03/01/2026
LOOKING BACK - A SPECIAL NIGHT:
It's only fitting that the final night of the 100th celebration of the Gooding Pro Rodeo last August featured an arena-record-tying ride by possibly the winningest cowboy of this generation.
At the time, then eight-time world champion Stetson Wright rode Summit Pro Rodeo's Cowboy Fool for 90 points Saturday night to tie an arena record established 12 years earlier β¦ by his father, ProRodeo Hall of Famer Cody Wright. The result was the saddle bronc riding victory at the Gooding Pro Rodeo.
"I didn't really get to rodeo with my dad," Stetson Wright said. "That was something Rusty and Ryder did, so the closest thing I can do is try to tie records and do what he did and try to do it better. He set the bar pretty high. To be able to tie an arena record with him is pretty awesome, especially one that's been held for that long.
"You don't get too many rodeos these days where the record's held for that long, and just to top it off and have it be with my dad, that's super special. In and out of the arena and every aspect of my life, he's my hero, my idol, what I look up to. I'm going to cherish this moment forever."
He made it memorable for many reasons. When he was awarded his championship buckle, Wright went directly to Summit Pro Rodeo's J.D. Hamaker then handed the livestock producer the trophy after autographing it.
"He just liked the horse and was 90 on one of our horses, and he thought enough of it to give the buckle to me," Hamaker said. "He could have taken it home and put it in his trophy room. He's just a quality guy."
There's no pressure to follow in their footsteps, but there's the stress they put on themselves to excel. If they need any motivation beyond that, they just look at one another.
"I rodeo with the top-end guys," Stetson Wright said. "I know they're my brothers, but Ryder right now is riding with a back injury, and it's kind of crazy what he's done with it. Rusty's riding with a torn-up knee, and he's got a femur bruise. Then Statler, he's had some bumps and bruises all year long, and they seem to be adding up.
"When those guys are ahead of me in the world standings, I just look over there and think, 'Dude, you've got to be a cowboy; you've just got to cowboy up, because they're not complaining about it.'
"Every little injury I've had, it seems like it's not even a big deal because you've just gotta ride through it. You don't hear them talking about it. I'll brag about them and tell you how tough they are because I get to see them every single day. They give me no option other than to get better."
SOURCE: PRORODEO SPORTS NEWS - TED HARBIN
PHOTO: RESISTOL HATS ARTICLE: "FAMILY STAYES ON THE WRIGHT PATH"