Utah Athletes Off to Hot Start in Salt Lake City
The 2025 Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo presented by Zions Bank kicked off Tuesday night, July 22. The Utah athletes made their home state proud and will be looking to bring home the gold on Saturday. This is the only Gold Medal rodeo in the world and the only professional rodeo that awards gold, silver and bronze medals, a staple of the rodeo since 2017.
Utah’s own breakaway roper Braylee Shepherd led the way winning the average in a time of 4.7 seconds on two runs in front of a loud and proud crowd on Tuesday night.
“This rodeo doesn’t compare to anywhere else,” stated Shepherd of Nephi, Utah. “Being a hometown rodeo, I feel like there’s a lot more pressure. My mare is doing good and I just wanted to do my job and rope each calf.”
Shepherd, who won the WPRA Rookie of the Year title 2023 and currently resides in Fitzhugh, Oklahoma, finished third in the first round with a time of 2.2 seconds and took third again in the second round with a 2.5. Last year’s silver medalist Rickie Fanning finished second in the aggregate in a time of 8.4 seconds to punch her ticket to the final round.
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).
Cooper Cooke got the night rolling with a 90-point ride aboard Carr Pro Rodeo’s Fox Hole Gunner to land atop the leaderboard just in front of Sage Allen with an 88 point ride. Cooke of Victor, Idaho, will now have a chance to win a gold medal on Saturday night if he can once again hold off Allen of Blackfoot, Idaho, and six others riders that will be determined in the next three nights of competition.
Another Blackfoot, Idaho cowboy advanced to the gold medal round in the steer wrestling. Stetson Jorgensen landed atop the leaderboard with a two-run aggregate time of 9.3 seconds. Jorgensen finished second in both rounds, 4.5 and 4.8, respectively, to land him at the top. Tyler Waguespack of Gonzales, LA, was a close second in 9.7 seconds to join Jorgensen in the Gold Medal round Saturday night.
The timed events, excluding barrel racing, is a two-go average with the top two advancing to the final round. The roughstock is 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.
Due to the format all barrel racers have to have a go for broke attitude this year at the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo — only the top runner advances. Tricia Aldridge turned in the fastest time in the morning session to earn her first trip to the gold medal round in Salt Lake City. She stopped the clock in 17.30 seconds. Things got faster in the second set during the performance with McKale Seitz from Taylor, Utah stopping the clock in 17.04 seconds. In 2024, Kassie Mowry rode a horse sired by The Goodbye Lane and Seitz is hoping she might have the same magic in 2025 as she too is jockeying a horse by that same sire.
"I know this horse can do it,” Seitz said about her horse she calls Bones. “The last couple years I've just been seasoning him, getting him used to the ground and this year he's come a lot stronger and has grown up a lot more. I'm just happy.”
She went on to say: "He's a Goodbye Lane and he's great. He loves his job and you can tell he loves to turn."
Advancing in the team roping are Kolton Schmidt and Landen Glenn with 9.7 seconds on two head and the Minor brothers, Riley and Brady with a 13.2. They will return to Salt Lake City and the Utah Days of ’47 Arena on Saturday for not only a chance at the gold medal, but for an $18,000 paycheck to the No. 1 team.
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.
The bulls won the night in the bull riding but two cowboys did make the whistle to advance to the final round. Sam Southern of Weengallon, Queensland, Australia, rode Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Firetime for 88.5. Bodee Burr was the other qualified ride on Legacy Pro Rodeo’s Buckeye.
There was an intense moment during the bull riding when both rider Wyatt Bowman and bullfighter Conner Kimbrough were knocked out. Bowman was aboard Championship Rodeo’s Guess Who when he was knocked out and Kimbrough was then knocked out while trying to save Bowman. Both regained consciousness in the arena under the supervision of the Justin Sportsmedicine Team. Bowman was not transported but Kimbrough was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
Action at the Utah Day of ’47 Rodeo continues July 23 at 8 p.m. MT.
Tickets are still available. For more information on the event visit www.utahdaysof47rodeo.com.
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Results: - Performance 1 – July 22, 2025
Bareback riding: 1. Cooper Cooke, Victor, Idaho, 90 points on Carr Pro Rodeo’s Foxhole Gunner, $2,000; 2. Sage Allen, Blackfoot, ID, 88, $1,750; 3. Mason Stuller, Veneta, OR, 86.5, $1,250; 4. Jess Pope, Waverly, KS, 86, $1,000.
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Cooper Cooke and Sage Allen
Steer wrestling: First round:1. Bridger Anderson, Carrington, ND, 4.4 seconds, $914; 2. Stetson Jorgensen, Blackfoot, ID, 4.5, $686; 3. Justin Shaffer, Hallsville, TX, 4.6, $457; 4. Tucker Allen, Ventura, CA, 4.8, $229. Second round: 1. Tyler Waguespack, Gonzale, LA, 4.7 seconds, $914; 2. Stetson Jorgensen, Blackfoot, ID, 4.8, $686; 3. Jesse Brown, Baker City, OR, 4.9, $457; 4. Logan Kenline, Penrose, CO, 5.3, $229. Average: 1. Stetson Jorgensen, 9.3 on two head, $1,371; 2. Tyler Waguespack, 9.7, $1,029; 3. Bridger Anderson, 10.0, $686; 4. Justin Shaffer, 10.4, $343.
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Stetson Jorgensen and Tyler Waguespack
Team roping: First round: 1. Kolton Schmidt, Barrhead, AB/Landen Glenn, McAlester, OK, 4.6 seconds, $914 each; 2. Luke Brown, Rock Hill, SC/Trey Yates, Pueblo, CO, 4.7, $686; 3. Riley Minor, Ellensburg, WA/Brady Minor, Ellensburg, WA, 4.8, $457; 4. (tie) Dustin Egusquiza, Marianna, FL/JC Flake, Millsap, TX, and Aaron Tsinigine, Tuba City, AZ/Jeremy Buhler, Arrowwood Alberta, AZ, 5.1, $114. Second round: 1. Clay Smith, Broken Bow, OK/Nicky Northcott, Stephenville, TX, 4.5 seconds, $914 each; 2. Kolton Schmidt, Barrhead, AB/Landen Glenn, McAlester, OK, 5.1, $686; 3. Riley Minor, Ellensburg, WA/Brady Minor, Ellensburg, WA, 8.4, $457; 4. Cody Carter, Stephenville, TX/Blake Bentley, Stephenville, TX, 14.4, $229. AAverage: 1. Kolton Schmidt/Landen Glenn, 9.7 seconds on two, $1,371; 2. Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 13.2, $1,029; 3. Luke Brown/Trey Yates, 19.3, $686; 4. Cody Carter/Blake Bentely, 20.7, $343.
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Kolton Schmidt/Landen Glenn and Riley and Brady Minor
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Chase Brooks, Deer Lodge, MT, 88.5 points on Sankey Rodeo’s The Black Tie, $2,000; 2. Sage Newman, Melstone, MT, 88, $1,750; 3. Ryder Wright, Beaver, UT, 86.5, $1,250; 4. (tie) Jesse Kruse, Bridger, MT and Darcy Radel, Injune, Queensland, Australia, 86, $500 each.
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Chase Brooks and Sage Newman
Updated as of July 23 - Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Dylan Hancock, San Angelo, TX, 7.7 seconds, $914; 2. Shad Mayfield, Clovis, NM, 9.9, $686; 3. Kincade Henry, Mount Pleasant, TX, 10.6, $457; 4. Cash Hooper, Pampa, TX, $229. Second round: 1. Cash Hooper, Pampa, TX, 8.4 seconds, $914; 2. Dylan Hancock, San Angelo, TX, 8.8, $686; 3. (tie) Kincade Henry, Mount Pleasant, TX, and Brey Yore, Rupert, ID, 13.9, $343 each Average: 1. Dylan Hancock, 16.5 seconds on two, $1,371; 2. Cash Hooper, 19.2, $1,029; 3. Kincade Henry, 24.5, $686; 4. Riley Webb, 29.10, $343.
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Dylan Hancock and Cash Hooper
Breakaway roping: First round: 1. (tie) Cheyanne McCartney, Kingston, OK, and Maddy Deerman, Hope, NM, 2.1 seconds, $748; 3. Braylee Shepherd, Fizhugh, OK, 2.2, $427; 4. Rickie Fanning, Martin, SD, 2.4, $214. Second round: 1. Hali Williams, Comanche, TX, 2.1 seconds, $854; 2. Beau Peterson, Council Grove, KS, 2.4, $641; 3. Braylee Shepherd, 2.5, $427; 4. Rickie Fanning, Martin, SD, 4.0, $214. Average: 1. Braylee Shepherd, 4.7 on two head; 2. Rickie Fanning, 6.4; 3. Maddy Deerman, 14.2; 4. (tie) Addy Hill and Cheyanne McCartney, 14.7.
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Braylee Shepherd and Rickie Fanning
Barrel racing: First round, first set: 1. Tricia Aldridge, Sanger, TX, 17.30 seconds, $1,495; 2. Tayla Moeykens, Three Forks, MT, 17.32, $1,121; 3. Emily Beisel, Weatherford, OK, 17.39, $748; 4. Ashley Parks, Dania Beach, FL, 17.49, $374. Second set: 1. McKale Seitz, Taylor, UT, 17.04 seconds, $1,495; 2. Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Lampasas, TX, 17.16, $1,121; 3. MaKenna Shook, Needville, TX, 17.19, $748; 4. Whitley Sharp, Caldwell, ID, 17.33, $374.
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Tricia Aldridge and McKale Seitz
Bull riding: 1. Sam Southern, Weengallon, Queensland, Australia, 88.5 on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Tiretime, $3,125; 2. Bodee Burr, Mt. Pleasant, UT, 79, $2,875; no other qualified rides
Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Sam Southern and Bodee Burr