ESTES PARK, Colo. – Stetson Wright continues to set a standard for rodeo excellence.

He’s an eight-time world champion, five of which came in the all-around race. He’s also a two-time bull riding titlist and earned the saddle bronc riding gold four seasons ago.

Oh, and he’s just 25 years old, and he’s been on a tear in recent weeks. He’s the No. 1 man in both bull riding and the all-around, and Wright just keeps adding to it. During Sunday’s second performance of Rooftop Rodeo, he posted a 91-point ride on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Dialed In to take a dominating lead in bull riding.

It’s his ninth 90-plus-point bull ride in the last few weeks. After suffering an injury that sidelined him for the 2024 season, he has returned to the game with a vengeance. He has earned $289,386 so far, and there are still nearly three months remaining in the regular season. He’s just going to add to it.

In addition to taking the bull riding lead in Estes Park, Wright is also tied for fourth place in saddle bronc riding after a 78-point ride on Cervi’s Wifey’s Money. His big brother, Ryder, is the rodeo leader, though. The 27-year-old three-time and reigning world champion spurred Cervi’s Promiscuous Girl for 87 points.

Ryder Wright, who also won rodeo’s gold in 2017 and 2020, leads the world standings race with $193,222. The brothers will have to wait out the final four performances to figure out how much of the increased Rooftop Rodeo purse they will receive.

Rodeo is unique in that it features a national race but also has opportunities for regional contestants to battle with the sport’s biggest stars. On the Plains of eastern Colorado, Hadley Jackson is the kind of guy that just loves to compete.

He focuses on competing close to his La Junta home, so his 240-mile venture to this community at the base of Rocky Mountain National Park is just part of his routine. He’s been doing it for much of the past two decades, and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. He stopped the clock in 4.9 seconds to take the steer wrestling lead

“I’m still trying to make it work,” said Jackson, 36. “I’d like to make the (Mountain States) Circuit Finals and maybe go in pretty high (in the standings) if I can.”

That takes money. In rodeo, cash not only helps cover expenses, but it’s also how championship points are tabulated. The top 12 on the money list in each event will compete at the regional championship. The higher in the standings, the better the opportunity to claim the year-end championship.

He’s done that but in the Colorado Pro Rodeo Association, a smaller organization. He’s been the CPRA’s titlist three times in his career, but he still loves the opportunity to play the game.

“I haven’t done as good in the ProRodeos as I’d like, but I’ll just keep rolling along,” he said. “There are a lot of guys that are in the circuit, so we’ll just see what happens.”

 Rooftop Rodeo
July 5-10
Bareback riding: 1. Colt Eck, 80 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Chocolate Thunder; 2. Colton Farrow, 67; 3. Drake Amundson, 58; no other qualified rides.

Steer wrestling: 1. Hadley Jackson, 4.9 seconds; 2. Logan Kenline, 5.2; 3. Nick Guy, 6.0; 4. Marc Joiner, 7.1; 5. Seth Peterson, 7.2; 6. Jacob Sterkel, 7.8; 7. Emmett Edler, 8.4; 8. Mark McGill, 9.5.

Team roping: 1. Jake Clay/Tanner Braden, 4.4 seconds; 2. Tanner Tomlinson/Travis Graves, 4.6; 3. Slade Wood/Cashton Weidenbener, 5.1; 4. Mason Stueve/Kingston Chang, 5.7; 5. Cam Jensen/Clayton Symons, 14.2; no other qualified runs.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Ryder Wright, 87 points on Cervi Brothers’ Promiscuous Girl; 2. Mitchell Story, 83.5; 3. Clint Reed, 80; 4. (tie) Leon Fountain, Stetson Wright and Tanner Hayes, 78; 6. Tate Kelly, 76; 7. (tie) Clint Franks and Jase Stout, 73.

Breakaway roping: 1. Kassandra Shoemaker, 2.7 seconds; 2. Kaydin Finan, 3.3; 3. Abby Farris, 3.7; 4. Kassidy Dennison, 12.1; 5. Tatum Runner, 12.4; 6. Jordyn McNamee, 12.5; 7. Libby Winchell, 12.8; 8. Samantha Haardt, 13.0; 9. Tanna Hansen, 13.2; no other qualified runs.

Tie-down roping: 1. Cole Teirney, 9.3 seconds; 2. Cory Bomhoff, 9.4; 3. Bernard Girard, 9.5; 4. Kip Jesser, 15.7; 5. Mason Stueve, 19.8; 6. Kyle Belew, 20.1; 7. Chance Wall, 22.1; 8. Keyton Hayden, 23.5.

Barrel racing: 1. Austyn Tobey, 16.42 seconds; 2. Karson Bradley Burger, 16.64; 3. Blake Molle, 16.82; 4. Chloe Eichinger, 17.00; 5. Wendy Hoefer, 17.05; 6. Sami Jo Buum, 17.06; 7. Kari Boxleitner, 17.08; 8. Taleen Vick, 17.16; 9. Alyssa Loflin, 17.21; 10. Kelby Eastman, 17.25.

Bull riding: 1. Stetson Wright, 91 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Dialed In; 2. Sage Vance, 82; no other qualified rides.