A new pool of saddle bronc riders arrived in Calgary to begin Pool B action on Monday afternoon and that included Statler and Stetson Wright.
Longtime NFR announcer Jeff Medders noted he finally got an in-person look at Statler in Reno this year and was impressed with the 19-year-old, calling him the real deal after watching him win the title for the second consecutive year.
Butch Knowles, a former NFR Average Champion, specifically pointed out that Statler winning the Short Round in Reno on Indian Burn was showed him what the youngest Wright brother was made of.
“Layton Green was 92, 93 on him in Salinas,” Knowles said. “That’s the only other time I’ve ever seen him ridden that well.”
While Statler in his second year of ProRodeo and ranked No. 19 in the world, Stetson’s success is obviously more well-documented. He currently sits No. 2 in the PRCA World Standings.
“You watch everybody ride and then here comes Stetson and it’s like ‘oh my, that’s Stetson Wright,’ he’s really that good,” Knowles said. “It’s going to be fun to watch him on these great horses at The Calgary Stampede.”