Five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Lefty Holman rides Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s River’s Ghost for 88.5 points to take the saddle bronc riding lead during Wednesday’s first performance of the West of the Pecos Rodeo.
(PHOTO BY ROBBY FREEMAN)

 

PECOS, Texas – Rodeo is equal parts athleticism and luck of the draw.

Saddle bronc rider Lefty Holman knows both ends of the equation, and it came together for him during Wednesday’s first performance of the West of the Pecos Rodeo.

“It’s just been a solid year, nothing great,” said Holman, 27, a five-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Visalia, California. “Rodeo is one of those sports that you need to have a good draw to be able to win. You have to have a good dancing partner out there.

“I haven’t been riding the best, and I haven’t been drawing the best, and I feel those two go hand-in-hand.”

They did. Holman rode Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s River’s Ghost for 88.5 points to take the bronc riding lead in Pecos.

“Whenever you start riding good and taking advantage of opportunities, that’s when they start running the good ones under you,” said Holman, who is 15th in the world standings with $61,262. “When you know you have a good dancing partner, you just put more pressure on yourself, which, as they say, pressure’s a privilege.”

He’s been in pressure situations plenty. Take last season, for example. With only the top 15 on the money list in each event advancing to the NFR, Holman was on the outside looking in going into the final event of the 2025 season. He won just enough money in Roggin, Colorado, to sneak into the 15th spot.

He then earned $123.,552 over 10 nights in Las Vegas. He’d like to return, because that’s the world’s richest rodeo, and only the elite advance. The world championship gold buckle is the ultimate prize, but Holman will have to make up ground if he hopes to catch the No. 1 man in the game, Utahan Stetson Wright, who has earned almost $180,000 riding broncs so far this season. He has a lead of about $117,000 over Holman.

That’s where the luck of the draw comes in to play. It was the first time the Californian had been matched with River’s Ghost, a 12-year-old gray gelding that has been selected to buck at the NFR twice.

“I’ve drawn around that horse for the past four or five years, and I’ve always wondered if it would fit my style good,” Holman said. “It’s kind of strong, a big, horse, strong right out of there. It takes a scoot, and then it gets really good.”

It helped make the venture to West Texas more pleasurable.

“Pecos is always a good one, because you come here right at the beginning of our summer run,” he said. “To be able to get a good start here is a step in the right direction, and I’m just going to keep that momentum going forward.”

West of the Pecos Rodeo

June 24-27

Bareback riding: 1. Garrett Shadbolt, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Big Iron, and Roedy Farrel, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dusty Roads, 87 points; 3. Kash Loyd, 85.5; 4. Tucker Carricato, 83.5; 5. Jayco Roper, 83; 6. Andy Gingerich, 77; 7. Bradlee Miller, 74.5; no other qualified rides.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1, Brenten Hall/Wyatt Cox, 6.4 seconds; 2. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 7.3; 3. (tie) Lightning Aguilera/Kaden Profili and Cyle Denison/Braylon Tryan, 7.9; 5. Blaine Turner/Scout McElroy, 8.9; 6. Jake Clay/Whip Peterson, 9.1; 7. James Arviso/Levi Lord, 13.8. Second round leaders: 1. Dalton Turner/Clay Clayman, 6.9 seconds; 2. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 10.0; 3. James Arviso/Levi Lord, 11.5; 4. Ketch Kelton/Denton Dunning, 16.9; 5. Jet Toberer/Tyler McKnight, 17.0; 6. Brenten Hall/Wyatt Cox, 22.8. Average leaders: 1. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 17.3 seconds on two run; 2. Dalton Turner/Clay Clayman, 21.0; 3. James Arviso/Levi Lord, 25.3; 4. Brenten Hall/Wyatt Cox, 29.2; 5. Jet Toberer/Tyler McKnight, 35.6; 6. Lightning Aguilera/Kaden Profili, 7.9 on one run.

Steer roping: First round leaders: 1, David Witcher, 15.7 seconds; 2. Will Martin, 23.9; 3. Levi Gutierrez, 33.5; no other qualified runs. Second round leaders: 1. Ketch Kelton, 14.0 seconds; 2. Will Eddleman, 14.6; 3. Joseph Allen, 19.9; 4. David Witcher, 20.0; no other qualified runs. Third round leaders: 1. Jake Clay, 11.2 seconds; 2. Will Eddleman, 13.1; 3. Ketch Kelton, 14.0; 4. Will Martin, 16.1; 5. David Witcher, 16.8; 6. Joseph Allen, 22.4. Average leaders: 1. David Witcher, 35.7 seconds on two runs; 2. Ketch Kelton, 14.0 on one run; 3. Will Eddleman, 14.6; 4. Joseph Allen, 19.9; 5. Will Martin, 23.9; 6. Levi Gutierrez, 33.5.

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Lefty Holman, 88.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s River’s Ghost; 2. (tie) Sage Newman and Will Pollock, 86; 4. Gus Gaillard, 83; 5. Cash Brangham, 79.5; 6. Coleman Shallbetter, 69; no other qualified rides.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1, Lucas Potter, 10.1 seconds; 2. Trevor Hale, 11.9; 3. Tyler Calhoun, 12.0; 4. Hunter Herrin, 12.3; 5. Chet Weitz, 12.6; 6. AJ Jordan, 12.9. Second round leaders: 1. Tyler Calhoun, 9.0 seconds; 2. Trevor Hale, 11.7; 3. Lucas Potter, 12.5; 4. Sam Lewis, 12.7; 5. Chet Weitz, 13.1; 6. AJ Jordan, 14.0. Average leaders: 1. Lucas Potter, 10.1 seconds on one head; 2. Trevor Hale, 11.9; 3. Tyler Calhoun, 12.0; 4. Hunter Herrin, 12.3; 5. Chet Weitz, 12.6; 6. AJ Jordan, 12.9.

Breakaway roping: First round leaders: 1, Haiden Thompson, 3.3 seconds; 2. Jayme Marcrum, 4.0; 3. Martha Angelone, 4.1; 4. Jakelyn Primrose, 4.2; 5. Audrey Cunningham, 4.4; 6. Fallon Hanson, 4.9. Second round leaders: 1. Martha Angelone, 2.9 seconds; 2. (tie) Makayla Boisjoli and Shelby Osceola-Moody, 3.3 each; 4. Jayme Marcrum, 3.5; 5. Haiden Thompson, 3.6; 6. Ashley Goforth, 3.7. Average leaders: 1. Haiden Thompson, 6.9 seconds on two runs; 2. Martha Angelone, 7.0; 3. Jayme Marcum, 7.5; 4. Audrey Cunningham, 9.9; 5. Jakelyn Primrose, 10.1; 6. Makayla Boisjoli, 12.0.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1, tie) Kyle Irwin and Tyler Waguespack, 4.6 seconds each; 3. (tie) Eli Lord and Justin Shaffer, 5.2 each; 5. Clay Tom Hurt, 6.2; 6. Marc Joiner, 14.7. Second round leaders: 1. Jesse Brown, 4.8 seconds; 2. Eli Lord, 6.0; 3. Holden Myers, 14.0; 4. Tyler Waguespack, 15.2; 5. Justin Shaffer, 18.2; no other qualified runs Average leaders: 1. Eli Lord, 11.2 seconds on two runs; 2. Tyler Waguespack, 19.8; 3. Justin Shaffer, 23.4; 4. Kyle Irwin, 4.6 seconds on one run; 5. Jesse Brown, 4.8; 6. Clay Hurt, 6.2.

Barrel racing: 1. Jimmie Smith, 17.19 seconds; 2. Kim Squires, 17.20; 3. Brooke Krolczyk, 17.70; 4. Shayna Wimberly, 17.85; 5. Caley Walkoviak, 17,90; 6. (tie) Tillar King and Maylee McCrary, 17.91.

Bull riding: 1. Luke Mackey, 89 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s War Paint; 2. Jate Frost, 83; 3. Toby Hale, 81; no other qualified rides.