Champions were crowned at the 49th Indian National Finals Rodeo in front a near capacity crowd at the Southpoint Arena and Equestrian Center in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

The first champion was Kashton Ford in the bareback riding and he was forced to answer the bell. Ford entered with a five point lead in the Aggregate, but saw Evan Betony go for 86 points right in front of him.

Needing at least 81.5 points, more than he’d been marked in the first three rounds, to win, Ford delivered an 86-point ride to match Betony and get his first INFR World Title at 19-years-old.

“This was an amazing horse of Gunville Rodeo and this is the best out I’ve ever seen on him,” Ford said, adding that after he heard the buzzer he thought he indeed did have the horsepower to finish the job.

In steer wrestling, Matt Jodie was able to jump over Tyler John Byrne in the Short Round with a 5.57-second run to add to his family’s INFR legacy. Jodie was runner-up a year ago, but now joins his brother and father as an INFR World Champion. He finished with an aggregate time of 24.22 seconds on four.

Megan Lunak didn’t blow anyone away all week in the breakaway roping, but she was consistent. And it paid off in the end.

She was 4.10 seconds in the Short Round and then immediately following her run Kassidy Dennison, who came back high call in the Average, missed. That meant with 13.41 on four, Lunak had finally captured the INFR Gold Buckle she long coveted.

It came during an emotional year for Lunak, who lost six family members in a span of about six months.

“Joe Beaver called me and asked, ‘How’d you do?’ I said, ‘I won it,’ and he said, ‘What?’ He knows I’ve struggled at this rodeo, and I had to get some discipline in me. It really helped this year.”

In saddle bronc riding, Creighton Curley captured his second INFR World Title seven years after winning his first as a 21-year-old in 2018.

Curley entered the Short Round with a nine-point in the lead in the Average and his 76-point ride on Saturday night was enough to hold off Cash Wilson by two points, 319-317.

Curley was marked at least 76 points on all four of his rides in Las Vegas.

In tie-down roping, Tarleton State standout Dalton Porch completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Aggregate after winning the First Round.

In the end, he finished 7.37 seconds ahead of the next closest competitor with an aggregate time of 40.73 seconds on four. All four of his times were between 8.86 and 11.85 seconds.

“I’ve roped thousands of calves, so this was just another run,” he said on entering the Short Round in first. “Just try to make it as smooth as you can and hope it works out.”

Porch also steer wrestled at the INFR World Finals and was named the All-Around World Championship.

In team roping, Josh Jumper/Clay Gunshows also displayed the virtues of consistency. They made a 6.74-second run after coming back third high call in the Short Round, which was enough to put a little pressure on the Top 2 teams.

Whether it was pressure or something else, Jumper/Gunshows were the last pair standing on Saturday night. Wawa Ben/Brandon Ben and Ty Vaile/Wyatt Gibson both failed to make clean runs and Jumper/Gunshows took home the INFR World Championship at 29.39 seconds on four. They were one of four teams with four qualified times.

Barrel racing had a couple of things in common with tie-down roping: the winner led the Average from start to finish and also claimed the All-Around World Champion title.

Erin Jones won the First Round with a 15.348-second run and never looked back, finishing things off with a 15.493 on Saturday night to bring her aggregate time to 61.924 seconds. Jones has qualified seven times in the breakaway roping, but this was her first INFR appearance in the barrel racing.

In the bull riding, Cole Brewer led Tahj Wells by a single point entering the Short Round and that’s how things stayed as both cowboys bucked off Saturday and no one overtook either on the leaderboard.

In their impressive 3-for-4 performances, Brewer won the INFR World Title with 244 points to Wells’ 243.

“I came here to ride four and I wanted to dominate and show everyone who I am,” Brewer said.

Bareback Riding

1. Kashton Ford – Sturgis, SD – 316 – $5,413
2. Evan Betony – Tonalea, AZ – 311 – $4,480
3. Jacoby Johns – Okeechobee, FL – 299 – $3,547
4. Clay Ramone – Riverton, UT – 285 – $2,613
5. Steven Dewolfe – Buffalo Gap, SD – 282 – $1,680
6. Alvaro Begay – Nazlini, AZ – 229 – $933

Steer Wrestling

1. Matt Jodie – Churchrock, NM – 24.22 – $4,677
2. Tyler John Byrne – Martin, SD – 24.54 – $4,067
3. Ty Allen Fischer – Ashland, MT – 24.73 – $3,457
4. Sawyer Strand – Baltic, SD – 25.10 – $2,847
5. Dontre’ Goff – Henryetta, OK – 33.63 – $2,237
6. Blevyns Jumper – Clewistown, FL – 34.04 – $1,627
7. Tucker Rabbit – Standoff, AB – 56.50 – $1,017
8. Trevin Fox – Pocatello, ID – 119.54 – $407

Team Roping – Headers

1. Josh Jumper – 29.39 – $4,677
2. Braydon Boyd – 35.81 – $4,067
3. Cameron Kanuho – 42.71 – $3,457
4. Rory Billie – 45.37 – $2,847
5. Reno Stoebner – 116.24 – $2,237
6. Dwight Sells – 116.99 – $1,627
7. Ty Vaile – 119.97 – $1,017
8. Wawa Ben – 121.30 – $407

Team Roping – Heelers

1. Clay Gunshows – 29.39 – $4,677
2. Denton Begay – 35.81 – $4,067
3. Scooter Garcia – 42.71 – $3,457
4. Jace Smith – 45.37 – $2,847
5. Casey Cummins – 116.24 – $2,237
6. Chance Hunter – 116.99 – $1,627
7. Wyatt Gibson – 119.97 – $1,017
8. Brandon Ben – 121.30 – $407

Tie-Down Roping

1. Dalton Porch – Kadoka, SD – 40.73 – $4,677
2. Luke Mavity – Dickinson, ND – 48.10 – $4,067
3. Quinton Inman – Ketchum, OK – 51.97 – $3,457
4. Noah Haven – Window Rock, AZ – 63.34 – $2,847
5. Jay Guerrero – Wadsworth, NV – 69.81 – $2,237
6. Corbin Fisher – Ashland, MT – 126.8 – $1,627
7. Dean Holyan – Coyote Canyon, NM – 130.18 – $1,017
8. Dontre’ Goff – Henryetta, OK – 131.69 – $407

Ladies Breakaway Roping

1. Megan Lunak – Browning, MT – 13.41 – $4,677
2. Heather Rogers – Round Rock, AZ – 14.11 – $4,067
3. Kiley Shade – Cardston, AB – 14.16 – $3,457
4. Kadin Jodie – Churchrock, NM – 14.35 – $2,847
5. Fallon Doka – Fountain Hills, AZ – 14.43 – $2,237
6. Lillian Lupe – Whiteriver, AZ – 21.28 – $1,627
7. Erin Jones – Chinle, AZ – 25.19 – $1,017
8. Kassidy Dennison – Tohatchi, NM – 107.94 – $407

Ladies Barrel Racing

1. Erin Jones – Chinle, AZ – 61.924 – $4,677
2. Tara Seaton – Winslow, AZ – 62.193 – $4,067
3. Baylee O’Leary – Colcord, OK – 62.434 – $3,457
4. Kelsey Howard – Sallisaw, OK – 62.575 – $2,847
5. Gabriyelle Irving – Pierre, SD – 62.710 – $2,237
6. Charmayne Dixon – Standoff, AB – 62.717 – $1,627
7. Katrina Williams – Mount Currie, BC – 62.806 – $1,017
8. JC Hawk – Scottsdale, AZ – 62.982 – $407

Saddle Bronc Riding

1. Creighton Curley – Ganado, AZ – 319 – $5,462
2. Cash Wilson – Wall, SD – 317 – $4,520
3. Kash Deal – Faith, SD – 305 – $3,578
4. Alan Kole Gobert – Browning, MT – 294 – $2,637
5. Kaden Deal – Eagle Butte, SD – 293 – $1,695
6. Jackson Ford – Sturgis, SD – 240 – $942

Bull Riding

1. Cole Brewer – Eagle Butte, SD – 244 – $5,510
2. Tahj Wells – Browning, MT – 243 – $4,560
3. Jacauy Hale – Ganado, AZ – 164 – $3,610
4. Teigan Gray – Eagle Butte, SD – 162 – $2,660
5. Stran Smith – Lantry, SD – 156 – $1,710
6. Caden Bunch – Tahlequah, OK – 152 – $950