LOVINGTON, N.M. – The numbers were in the favor bronc riding brothers at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo on Saturday night.

Five Wright brothers from Milford, Utah, rode Carr Pro Rodeo bucking horses inside Jake McClure Arena on the final night of the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour Rodeo. Three scored high enough to place, and two of those earned a share of the title: Cody and Jake rode for 87 points to big victories in Lovington, while Jesse posted an 83 to finish in a tie for seventh place.

“It’s nice to go to a rodeo and have really good horses out for everybody,” Jake Wright said. “The stock contractor here has that kind of caliber that it’s really a riding contest and not a drawing contest.

“Either I’m riding better or drawing better; maybe both.”

Contestants are matched against their livestock by a blind draw. Cody Wright rode Mike & Ike, a big bay that ducked and dived across the dirt, while Jake Wright danced on the arena floor on the back of Miss Molly. In all, the brothers Wright headed back to Utah with Lea County checks totaling $9,125.

Cody Wright, a two-time world champion is just six days removed from another big tour victory in Dodge City, Kan. He is the No. 2 bronc rider in the world standings with $79,325, followed closely by Jesse Wright, the reigning world titlist. Jake Wright, who qualified for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo last December, is 13^th.

“It’s been good this year,” Jake Wright said. “When I went to Reno (Nev.), everything turned around. I wasn’t having the best year, and Cody just told me to keep going and trying hard, and it will happen. Sure enough, it’s all coming around.

“Cody told me that he had won less one year than I had going into Reno, and he still made the finals that year. He’s been there and done that, and he’s lived through it, so I thought, ‘Just have fun and ride broncs.’

That’s one of the great things about having a big brother who has had tremendous success in the same line of work. It helps, too, that they travel together.

“I’ve learned a lot from him just going down the road and riding broncs,” Jake Wright said. “I thought I was a pretty good bronc rider until I started hanging out with him a bunch, then I really figured out there was a lot to learn.”
Cody Wright is the eldest of seven boys, and they’re all cowboys. He’s 12 years older than the twins, Jake and Jesse, and Cody has much to offer his siblings. Of course, it helps that the oldest brother is riding bucking horses as well as he ever has.

“He’s in his prime, and he’s in the best shape of his life,” Jake Wright said. “He’s doing great.”

Trevor Brazile won the all-around championship, earning $2,813 competing in steer roping, team roping and tie-down roping. Other winners swere bareback rider Jessy Davis, who rodeo Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Jacket for 87 points; steer wrestler K.C. Jones, 7.4 seconds on two runs; tie-down roper Jesse Clark, 15.3 on two; steer roper J.P. Wickett, 32.4 seconds on three runs; team ropers Chace Thompson and Jaytin McCright, 10.3 on two; barrel racer Kaley Bass, 17.31 seconds; and bull rider Corey Navarre, 86 points on Footloose of Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo.

Lea County Fair and Rodeo
Lovington, N.M.
Aug. 7-10
Bareback riding: 1. Jessy Davis, 87 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Jacket, $5,58; 2. Ryan Gray, 86, $4,261; 3. (tie) Austin Foss, Wes Stevenson and Richie Champion, 84, $2,161 each; 5. (tie) Clint Laye, Clint Cannon, Casey Colletti and Brian Bain, 83, $556 each.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Matt Reeves and K.C. Jones, 3.5 seconds, $1,821 each; 3. Dean Gorsuch, 3.7, $1,440; 4. Tyler Waguespoack, 3.9, $1,186; 5. (tie) Hunter Cure/Ty Erickson, 4.4, $805 each; 7. Clayton Hass, 4.5, $424; 8. (tie) Jacob Shofner and Shawn Mills, 4.6, $85 each. Second round leaders: 1. Jule Hazen, 3.6 seconds, $1,948; 2. K.C. Jones, 3.9, $1,694; 3. Ben Shofner, 4.0, $1,440; 4. (tie) Ryan Swayze and Ty Erickson, 4.1, $1,059 each; 6. Chance Campbell, 4.2, $678; 7. Hunter Cure and Casey Martin, 4.3, $296 each. Average leaders: 1. K.C. Jones, 7.4 seconds on two runs, $1,948; 2. Ty Erickson, 8.5, $1,694; 3. Jule Hazen, 8.6, $1,440; 4. (tie) Tyler Waguespack and Hunter Cure, 8.7, $1,059 each; 6. Dean Gorsuch, 9.1, $678; 7. Matt Reeves, 9.2, $424; 8. (tie) Jacob Shofner and Stockton Graves, 9.5, $85 each.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Jesse Clark, 7.7 seconds, $2,485; 2. Justin Maass, 7.8, $2,161; 3. Adam Gray, 7.9, $1,827; 4. Tuf Cooper, 8.0, $1,512; 5. Scott Kormos, 8.1, $1,188; 6. Joseph Parsons, 8.2, $864; 7. (tie) Caleb Smidt and Johnny Salvo, 8.3, $378 each. Second round leaders: 1. Randall Carlisle, 7.3 seconds, $2,485; 2. Jerrad Hofstetter, 7.5, $2,161; 3. (tie) Clif Cooper, Shane Hanchey and Jesse Clark, 7.6, $1,512 each; 6. Garrett Hale, 7.8, $864; 7. (tie) 7.9, $378. Average leaders: 1. Jesse Clark, 15.32 seconds on two runs, $3,727; 2. Shane Hanchey, 16.5, $3,241; 3. Cody McCartney, 16.7, $2,755; 4. (tie) Monty Lewis and Caleb Smidt, 16.8, $2,026 each; 6. (tie) Clif Cooper and Justin Maass, 17.4, $1,053 each; 8. (tie) Clint Cooper and Garrett Hale, 17.5, $162 each.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. (tie) Cody Wright, on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Mike & Ike, and Jake Wright, on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Miss Molly, 87 points, $4,280 each; 3. Jesse Bail, 86, $2,746; 4. (tie) Cole Elshere, Jacobs Crawley and Isaac Diaz, 84, $1,238 each; 7. (tie) Heith DeMoss and Jesse Wright, 83, $565.

Steer roping: Third round leaders: 1. Chet Herren, 9.2 seconds, $1,772; 2. Joe Wells, 9.7, $1,541; 3. Lawson Plemons and Dan Fisher, 9.8, $1,194 each; 5. Bryce Davis, 10.0, $848; 6. Rocky Patterson, 10.3, $616; 7. Kim Ziegelgruber, 11.0, $385; 8. (tie) John Bland and Vin Fisher Jr., 11.2, $77 each. Average leaders: 1. J.P. Wickett, 32.4 seconds on three runs, $2,658; 2. Vin Fisher Jr., 33.0, $2,312; 3. Trevor Brazile, 34.5, $1,965; 4. Kim Ziegelgruber, 35.3, $1,618; 5. Jarrett Blessing, 36.3, $1,271; 6. Tony Reina, 37.5, $925; 7. Mike Thompson, 38.0, $578; 8. Randy Wells, 38.1, $231.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Spencer Mitchell/Dakota Kirchenschlager, 4.1 seconds, $2,113; 2. (tie) Drew Homer/Buddy Hawkins II and Kaleb Driggers/Travis Graves, 4.8, $1,700 each; 5. (tie) Chace Thompson/Jaytin McCright and Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill, 5.1, $1,149 each; 6. (tie) Brock Hanson/Kory Koontz and David Key/Jett Hillman, 5.2, $597 each; 8. Clay Smith/Jake Smith, 5.4, $184. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Brandon Beers/Jim Ross Cooper and Nick Sartain/Rich Skelton, 4.5 seconds, $1,975 each; 3. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 4.8, $1,562; 4. (tie) Aaron Tsinigine/Victor Begay and Clay Smith/Jake Smith, 5.1, $1,149 each; 6. Chace Thompson/Jaytin McCright, 5.2, $735; 7. (tie) Erich Rogers/Cory Petska and Chase Massengill/Byron Wilkerson, 5.4, $322 each. Average: 1. Chace Thompson/Jaytin McCright, 10.3 seconds on two runs, $3,170; 2. Clay Smith/Jake Smith, 10.5, $2,756; 3. Aaron Tsinigine/Victor Begay, 10.6, $2,343; 4. Clay Tryan/Jade Corkill, 10.8, $1,930; 5. Bobby Boyd/Shain Sproul, 12.7, $1,516; 6. Travis Bard/Tom Bill Johnson, 13.5, $1,103; 7. Keven Daniel/Chase Tryan, 14.5, $689; 8. Rodee Walraven/Diego Castillo, 14.8, $276.

Barrel racing: 1. Kaley Bass, 17.31 seconds, $4,350; 2. Jill Tanner, 17.41, $3,480; 3. Christine Laughlin, 17.47, $2,828; 4. Brittany Pozzi, 17.56, $2,175; 5. Natalie Bland, 17.60, $1,740; 6. Jana Bean, 17.61, $1,305; 7. Whitney Baker, 17.62, $1,088; 8. Lizzy Ehr, 17.68, $979; 9. Danyelle Campbell, 17.69, $870; 10. Nikkie Miller-Gosney, 17.78, $761; 11. Lynn K. Brown, 17.79, $653; 12. Michelle McLeod, 17.83, $544; 13. Nalynn Cline, 17.86, $435; 15. Tonya Parrish, 17.87, $326; 15. (tie) Jessica Frost and Callie Duperier, 17.88, $109 each.

Bull riding: 1. Corey Navarre, 86 points on Pete Carr’s Classic Pro Rodeo’s Footloose, $5,102; 2. (tie) Scottie Knapp and Bobby Welsh, 85, $3,401 each; 4. Shawn Hogg, 84, $1,871; 5. Cody Teel, 83, $1,190; 6. Jason Beck, 82, $850; 7. London Lockhart, 81, $680; 8. Joe Frost, 80, $510.