Rodeo Athletes
2022 Clovis Rodeo All-Around Cowboy
2022 Clovis Rodeo All-Around Cowboy
Stetson Wright – $12,229 – Bull Riding & Saddle Bronc
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) world all-around champion is considered by many the most talented and versatile cowboy in the sport. The PRCA Cowboy who wins the most prize money in a year while competing in at least two events, earning a minimum of $3,000 in each event, wins the world all-around championship. Individual rodeos and championships determine the winner of this award at the conclusion of all the other events. Trevor Brazile of Decatur, Texas, currently holds the record for most all-around titles with 14 from competing in the timed-events of tie-down roping, steer roping, and team-roping. Ty Murray, who is known as the modern day “King of the Cowboys” of Stephenville, Texas, previously held the record with seven titles, from competing in the rough-stock events, such as saddle bronc riding, bareback bronc riding, and bull riding. He also holds two titles in bull riding. The Clovis Rodeo is an important competitive stop for these world title holding cowboys.
Rough Stock Event: Bareback Riding
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A single-handhold, eight-second ride, which starts with the cowboy’s feet held in a position over the horse’s shoulders until the horse’s feet touch the ground on the first jump out of the chute. Points are earned as the rider maintains upper body control while moving his feet in a toes-turned-out rhythmic motion.
World record: 94 points (2020)
2022 Clovis Rodeo Bareback Champion
Cole Reiner, 88 points on C5 Rodeo’s Make Up Face
Rough Stock Event: Bull Riding
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2022 Clovis Rodeo Bull Riding Champion
Stetson Dell Wright, 91 points on Burch Rodeo’s Burning Bush
Bull riders, who might not weigh more than 150 lbs., place a flat braided rope around a bull that weighs almost 2,000 lbs. A bull rope is placed around the animal, behind its shoulders. The cowboy wraps the rope around his riding hand with only his grip holding him in place. Flying chaps may help a cowboy score more. The cowboy needs to stay atop the bull for at least eight seconds to score. The ride must look as smooth as possible.
World record: 100 points (1991)
Rough Stock Event: Saddle Bronc Riding
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The rodeo’s classic event – saddle bronc riding is judged similarly to bareback bronc riding, but there are additional disqualification points: losing a stirrup or dropping the rein attached to the horse’s halter. The cowboy sits on the horse differently due to the saddle and rein, and the spurring motion covers a different area of the horse. Saddle broncs are usually several hundred pounds heavier than bareback horses and buck in a slower motion. Horse and rider must make synchronized movements; similar to someone sitting in a rocking chair.
World record: 95 points (1996)
2022 Clovis Rodeo Saddle Bronc Riding Champion
Sage Newman, 90 points on Burch Rodeo’s Rev Runner 2
Timed Event: Steer Wrestling
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2022 Clovis Rodeo Steer Wrestling Champion
Nick Guy, 32.6 seconds on four head
Originally called “bulldogging,” steer wrestling requires the cowboy to lean from the running horse onto the back of a 600 pound steer, catch it behind the horns, stop the steer’s forward momentum and wrestle it to the ground. The task is complete when the steer is on its side, with the four feet pointing the same direction.
World record: 2.4 seconds, with a barrier (1976)
Timed Event: Team Roping
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The only rodeo event featuring two contestants; the team is made up of a header and a heeler. The header ropes the steer around the horns or head and then dallys (wraps) his rope around his saddle horn turning the steer for the heeler who then ropes both heels and dallys his rope around his saddle horn. The time clock stops once both ropers have made a catch, bringing the steer to a stop with both horses facing each other.
World record: 3.3 seconds (2017)
2022 Clovis Rodeo Team Roping Champions
(tie) Jr. Dees/Levi Lord and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins II, 37.1 seconds on four head
Timed Event: Tie Down
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2022 Clovis Rodeo Tie Down Roping Champion
Zack Jongbloed, 41.8 seconds on four head
Tie-down roping is an authentic ranch skill that originated from working cowboys. Once the calf has been roped, the cowboy dismounts and runs down the length of the rope to the calf. When the calf is on the ground, the cowboy ties three legs together. Calves are given a head start – if the roper’s horse leaves the box too soon the roper receives a 10-second penalty.
World record: 6.3 seconds (2005)
Timed Event: Barrel Racing
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2022 Clovis Rodeo Barrel Racing Champion
Abby Phillips, 50.78 seconds on three runs
Photo Credit Roseanna Sales
This event is a horse race! The cowgirl attempts to run a cloverleaf pattern around three upright barrels, taking two right and one left turn or vice-versa, in the fastest time. Tipping a barrel is permitted, but if it is knocked down to the ground, a five second penalty is added.
World record: 13.11 seconds (2017)
Professional Bull Riding (PBR)
2022 Clovis Rodeo PBR Champion
Twenty year old Maverik Potter captured PBR’s top spot and took home the winning purse of $12,500
Photo Credit Mary Peters
The Bulls
The bulls of the PBR are finely tuned bovine athletes who compete with the same intensity and desire as the bull riders. The bulls range from 1,100 pounds to more than 2,000 pounds and are born to buck. It is said a PBR bucking bull needs very little training!
Like humans, PBR buck-ing bulls come in an array of shapes, sizes, and colors, and like humans, their own per-sonalities and talents make them unique. The bulls receive impeccable treatment and are often considered to be a “member of the family.”
Not every bull can compete in a PBR event. Saying any bull is suitable for PBR competition is like saying that any human athlete is fit enough to compete in the Olympic Games. PBR bulls are the highest-caliber bucking bulls in the business.
Headquartered in Pueblo, Colo., the Professional Bull Riders was created in 1992 by a group of 20 visionary bull riders who broke away from the traditional rodeo scene. The group was seeking mainstream attention for the sport of professional bull riding, the most popular sport at a rodeo. “We wanted to create a better product for the fans, so that when they tuned in they were seeing the best of the best every time,” said PBR co-founder and nine-time World Champion Ty Murray.
More than 600 bull riders from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico hold PBR memberships. They compete in more than 300 bull riding events each year on either the nationally-televised Built Ford Tough Series, the Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour, or the Touring Pro Division, the developmental tour of the PBR. There are also tours in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico. The ultimate goal is to qualify for the Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas, the richest bull riding event on the planet, with the winner receiving the World Championship buckle and a $1 million bonus.
The PBR has rapidly transformed one of the fastest-growing sports in America into a worldwide phenomenon. Capitalizing on the popularity of bull riding around the world, the PBR has attracted many international athletes who have traveled to the United States to compete exclusively in the PBR.
PBR’s World Class Entertainer:
Flint Rasmussen
Clovis welcomes back a long-time friend, Flint Rasmussen. His friendship with our rodeo goes back to 1998 when he was just starting out in his professional rodeo career.
Perhaps the most famous rodeo barrel man in the sport of bull riding this official barrel man of the PBR keeps the crowds alive during lulls in the action or commercial breaks.