Waitley Sharon is having a spectacular rookie season. He entered this week with more than $100,000 in earnings and will add to it with an 87.5-point ride on Korkow Rodeo’s Frenemies during Friday’s second performance of the Gooding Pro Rodeo.
(PHOTO BY LAURA ST JACQUES)
GOODING, Idaho – On the Plains of eastern Colorado, Waitley Sharon was dreaming of being a professional rodeo cowboy.
At just 21 years old, he’s not only living that life but doing it at an elite level. Heading into this week of rodeos, he has earned more than $107,000 and is ranked 17th in the saddle bronc riding world standings. He might just move up after this weekend, though.
During Friday’s second performance of the Gooding Pro Rodeo, Sharon rode Korkow Rodeos’ Frenemies for 87.5 points and moved into second place, trailing leader Ben Andersen by just half a point. Both will have to await Saturday’s final performance to see where they fall in the mix.
“I grew up on a ranch in Ordway,” Sharon said the small Colorado community of about 1,000. “I’ve got four younger brothers, and we grew up riding steers and getting on broncs and were pretty much rodeoing all the time. If we weren’t working, we were going to a rodeo, so it was pretty wild.”
He’s still wild, but it’s contained. Not only is he on the bubble to qualify for his first National Finals Rodeo, but Sharon is also the top dog in the race for the bronc riding Rookie of the Year title. He leads childhood friend Coleman Shallbetter of Gunnison, Colorado, by just $22,000 for that coveted title, but there are still five weeks remaining in ProRodeo’s regular season.
“Mitchie Story, Coleman and I all started riding broncs together,” he said, mentioning his traveling partner from Bayfield, Colorado. We all started riding broncs together in high school rodeos and college rodeos. It’s all been always the same thing, and it’s just really cool for us to continue to keep it going.”
Shallbetter is among the top 30 in the world standings, so he’ll need to hit a lick and collect a big chunk of change if he’s going to battle for the rookie title at the NFR, the sport’s 10-day grand finale. Story is still on his permit, a tryout time. He’ll buy his PRCA card and begin his rookie campaign in 2027, but he’s dominating the permit standings.
They feed off each other’s successes, and none are riding like newcomers to a challenging game. Sharon said having a solid mindset has been instrumental to his season.
“My wife does an awesome job of keeping me positive and keeping me on the right track,” Sharon said of Brendi, whom he married in mid-May. “Hopefully we can keep drawing some good horses, keep using them and keep this rolling.”
He’s paid close attention to those who came to this game before him, and he realizes there are some special moments in rodeo.
I really like getting to travel and see new country,” he said. “Just like cowboys back in the day, they always drifted around and didn’t really stay in one place too long. Rodeo is how you can do the same thing right now in modern times.”
Gooding Pro Rodeo
Aug. 19-22
Bareback riding: 1. Leighton Berry, 91 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Game Trail; 2. Clayton Biglow, 88.5; 3. (tie) Bradlee Miller and Ben Kramer, 87.5; 5. Luke Thrash, 87; 6. Cooper Cooke, 85; 7. (tie) Jayco Roper and Carson Hildre, 84.5.
Steer wrestling: 1. Eli Lord, 3.1 seconds; 2. (tie) J.D. Struxness and Rowdy Parrott, 3.3; 4. (tie) Riley Duvall, Mike McGinn and Ringo Robinson, 3.5; 7. (tie) Trisyn Kalawaia, Don Payne and Ty Erickson, 3.6; 10. (tie) Bridger Anderson, Dalton Massey and Justin Shaffer, 3.7; 14. (tie) Jace Melvin and Travis Munro, 3.8; 12;
Team roping: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.1 seconds; 2. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 4.2; 3. Brye Crites/Ross Ashford, 4.3; 4. Riley Kittle/Trey Yates, 4.4; 5. (tie) Clayton Van Aken/Jaydon Warner and Slade Wood/Logan Moore, 4.5; 7. (tie) Jaxon Hill/Jessen James, Coleman Proctor/Travis Graves and Klay Yaussi/Bo Yaussi, 4.6; 10. Korbin Rice/Cooper Freeman, 4.7; 11. (tie) Kolton Schmidt/Paden Bray and Cole Curry/Jayse Tettenhorst, 4.8; 13. (tie) Coy Rahlmann/Logan Medlin, Clay Smith/Coleby Payne and Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 4.9.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Ben Andersen, 88 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Cowboy Fool; 2. Waitley Sharon, 87.5; 3. Stetson Wright, 86.5; 4, Mitch Pollock, 86; 5. (tie) Rusty Wright, Logan Hay and Layton Green, 85.5; 8. Q Taylor, 85; 6. (tie) Brody Cress and Cooper Thatcher, 83; 8. (tie) Ryder Wright, Brody Wells and Caleb Brangham, 82.5.
Breakaway roping: 1. Macy Young, 2.1; 2. Erika Frost, 2.2; 3. (tie) Haiden Thompson, Jacee Currin and Josie Goodrich, 2.3; 6. (tie) Kadin Jodie, Maklee Larsen and Taylor Munsell, 2.4; 9. (tie) Laramie Jackson and Ally McDaniel, 2.5; 11. (tie) Josey Murphy and Millie Greenwood, 2.6; 13. (tie) Jayce Blake, Timber Allenbrand, Karrigan Graves, Beau Peterson and Josie Conner, 2.7.
Tie-down roping: 1. Riley Mason Webb, 7.5 seconds; 2. Tom Crouse, 8.4; 3. Bryce Derrer, 8.5; 4. Haven Meged, 8.6; 5. Tyler Calhoun, 8.7; 6. (tie) Beau Cooper, Hunter Herrin and Shane Hanchey, 8.9; 9. (tie) Luke Potter, Britt Bedke and Cory Solomon, 9.0; 12. Zack Jongbloed, 9.2; 13. John Douch, 9.3; 14. Cash Hooper, 9.4; 15. Brodey Clemons, 9.5.
Barrel racing: 1. Carlee Otero, 16.54 seconds; 2. Tayla Moeykens, 16.73; 3. Anita Ellis, 16.77; 4. Taylor Baize, 16.78; 5. Sydney Graham, 16.81; 6. Summer Kosel, 16.86; 7. Kathy Grimes, 16.89; 8. Katelyn Scott, 16.92; 9. Emma Smith, 16.96; 10. Andrea Busby, 16.97; 11. (tie) Megan McLeod-Sprague and Makenzie Mayes, 16.99; 12. Stevi Hillman, 17.01; 14. Tricia Aldridge, 17.06; 15. Haylee Moosman Woodward, 17.07.
Bull riding: 1. Hudson Bolton, 90 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Howdy Rowdy; 2. Tristan Mize, 89.5; 3. Luke Mackey, 88; 4. (tie) Roscoe Jarboe and Colton Coffman, 86.5; 6. (tie) Cimarron Rucker, Dakota Adams, Tristen Hutchings and Jate Frost, 86.