BAREBACK RIDING

Dean Thompson – The reigning World Champion was 77.5 on his first horse but bounced back with a round-winning 88 points on Korkow Rodeos’ Tator Tot. He finished behind fellow NFR qualifiers Weston Timberman and Cole Franks in Bracket 1.

Kody Lamb – The reigning Canadian Champion was 82.5 and 81 points on his two rides in Bracket 2 for a pair of fourth place finishes.

Drake Amundson – The 24-year-old bucked off his first and then made  his second ride in the 80s this season, 85.5 points on Minnesota Joe, to win Bracket 3, Round 2. He made his Fort Worth debut last season and this is the first time he has advanced.

Nick Pelke – The Wisconsin native made rides of 81 and 87 points in Bracket 4. He made it out of the Wildcard into the Semifinals a year ago.

Richmond Champion – The 10-time NFR qualifier was 87 and 88 points on his two horses, which somehow sent him to the Wildcard. Tilden Hooper won Bracket 5 with a pair of 90-point rides.

Strawbs Jones – Jones was second and third in the two rounds in Bracket 6. 2024 NFR qualifiers Jess Pope and Cooper Cooke finished in front of him.

Ben Kramer – Kramer won $1,743 in Bracket 7, $1,600 of which came from a tie for second in Round 1.

STEER WRESTLING

Jace Melvin – It was a terrific first bracket of bulldogging. Melvin was 3.9 and 4.2, but finished $50 behind Sam Goings for the second Semifinal spot.

Seth Peterson – Peterson’s 3.9-second run to win Bracket 2, Round 1 was enough to power him to the Wildcard behind Eli Lord and Don Payne.

Gavin Soileau – The National Western Champion stayed alive in Fort Worth in a tight Bracket 3. Cash Robb had $3,817, Stetson Jorgensen had $3,767 as did Soileau, who lost out on the tiebreaker. That trio was the Top 3 in both rounds.

Rowdy Parrott – After a 14.3 in Round 1, Parrott bounced back with a 3.7-second run to win Round 2.

Ryan Shuckburgh – Shuckburgh advanced with fourth place finishes for runs of 7.6 seconds and 9.1 seconds.

Shane Frey – Frey won Round 1 in Bracket 6 with a 4.2-second run.

Dirk Tavenner – Like Shuckburgh, Tavenner advanced with a pair of fourth place finishes.

TEAM ROPING

Clay Smith/Coleby Payne – After failing to place in Round 1, Smith and Payne came back strong in Round 2, securing the top spot with a 4.1.

Derrick Begay/Colter Todd – This veteran pair was less than $400 away from the Semifinals after no team won more than $3,000 apiece.

Pedro Egurrola/Justin Davis – A third and a fourth place finish for runs of 6.5 and 5.1 seconds advanced Egurrola/Davis.

Wyatt Bray/Paden Bray – In the same round Egusquiza/Lord tied the arena record, the Bray brothers were 3.9 for second, which made up the lion’s share of their earnings.

Clint Summers/Paul Eaves – This new team were 4.7 and 5.8 seconds on their first two runs. Fort Worth marked their season debut.

Jake Clay/Tanner Braden – Clay and Braden showed off some consistency in Bracket 6 with runs of 4.9 and 5.0 seconds.

Riley Kittle/Will Woodfin – The lone team that features zero NFR appearances in the Wildcard did not flinch after a no time in Round 1. They responded with a 3.6 to win Round 2

SADDLE BRONC RIDING

Traylin Martin – This is the 21-year-old’s third time competing in Fort Worth and his second Wildcard appearance.

Jared Hammons – Hammons advanced despite bucking off his second horse thanks to a Bracket 2, Round 1 on Rude Roommate.

Kolby Wanchuk – Wanchuk also bucked off his second horse but his lone check was for a 90-point ride in Round 1, which somehow did not win the round.

Wyatt Casper – With five straight NFR appearances, Casper is the most decorated bronc rider in this year’s Wildcard.

Weston Patterson – The 23-year-old made rides of 81.5 and 85 points in Fort Worth after a Finals appearance in Denver.

Dawson Hay – Hay, like Casper, has five NFRs under his belt. In an all international Bracket 6, he finished behind Zeke Thurston and Jake Finlay.

Ira Dickinson – The top-ranked rookie in the World made $1,000 or more on both of his rides in Bracket 7.

TIE-DOWN ROPING

Glenn Jackson – The 43-year-old who likes to rope close to home finished second and fifth in Bracket 1’s two rounds. He was 10.3 and 10.9 on those.

Hunter Herrin – Herrin made just over $2,000 in Bracket 2, $1,800 of which came from a 9.9-second run in Round 2.

Seth Hall – Hall was within $100 of grabbing the second Semifinal spot from Tom Crouse.

John Douch – The World No. 4 finished third in both rounds of Bracket 4.

Logan Bird – Bird’s 9.2-second run in Bracket 5, Round 1 won him in the round and got him his spot in the Wildcard.

Colton Farquer – In his first rodeo since the California Circuit Finals on Dec. 31, Farquer advanced out of his bracket in Fort Worth for the first time in his career.

Tuf Cooper – Cooper’s 7.9-second run in Round 2 of Bracket 7 was second in the round and enough to get him the Wildcard spot behind Riley Webb and Dylan Hancock.

BARREL RACING

Toria Madsen – Madsen placed sixth on her first run in Bracket 1 and then won Round 2 with a 16.46.

Wenda Johnson – Johnson was a similar story to Madsen in Bracket 2, she stopped the clock at 19.49 for sixth in Round 1 and won Round 2 with a 16.27.

Ilyssa Riley – The Hico, Texas cowgirl was fifth and second on her two runs in Bracket 3. Last year, she finished fourth in Fort Worth.

Jordan Driver – Driver was 16.34 and 16.45 on her two runs after finishing second at the National Western.

Helen Nowosad – She won a round with a 16.26-second run.

Keyla Costa – Costa won $2,050 on her first run and $1,000 on her second run and they looked very similar, 16.68 and 16.67. She was $150 behind Leslie Smalygo for the second Semifinal spot.

Megan McLeod-Sprague – McLeod-Sprague finished with $3,200 in Bracket 7, which was $100 behind reigning World Champion Kassie Mowry.

BULL RIDING

Blaine Beaty – Beaty was 74 points on his lone qualified ride, but it was one of just four total in Bracket 1.

Trey Benton III – There were even fewer qualified rides in Bracket 2, and Benton II was one of them, putting him third behind Gavin Mitchell and Luke Mast.

Lukasey Morris – Morris was 80 points on his lone qualified ride and that ride made up $3,250 of the $3,518 he has won since Nov. 2.

Ernie Courson Jr. – ErnBob advanced thanks to an 87-point ride on Moose Munch, snapping a streak of five straight buckoffs to start January.

Kobe Whiford – Whitford is No. 14 on the young season and in January, he has two rides of 87.5 points or better, one of them coming in Fort Worth.

Rawley Johnson – Johnson entered this rodeo No. 1 in the PRCA World Standings.

Brady Portenier – Portenier is just 1-for-4 on the season, but the one was the most recent, an 88-pointer on Big Twist in Round 2 of Bracket 7.