Competition heating up at National Western Stock Show Rodeo

DENVER, Colo. (Jan. 19, 2025) — While a cold front was having its way with Colorado, the rodeo action at the National Western Stock Show Rodeo was heating up the Denver Coliseum.

The rodeo at the 119^th edition features a bracket system where contestants all have two opportunities to compete. Then the best three out of each of the eight preliminary brackets advance to one of three Semi-Finals performances. That competition will all be held Saturday, Jan. 25 and have eight contestants in each event vying for a spot in Sunday’s Finals. Four contestants from each Semi-Finals performance will advance to the Finals, Sunday, Jan. 26^th.

As the contestants advance, they all start with a clean slate and on Sunday, whoever has the highest score or fastest time will win the championship. Bareback rider Bradlee Miller hopes to be among those. Miller qualified for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada, last December and was successful enough to put himself in contention for a world title. He won $234,000 over the 10 days and finished the season in fourth place.

Now, he has his eye on the gold buckle that says world champion on it. Coming into Denver’s rodeo, he had the lead in the world standings. He was the most successful bareback rider in Bracket 4 and is hoping to add a National Western Stock Show Rodeo title to his resume.

On Sunday afternoon, Miller scored 87 points on The Cervi Brothers’ horse named Bandana Babe. He came back Sunday evening and rode a horse from the same company named Tube Socks. That ride added 84.5 points to his total and he finished at the top of his bracket with 171.5 points.

Kyle Lucas, from Carstairs, Alberta, knows exactly what it takes to win this rodeo. He won the tie-down roping here in 2022 and is on pace to get the title again. Lucas stopped the clock in 8.4 seconds Sunday afternoon to be at the top of the leaderboard in Bracket 4. He came back on Sunday night and had a nearly identical run with a time of 8.5 seconds. He has a total of 17.4 seconds and will advance to the Semi-Finals as the number one man in Bracket 4.

Monday’s rodeo action will start with Bracket 5 of the Pro Rodeo. Then Monday evening, the Denver Coliseum will be celebrating the MLK Jr. African American Heritage Rodeo of Champions beginning at 6 p.m.

DENVER, Colo. (Jan. 19, 2025) — The following are results from the National Western Stock Show Rodeo.

Bracket 4 – Round 1

Bareback Riding: 1, Bradlee Miller, Huntsville, Texas, 86.5 points on The Cervi Brothers’ Bandana Babe. 2, Cole Hollen, Liberty Hill, Texas, 79.5. 3, Kooper Helmburg, Marshall, Mo., 79. 4, Tanner Aus, Granite Falls, Minn., 74.5.

Steer Wrestling: 1, Tad Williams, Coalville, Utah, 4.2 seconds. 2, Colten Leech, Chico, Texas, 4.5. 3, Jacob Wang, Laramie, Wyo.,, 4.9.. 4, Shane Frey, Duncan, Okla., 6.0.

Team Roping: 1, Coy Brittain, Tolar, Texas, and Blaine Vick, Breckenridge, Texas, 5.6 seconds. 2, Jay Tittel, Pueblo, Colo., and Cullen Teller, Ault, Colo., 6.2. 3, Clay MCNichol, Okotoks, Alberta and Riley Wakefield, O’Neill, Neb., 6.8. 4, Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M., and Cutter Pake Thomison, Hermleigh, Texas, 10.7.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, (tie) Jacobs Crawley, Stephenville, Texas, on Generations Pro Rodeo’s Western Edge App, and Isaac Diaz, Desdemona, Texas, on Generations Pro Rodeo’s Cheap Sunglasses, 83.5 points each. 3, Brody Wells, Powell, Wyo., 82.5. 4, Brady Hill, Onida, S.D., 81.5.

Tie-Down Roping: 1, Kyle Lucas, Carstairs, Alberta, 8.4 seconds. 2, (tie) J.D. McCuistion, Estes Park, Colo., and Drake Wycherley, Hooper, Utah, 9.5. 4, Clay McNichol, Okotoks, Alberta, 10.3.

Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Abbie Crews, Kenansville, Fla., 14.79 seconds. 2, Alyssa Urbanek-Wade, Stephenville, Texas, 14.87. 3, Summer Schaffran, Bend, Ore., 15.00. 4, Chelsea Moore, Rose Hill, Kan., 15.06. 

Bull Riding: 1, (two rides) 1, Brad Moreno, Casa Grande, Ariz., 81.5 points on Mr. Nasty. 2, Stefan Tonita, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 76.5.

Bracket 4 – Round 2

Bareback Riding: 1, Bradlee Miller, Huntsville, Texas, 84.5 points on The Cervi Brothers’ Tube Socks. 2, Brayze Schill, West Columbia, Texas, 83. 3, Nick Pelke, Mondovi, Wisc., 82. 4, Jason Wilson, Marshall, Mo., 81.

Steer Wrestling: 1, Cash Robb, Altamont, Utah, 4.0 seconds. 2, Shane Frey, Duncan, Okla., 4.7. 3, Stetson Jorgensen, Blackfoot, Idaho, 4.9. 4, Cameron Morman, Glen Ullin, N.D., 5.0.

Team Roping: 1, Clayton Van Aken, Yoder, Wyo., and Kory Bramwell, Chromo, Colo., 5.1 seconds. 2, Jake Cooper, Monument, N.M., and Cutter Pake Thomison, Hermleigh, Texas, 10.9. 3, Clay McNichol, Okotoks, Alberta and Riley Wakefield, O’Neill, Neb., 11.2. 4, Coy Brittain, Tolar, Texas, and Blaine Vick, Breckenridge, Texas, 17.1.

Saddle Bronc Riding: 1, Brady Hill, Onida, S.D., 83 points on The Cervi Brothers’ Mug Shot. 2, Brody Wells, Powell, Wyoming, 82.5. 3, Cash Wilson, Wall, S.D., 81. 4, Jacobs Crawley, Stephenville, Texas, 80.5.

Tie-Down Roping: 1, Kyle Lucas, Carstairs, Alberta, Canada, 8.5 seconds. 2, James Ramirez, Churchill, Mont., 8.9. 3, (tie) Payden Bray, Stephenville, Texas, and Drake Wycherley, Hooper, Utah, 9.5 seconds each.

Women’s Barrel Race: 1, Maggie Poloncic, Gillette, Wyo., 14.83. 2, Alyssa Urbanek-Wade, Stephenville, Texas, 14.93. 3, (tie) Summer Schaffran, Bend, Ore., and Alex Odle, Brush, Colo., 15.17 seconds each. 

Bull Riding: (two rides) 1, Stefan Tonita, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 80.5 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Wildside. 2, Stran Smith, Bear Creek, S.D., 79.

About the National Western Stock Show — Established in 1906, the National Western Stock Show is a 501(c) (3) charitable organization that provides college and graduate level scholarships in agricultural-related fields of study. Its mission is to serve producers and consumers throughout the world by being the premier stock show, equestrian competitions, and center for year-round events. The 16-day show also serves as an entertainment arena, hosting one of the world’s richest regular season professional rodeos, family and educational shows plus Colorado’s larges western trade show. For more information, visit nationalwestern.com.