Waylon Bourgeois won the inaugural Rookie Roundup in the bareback riding after going 85.5 points in the Final Round on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Faded Nite and from there, the Louisana cowboy just kept climbing.
Bourgeois had a big swing of momentum in May 2022 that added over $7,000 to his season earnings during his rookie year. That momentum continued into the summer run when Bourgeois matched up with the stout paint stallion of Powder River Rodeo, Two Buck Chuck, at Reno Rodeo to start his summer with a bang. He won the First Round on Two Buck Chuck and cashed in over $5,000 from that ride alone. Bourgeois was steady in 2022, having paydays come at after an 88-point ride on Boom Boom Girl at the Silver State Stampede and an 84.5 on Hell on Hooves in Casper, Wyoming. His rookie season wrapped up with Bourgeois ranked No. 29 in the PRCA World Standings and No.2 in the Resistol Rookie Race.
Fast forward to 2023 and Bourgeois finished a respectable 25th in the World. His season started with a huge ride in Denver on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Daddy’s Girl when he rode for 88 points. He found the pay window at two major Texas Swing rodeos, San Antonio and RodeoHouston. His earned another paycheck at the Cinch World’s Toughest Rodeo in Greensboro, North Carolina aboard Spanish Feathers.
Waylon’s 2023 was highlighted by wins at the Pete Clemons Memorial Labor Day Rodeo, the Manatee Pro Rodeo, the Rooftop Rodeo, and the Kitsap Stampede.
He finished the year with just under $60,000 earned to finish No. 25.
Bourgeois’ 2024 season is off to a nice start with him sitting No. 22 in the Bareback World standings thanks to $24,000 earned.
You have to go back to late October for Bourgeois’ first win of the season, which came at the Arcadia Fall Rodeo. Shortly after the win in Arcadia, he would go on to finish second at the Southeastern Circuit Finals where he earned over $10,000 in total.
Since then it has been a bit of a struggle for Bourgeois. He has just five checks over $1,000, the best of which came at Rodeo Austin where he placed third in a round to earn over $2,400.
Bourgeois is No. 22 in the World with a $24,467 earned as of late April.