presented by Pendleton Whisky.”

Beginning in 2023, the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo will be the largest paying professional rodeo in the State of Utah. At the PRCA Playoff Series stop in Salt Lake, contestants will earn points to compete at the Cinch Playoffs in Puyallup, Wash., in September.

The top four finishers from each event in Puyallup, and the top eight out of the standings of the PRCA Playoff Series presented by Pendleton Whisky will qualify for the Cinch Playoffs which will have athletes competing for the Governor’s Cup and vying for the more than $1 million purse Sept. 28-30, in Sioux Falls, S.D. Only the top 60 regular season rodeos are part of this televised series.

“This is exciting news for our members and we are thrilled to have the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo back on the WPRA schedule,” stated Jimmie Munroe, WPRA President. “This will be the first time we will sanction the breakaway roping at this prestigious event and what a great opportunity for our breakaway ropers to compete for equal money similar to the barrel racers. I have no doubt that many of our members will be adding this to their scheduled stops in 2023.”

For more information on the event and when tickets will go on sale visit www.utahdaysof47rodeo.com.

Courtesy of PRCA

Filed Under: News

A look back on Jesse Wright’s 2012 PRCA World Championship

November 17, 2022 By Cooper Leave a Comment

PRCA Saddle Bronc Riding World Championships seem to follow the Wright family around. The Wright’s have a combined seven gold buckles in the storied event, after Stetson captured his first saddle bronc riding world title in 2021.

A decade ago in Las Vegas, it was his uncle Jesse Wright stealing the show at the Thomas & Mack Center, on the way to his first world championship.

Entering Round 10 in 2012, Jesse found himself in a three-way battle for the gold buckle. After Wade Sundell recorded a no-score, it came down to a dual between Wright and Cody DeMoss.

Following Jesse’s ride, the judges read out a score of 80.5 points for Wright. The eight-second trip earned Wright a split of fourth place, which was enough to hold off DeMoss by just $797 for the world title. He said looking back on the moment, it took a while for the reality to set in that he was a PRCA World Champion.

“It was really a dream come true for me in that moment,” said Wright, an eight-time Wrangler NFR qualifier. “It didn’t really set in there for a while. I put a lot of hard work and dedication into it. So, for it to finally become a reality, I was pretty stoked about it.”

At 33 years old he said he still has plenty of riding left in the tank as he looks to return to championship form after an injury-riddled 2022 ProRodeo season.

“I was hoping to get another one (world championship) by now),” he said. “I guess I still got a little bit of time to do that before I hang it up. So, hopefully I can get back into shape and get myself another one won. I think I can keep riding until I’m 40 pretty easily.”

Courtesy of PRCA

Filed Under: News

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