With the first Wild Card Round complete, only one spot remains in each event for the Championship Shootout at RodeoHouston. Fans will be thrilled with some of the contenders who secured the No. 9 spot by winning the opening Wild Card, namely Tuf Cooper and Hailey Kinsel.

But first let’s start where we always do in the bareback riding, where young Mason Stuller made his best ride of RodeoHouston, 86.5 points on Night Faded to the round comfortably and move on.

In steer wrestling, Tucke Allen made a 5.2-second run and now has four runs of 5.8 or faster going into the Shootout.

Lightning Aguilera may be the most exciting header in Houston this year with how quick he is throwing and how far he is reaching. His aggressive style paid off for him and partner Patrick Smith when they needed it the most. They stopped the clock at 4.9 seconds, applying pressure that kept every other team over the 10-second mark.

In saddle bronc riding, Weston Patterson boosted his Houston earnings to $11,000 and claimed his third Go-Round win of the rodeo, scoring 84 points on Cervi Championship’s Big Bang.

Another athlete securing their third Go-Round victory in Wild Card 1 was Shayla Hall, who won breakaway roping with her fastest time yet, a 2.9-second run.

Now, to the aforementioned Cooper and Kinsel. In tie-down roping, Cooper flashed his signature, award-winning smile after an 8.4-second run, his fastest of the event, earned him the win. Meanwhile, Kinsel, who had to win Round 3 of her Super Series to reach the Semifinals, delivered another clutch performance with her back against the wall. Riding Sister, she turned in a 14.65-second run after competing earlier in the week on a different mount, Reese.

Lastly, in the bull riding Jackson Ward made it easy on the judges. He was the lone qualified ride on Friday night to punch his ticket to Sunday.

RodeoHouston continues with Wild Card 2 at 2:30 PM CT on The Cowboy Channel and Cowboy Channel+.

QUICK DRAW

There were some massive margins of victory in the Wildcard. Mason Stuller won the bareback riding by 4.5 points, Lightning Aguilera/Patrick Smith won the team roping by 5.1 seconds, Weston Patterson won saddle bronc riding by six, and Tuf Cooper won the tie-down roping by 4.1 seconds.

Tucker Allen will return to the Championship Round after finishing second in the Shootout last year.

The last athlete to come through the Wild Card to win RodeoHouston was Jessica Routier in the barrel racing in 2023.

RESULTS

BAREBACK RIDING

Wild Card 1: 1. Mason Stuller, 86.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Night Faded, $3,000; 2. Weston Timberman, 81, $2,000; 3. Waylon Bourgeois, 75, $1,000; 4. Tanner Aus, 72, $750; 5. R.C. Landingham, 71.

STEER WRESTLING

Wild Card 1: 1. Tucker Allen, 5.2 seconds, $3,000; 2. Chance Howard, 5.7, $2,000; 3. Dakota Eldridge, 7.0, $1,000; 4. Gavin Soileau, 14.0, $750; 5. Scott Guenthner, 14.3; 6. Riley Duvall, NT.

TEAM ROPING

Wild Card 1: 1. Lightning Aguilera/Patrick Smith, 4.9 seconds, $3,000 each; 2. Tyler Tryan/Denton Dunning, 10.0, $2,000; 3. (tie) Kellan Johnson/Carson Johnson, Tee McLeod/Sid Sporer, Coy Brittain/Colton Brittain and Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, NT.

SADDLE BRONC RIDING

Wild Card 1: 1. Weston Patterson, 84 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Big Bang, $3,000; 2. Zeke Thurston, 78, $2,000; 3. Logan Cook, 77, $1,000; 4. Cole Elshere, 75.5, $750; 5. (tie) Dawson Hay and Jesse Kruse, NS.

BREAKAWAY ROPING

Wild Card 1: 1. Shayla Hall, 2.9 seconds, $3,000; 2. Madison Outhier, 3.0, $2,000; 3. Macy Young, 12.6, $1,000; 4. (tie) Braylee Shepherd, Aspen Miller and Willow Wilson, NT.

TIE-DOWN ROPING

Wild Card 1: 1. Tuf Cooper, 8.4 seconds, $3,000; 2. Brushton Minton, 12.5, $2,000; 3. Logan Bird, $1,000; 4. Joel Harris, 25.2, $750; 5. (tie) Cash Hooper and Cole Clemons, NT.

BARREL RACING

Wild Card 1: 1. Hailey Kinsel, 14.65 seconds, $3,000; 2. Andrea Busby, 14.72, $2,000; 3. Halyn Lide, 14.77, $1,000; 4. Sissy Winn, 14.94, $750; 5. Tayla Moeykens, 15.14; 6. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 15.17.

BULL RIDING

Wild Card 1: 1. Jackson Ward, 84 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Pickle, $3,000; 2. (tie) Clayton Sellars, Tyler Bingham, Brody Yeary, Hawk Whitt and Jake Gardner, NS.