Munsell Searching For Gold in 2025
WPRA breakaway roper Taylor Munsell has been close to a gold buckle but has yet to reach that pinnacle in the sport of professional rodeo, but 2025 might just be her year.
Currently ranked No. 1 in the world standings, she is eyeing the $18,000 paycheck that will be awarded to the gold medalist in each event in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 26 at the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo presented by Zions Bank. She won the round on Friday night in 2.0 seconds to land atop the leaderboard with a total time of 5.6 seconds on two head. She was second in the first round earlier in the day with a run of 3.6 seconds.
“I feel that I do better when I just go out there and I don't focus on everything else and just try to make the best run I can,” stated Munsell of Alva, Oklahoma. “I seem to do a lot better when I do that. These rodeos are a lot but it's been fun.”
While Munsell is the top roper, Shelby Boisjoli-Meged has closed the gap over the last two weeks with wins at the NFR Open in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the Calgary Stampede. It will be a showdown you don’t want to miss in Salt Lake as these two try to capture their first gold medal in the home of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games as well as the upcoming 2034 Winter Games. Boisjoli-Meged originally from Canada but now making her home in Miles City, Montana, was second in the aggregate with a 6.2.
The Gold Standard in Rodeo features a total of 400 competitors, who will take their shot at a share of over three-quarters of a million in prize money and a gold, silver or bronze medal that will be awarded on Saturday, July 26. There will be 40 competitors in all the roughstock events (Bareback riding, Saddle Bronc riding and Bull riding) and timed events (Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Tie-down Roping, Breakaway Roping and Barrel Racing).
Unlike Munsell searching for her first gold buckle, Stetson Wright has eight in his trophy case but he has yet to taste gold in Salt Lake City. That might change tomorrow as he won the bull riding on Friday night with an 88.5 on Legacy Rodeo’s Scrapper. After being sidelined for a year due to injury, he didn’t know if he had a shot at riding in Salt Lake in the bull riding as he had to wait for someone to turn out so he could be a walk-up replacement. Utah luck was on his side, and he earned a spot and took full advantage of the opportunity. Although he fell short in the saddle bronc riding, he will ride again in the bull riding on Saturday looking for his first-ever gold medal. He will definitely be a fan favorite coming into the final night as he hails from Beaver, Utah.
It was a stacked saddle bronc riding on the fourth night of competition in Salt Lake City with every competitor having been to the NFR besides one who is eyeing a spot in Las Vegas this year. Kade Bruno was matched up with C5 Rodeo’s Ice Cube and scored 88 points to land atop the leaderboard to advance to the championship round.
“I didn't know anything about that horse,” noted Bruno after taking the victory lap inside the Utah Days of ’47 Arena. “Some of these Canadian horses don't have any stats down here. I talked to Dawson (Hay) and Zeke (Thurston) about it today and they said it was pretty cool.
"The bronc riding right now is one of the toughest events. There's so many good guys, young guys, older guys that have come to step up and play and it's exciting. It's fun to be a part of and coming to rodeos like this here in Salt Lake, you can't beat it."
Joining Bruno in the gold medal round will be Wyatt Casper who rode Pete Carr ProRodeo’s Dirty Roots for 87.
Clay Jorgenson, Watford City, ND and Darien Johnson, Tremonton, UT punched their ticket to the gold medal round completing the list of eight bareback riders to get one more ride in Salt Lake. Jorgenson scored 85 on Championship Rodeo’s Gander Goose, while Johnson was 84 on Championship Rodeo’s Big Show.
The timed events, excluding barrel racing, were a two-go average with the top two advancing to the final round. The roughstock was a one go with the top two advancing to the gold medal round. The barrel racing is one go with a total of 80 barrel racers – 10 in the morning and 10 during the performance with the top 1 advancing out of each set.
Stephen Culling and Jace Melvin will have one more chance for the gold as they advanced out of the steer wrestling on the fourth night of competition. Culling won the average in a total time of 10.3, while Melvin put two runs together totaling 10.5.
No one was better than Brye Crites and Tyler Worley in the team roping on Friday in Salt Lake City. Crites of Welch, Oklahoma and Worley of Berryville, Arkansas won the aggregate in a time of 9.2 seconds on two head to easily advance to the final round. Joining them from night No. 4 is Tyler Tryan and Denton Dunning, who finished with a 10.0 on two.
Tyler Calhoun and Brushton Minton were the top two tie-down ropers on the day finishing with an 18.9 on two head and 20.9, respectively. They will have to bring their A-Game on Saturday to land atop the medal stand.
Scores/times will NOT carry forward to the Gold Medal Round (only to break ties). The eight (8) competitors in each event in the Gold Medal Round will compete in a sudden-death format with the winner collecting a Gold Medal and $18,000 cash.
Utah’s own, who recently returned from the National High School Finals in Rock Springs, Wyoming, turned in the fastest run on the night in the barrel racing. Jordynn Knight, 18, of Roosevelt, Utah, stopped the clock in 16.86 seconds and will advance to go for gold. Katie Halbert of Port Lavaca, Texas, won the set earlier today with a time of 16.79 seconds.
Action wraps up at the Utah Day of ’47 Rodeo continues July 26 at 8 p.m. MT.
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Results: - Performance 4 – July 25, 2025
Bareback riding: 1. Clay Jorgenson, Watford City, ND, 85 points on Championship Rodeo’s Gander Goose, $2,000; 2. Darien Johnson, Tremonton, UT, 84, $1,750; 3. Cooper Bennett, Roosevelt, UT, 82, $1,250; 4. Clayton Biglow, Clements, CA, 81, $1,000.
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Cooper Cooke, Sage Allen, Jacob Lees, Rocker Steiner (won tie-breaker based on Playoff Series standings to advance), Wacey Schalla, Garrett Shadbolt (won tie-breaker), Clay Jorgenson, Darien Johnson, Clay Jorgenson, Darien Johnson
Steer wrestling: Fourth set - First round:1. (tie) Tanner Brunner, Ramona, KS and Stephen Culling, Fort St. John, BC, 4.6 seconds, $800 each; 3. Jacob Edler, Alva, OK, 4.7, $457; 4. Darcy Kersh, Charters Towers, Queensland, 5.0, $229. Second round: 1. Riley Duvall, Checotah, OK, 4.7 seconds, $914; 2. Eli Lord, Sturgis, SD, 5.4, $686; 3. (tie). Jace Melvin, Fort Pierre, SD, Dalton Massey, Hermiston, OR and J.D. Struxness, Milan, MN, 5.4, $229 each. Average: 1. Stephen Culling, 10.3 $1,371; 2. Jace Melvin, 10.5, $1,029; 3. J.D. Struxness, 10.6, $686; 4. Eli Lord, 19.4, $343.
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Stetson Jorgensen, Tyler Waguespack, Chance Howard, Levi Rudd, Don Payne, Marc Joiner, Stephen Culling, Jace Melvin
Team roping: Fourth set First round: 1. Brye Crites, Welch, OK/Tyler Worley, Berryville, AR, 4.6 seconds, $914 each; 2. (tie) Dalton Turner, Sidney, AR/Carson Johnson, Casper, WY, Corben Culley, Lawton, IA/Trent Vaught, Mena, AR, Tyler Tryan, Lipan, TX/Denton Dunning, Surprise, AZ and Tanner Tomlinson, Mineral Wells, TX/Travis Graves, Jay, OK, 5.1, $343 each. Second round: 1. Cody Snow, Los Olivos, CA/Hunter Koch, Vernon, TX, 4.5 seconds, $914 each; 2. Brye Crites, Welch, OK/Tyler Worley, Berryville, AR, 4.6, $685; 3. Tyler Tryan, Lipan, TX/Denton Dunning, Surprise, AZ, 4.9, $457; 4. Dalton Turner, Sidney, AR/Carson Johnson, Casper, WY, 5.3, $229. Average: 1. Brye Crites/Tyler Worley, 9.2, $1,371 each; 2. Tyler Tryan/Denton Dunning, 10.0, $1,028; 3. Dalton Turner/Carson Johnson, 10.4, $685; 4. Tanner Tomlinson/Travis Graves, 24.4, $343
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Kolton Schmidt/Landen Glenn, Riley/Brady Minor, Lightning Aguilera/Wyatt Cox, Shay Carroll/Levi Lord, Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, Clint Summers/Jake Corkill, Brye Crites/Tyler Worley, Tyler Tryan/Denton Dunning
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Kade Bruno, Challis, ID, 88 points on C5 Rodeo’s Ice Cube, $2,000; 2. Wyatt Casper, Miami, TX, 87, $1,750; 3. Isaac Diaz, Desdemona, TX, 86.5, $1,250; 4. Stetson Wright, Beaver, UT, 86, $1,000.
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Chase Brooks, Sage Newman, Allen Boore, Bailey Small, Damian Brennan, Ben Andersen, Kade Bruno, Wyatt Casper
Tie-down roping: Fourth set - First round: 1. Tyler Calhoun, Richards, TX, 9.1 seconds, $914; 2. Brushton Minton, Witter Springs, CA, 9.4, $686; 3. Cory Solomon, Prairie View, TX, 10.3, $457; 4. Blane Cox, Stephenville, TX, 10.5, $229. Second round: 1. Trevor Hale, Perryton, TX, 8.9 seconds, $914; 2. Tyler Calhoun, Richards, TX, 9.8, $686; 3. Joel Harris, San Angelo, TX, 10.6, $457; 4. Blane Cox, Stephenville, TX, 11.1, $229. Average: 1. Tyler Calhoun, 18.9 seconds on two, $1,371; 2. Brushton Minton, 20.9, $1,029; 3. Blane Cox, 21.6, $686; 4. Shane Hanchey, 23.3, $343.
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Dylan Hancock, Cash Hooper, John Douch, Tom Crouse, Macon Murphy, Michael, Otero, Tyler Calhoun, Brushton, Minton
Breakaway roping: Fourth set- First round: 1. Eryn Maddock, Adrian, OR, 2.6 seconds, $854; 2. Taylor Munsell, Alva, OK, 3.6, $641; 3. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, Miles City, MT, 3.7, $427; 4. Kelsie Domer, Dublin, TX, 4.1, $214. Second round: 1. Taylor Munsell, Alva, OK, 2.0 seconds, $854; 2. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, Miles City, MT, 2.5, $641; 3. Kelsie Domer, Dublin, TX, 2.7, $427; 4. Eryn Maddock, Adrian, OR, 3.8, $214. Average: 1. Taylor Munsell, 5.6 seconds on two head, $1,281; 2. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, 6.2, $961; 3. Eryn Maddock, 6.4, $641; 4. Kelsie Domer, 6.8, $320.
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Braylee Shepherd, Rickie Fanning, Jordan Jo Hollabaugh, Ryland Lufkin, Zoie Bedke, Carly Christian, Taylor Munsell, Shelby Boisjoli-Meged
Barrel racing: First round, Seventh set: 1. Katie Halbert, Port Lavaca, TX, 16.79 seconds, $1,495; 2. Paige Jones, Wayne, OK, 16.85, $1,121; 3. Helen Nowosad, Stephenville, TX, 17.23, $748; 4. (tie) Acey Pinkston, Stephenville, TX and KariAnn Cross, Blackfoot, ID, 17.28, $187. Eighth set: 1. Jordynn Knight, Roosevelt, Utah, 16.86 seconds, $1,485; 2. Haylee Woodward, Morgan, UT, 17.03, $1,121; 3. Julie Plourde, Krum, TX, 17.27, $748; 4. Lexie Goss, Redmond, OR, 17.41, $374.
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Tricia Aldridge, McKale Seitz, Kassie Mowry, Julia Johnson, Carlee Otero, Halyn Lide, Katie Halbert
Bull riding: 1. Stetson Wright, Beaver, UT, 88.5 points on Legacy Rodeo’s Scrapper, $2,000; 2. Dustin Boquet, Bourg, LA, 88, $1,750; 3. Jesse Petri, Dublin, TX, 87.5, $1,250; 4. Scottie Knapp, Albuquerque, NM, 84, $1,000.
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Sam Southern, Bodee Burr, Hayden Ferguson. Ky Hamilton, Hayes Weight, Stetson Wright, Dustin Boquet, Jesse Petri