FORT WORTH, Texas (Jan. 19, 2022) Stetson Wright added another title to his impressive resume’ Wednesday when he won the Bulls’ Night Out championship at the 125th edition of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.
The 22-year-old Utah native already has five world championships to his credit – three all-around and one each in bull riding and saddle bronc riding. He’s also the first rough stock rider to win the all-around cowboy world championship since Ty Murray in 1998.
Bulls’ Night Out, a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Xtreme Bulls competition, features two nights of action with 40 bull riders each night and the top 10 of those 40 competing in a second round. The highest score on two bulls wins the championship.
After Tuesday night, Grayson Cole of Fredonia, Pennsylvania led the long round with 90 points and was also the overall leader since no one rode a bull in Tuesday’s second round.
From the first section on Wednesday, the competition was fierce. Trey Kimzey of Strong City, Oklahoma scored 88.5 points on Andrews Rodeo’s bull Best in Show to lead the first section by half a point over Washington cowboy Caleb McMillin.
Josh Frost of Randlett, Utah who finished as reserve world champion at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in December, tallied 86 points on Four L & Diamond S Rodeo’s bull Last Cigarette to start the second section. Then Wright rode another Four L & Diamond S bull – House of Pain to tie Kimzey with 88.5.
The second round would determine the championship. In that round the riders compete in reverse order with the highest score going last with ties broken by a draw. Wright drew the chance to be the final rider of the night.
The first four cowboys bucked off, then Frost scored 86.5 on Stockyards Pro Rodeo’s bull Ground Assault, giving him a total of 172.5 points on two bulls. Then the next four cowboys hit the dirt. Wright was matched against NFR bull Johnny Thunder from the Rafter G string. If he bucked off, Frost would be the champion, but Wright never faltered. He stayed on the bull’s back for the required eight seconds and earned 90 points from the judges.
With the win the 2020 world champion bull rider vaulted into first place in the Xtreme Bulls standings and bounced into the top three of the bull riding world standings. He earned a total of $19,654 – $17,058 of which counts for world championship points.
Coleman Berry of Poolville, Texas made an 83-point ride to win the junior bull riding, $500 and a trophy buckle.
The 125th edition of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo continues Thursday at 7:30 p.m. with the Texas Champions Challenge rodeo which features winners from five of the state’s biggest professional rodeos along with a freestyle bullfighting competition.
The FWSSR ProRodeo Tournament begins Friday night and will crown its champions on Saturday, February 5.
FORT WORTH, Texas — The following are unofficial winners from Bulls’ Night Out at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, January 19, 2022.
First Round: 1, Grayson Cole, Fredonia, Pa., 90 points on Big Rafter Rodeo’s Farmers Only, $5,562. 2, (tie) Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah, and Trey Kimzey, Strong City, Okla., 88.5, $3,708 each. 4, (tie) Jace Trosclair, Chauvin, La., Dalan Duncan, Heber City, Utah, and Caleb McMillan, Soap Lake, Wash., 88, $1,421.51 each. 7, Parker McCown, Montgomery, Texas, 86.5. 8 (tie), Tyler Bingham, Howell, Utah, and Josh Frost, Randlett, Utah, 86, $278 each.
Short Round: (two qualified rides) 1, Wright, 90 points on Rafter G Rodeo’s Johnny Thunder, $6,675. 2, Frost, 86.5, $5686.
Total on Two: 1, Wright, 178.5 points, $9,271. 3, Frost, 172.5, $7,018. (on one) 3, Cole, 90, $5,253.42. 4, Kimzey, 88.5, $3,399. 5, (tie) Trosclair, McMillan and Duncan, 88, $1,648 each. 3, McCown, 86.5, $927.
Jr. Bull Riding: 1, Coleman Berry, Poolville, Texas, 83 points. 2, Myles Turner, Comanche, Okla., 79. 3, Taylor Waugh, Azle, Texas, 77.
