The bracket rounds are over in Fort Worth and the Semi-Finals are nearly set. The athletes who didn’t make it out of the Bracket Rounds have one last chance to make it into the Semi-Finals, through the Wild Card round. Here is a look at who you can see tonight on The Cowboy Channel and Cowboy Channel+ App.
BAREBACK RIDING
The Bareback Riding Wild Card Round is loaded with talent, highlighted by 2019 World Champion, Clayton Biglow. Clayton was in a great spot to advance out of the Bracket Round with an 85 point ride in the first round but struggled in the second round with a 78 point ride.
Biglow will be competing alongside 9-time NFR qualifier Caleb Bennett who went 83.5 points and 77 points in his bracket. Other NFR qualifiers competing in the Wild Card Round are Bill Tutor and Wyatt Denny.
STEER WRESTLING
The Steer Wrestling field sees four former NFR qualifiers, all of whom were at the 2021 NFR. Stockton Graves had the best time of all the Wild Card competitors in his bracket round, going 3.6 seconds to win the first round in Bracket 4.
STOCKTON GRAVES’ 3.6 SECOND RUN
Graves is joined by 2021 NFR qualifiers Rowdy Parrott, Curtis Cassidy, and Riley Duvall in tonight’s Wild Card round.
TEAM ROPING
The Team Roping field is as stacked as any, highlighted by the tandem that finished second in the World Standings in 2021 in Erich Rogers and Paden Bray. The two have their work cut out for them, however, as the third-place Header, Dustin Equsquiza and fifth-place Heeler, Travis Graves will be competing after winning a rounding Bracket 5.
EGUSQUIZA/GRAVES’ 4.3 SECOND RUN
The talent doesn’t stop there in Team Roping, as Clay Tryan (#6 Header in 2021) and Jake Long (#6 Heeler in 2021) will be competing for their spot in the Semis. Other 2021 NFR Qualifiers competing tonight include Coleman Proctor and Logan Medlin, Clint Summers and Ross Ashford, and Tyler and Trey Yates.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
The Saddle Bronc Wild Card may be the most difficult to win of the night, with two Wrights, a 14-time NFR qualifier, a 7-time qualifier, and some of the brightest young names across rodeo competing.
The round is highlighted by 2021 World Champion, Stetson Wright, and 2020 World Champion Ryder Wright. Stetson struggled in the Bracket Round, but his 82.5 point ride on the second night of his bracket was enough to get him to the Wild Card Round.
STETSON WRIGHT’S 82.5 POINT RIDE
It turned out to be a tough bracket for Ryder, who posted two solid rides that would earn him third place in both rounds of his bracket. In the Round 1, Ryder went 83 points and followed that up with an 87 point third-place finish on night two.
Others competing in tonight’s Wild Card round are 14-time NFR Qualifier Cody DeMoss, 7-time qualifier Sterling Crawley, and young star Lefty Holman.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
In Tie-Down Roping 2021 World Champion Caleb Smidt highlights the field of eight. Of the eight competing tonight, you have six former NFR qualifiers who combine for 34 total NFR appearances and five Gold Buckles.
Crowd favorite and 8-time NFR qualifier Cory Solomon will be competing against the likes of 11-time qualifier Hunter Herrin, 2017 World Champion Marcos Costa, and 2020 NFR Champion Shad Mayfield.
SHAD MAYFIELD’S 8.0 SECOND RUN
BARREL RACING
Barrel Racing features several familiar names, including fan-favorite Dona Kay Rule. Rule advanced to the Wild Card Round after a run of 16.62 seconds earned her a split of second place in her bracket.
Other big names featured in tonight’s Barrel Racing are Shelly Morgan, Jimmie Smith, Ivy Sabens, and Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi.
BRITTANY POZZI TONOZZI’S 16.58 SECOND RUN
BULL RIDING
Tonight’s Bull Riding features several big names, including 2021 NFR Qualifiers, Ruger Piva, Ky Hamilton, Trey Benton III, and Shane Proctor.
Ruger Piva had a strong start to the rodeo, posting a round-winning 86.5 point ride all the way back on night one of the FWSSR.
RUGER PIVA’S 86.5 POINT RIDE
Trey Benton has the highest marked ride of any competitor in Bull Riding tonight with an 89 point ride on Bill the Butcher that won him the first round of Bracket 5.
BENTON’S INTERVIEW AFTER BRACKET 5, ROUND 1
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