Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo Kicks off with an Electric Atmosphere

SALT LAKE CITY (July 21, 2026) – The 2026 Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo presented by Zions Bank kicked off Tuesday night, July 21 with an electric atmosphere. From action to weather delays, the night had a little of everything at the Days of ’47 Arena.

Prior to a weather and lightning delay the bareback riding and steer wrestling events were complete. Looking for gold medals are two bareback riders who tied at the top of the leaderboard on opening night with 83-point rides. Cole Franks and Carson Hildre will be moving on to the Gold Medal round on Saturday night. Franks of Clarendon, Texas rode Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Foxhole Gunner, while Hildre was matched with Ward Macza’s Color Coded.

The Gold Standard in Rodeo features a total of nearly 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 25. There will be 40 competitors in all the events (Bareback riding, Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding, Tie-Down Roping, Breakaway roping, Barrel Racing and Bull riding).

J.D. Struxness secured his spot in the Gold Medal round finishing with a two-run time of 8.8 seconds after stopping the clock in 4.7 seconds in the first round and 4.1 in the Tuesday night performance. Joining him will be Mason Couch.

Following the weather delay, the team roping resumed the action at the Days of ’47 Arena with Cody Snow and Lane Mitchell punching their ticket to Saturday with a total of 10.4 seconds on two head. Jr. Dees and Landen Glenn took second in the average in a time of 11.1 and will make plans now to be back in Salt Lake on Saturday night.

The timed events, excluding barrel racing, are 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 40 barrel racers with the top two advancing each night to the gold medal round.

Saddle bronc rider Sage Newman will be back Saturday to defend his gold medal from a year ago after going 88 points on Andrews Rodeo’s Am Hats Positive Times. Despite the mud he was all smiles knowing he would get on another in Salt Lake City. Joining him will be Coleman Shallbetter with an 87 on Pete Carr’s Stockyards Babe.

It was a family affair in the tie-down roping with the Harris brothers advancing with a chance to add some Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo medals to their trophy cases. Following the first round, Joel and Ty Harris were 1-2 and that is the way they finished the day to secure their spot in Saturday night’s performance. Joel took the top spot in a total time of 14.9 seconds, with older brother Ty finishing in 15.7 seconds. Ty won the gold in 2019 and now Joel is trying to capture his own.

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.

Although WPRA barrel racer Carlee Otero is from Texas, she feels right at home in Salt Lake City. Riding her palomino horse Regina, she took the win on opening night with a 17.43 second run, followed by Idaho’s own Megan McLeod-Sprague. Otero took home the gold in 2025 and she is on track to defend that title. She not only has her eyes set on the gold medal in Salt Lake City but she would love a gold buckle in December in Las Vegas. The money won at the only Gold Medal Rodeo in the world could help her achieve that goal for the first time in her career.

Cadee Williams and Rylee George are also searching for their own gold in the breakaway roping and both will be back Saturday to try and accomplish that. Williams edged George finishing with a two-run total of 4.1 compared to a 4.2 turned in by the 2025 National Breakaway finals average champion.

The night came to a close with Dalton Allred and Koby Jacobson advancing with scores of 86 and 84 respectively.

Action at the Utah Day of ’47 Rodeo continues July 22 at 8 p.m. MT.

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Results: - Performance 1 – July 21, 2026

Bareback riding: 1. (tie) Carson Hildre, Velva, ND, on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Color Coded and Cole Franks, Clarendon, TX, on Pete Carr’s Foxhole Gunner, 83, $2,905 each; 3. Leighton Berry, Weatherford, TX, 81 on Championship’s Gander Goose, $1,197; 4. Roedy Farrell, Thermopolis, WY 79.5 on Pete Carr’s Chrome Molly, $599.

Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Carson Hildre and Cole Franks

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Bridger Anderson, Carrington, ND, 4.3 seconds; 2. J.D. Struxness, Milan, MN, 4.7; 3. Mason Couch, Bronaugh, MO, 4.9; 4. Mike McGinn, Haines, OR, 8.8. Second round: 1. J.D. Struxness, Milan, MN, 4.1 seconds; 2. (tie) Mason Couch, Bronaugh, MO, and Mike McGinn, Haines, OR, 4.7; 4. Garrett Oates, Ballinger, TX, 5.2. Average: 1. J.D. Struxness, 8.8 seconds on two head; 2. Mason Couch, 9.6; 3. Bridger Anderson, 10.4; 4. Mike McGinn, 10.4.

Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: J.D. Struxness and Mason Couch

Team roping: First round: 1. Jr. Dees/Landen Glenn, 4.7 seconds; 2. Brenten Hall/Wyatt Cox, 5.3; 3. Cody Snow/Lane Mitchell, 5.4; 4. Jamse Arviso/Levi Lord, 5.8.  Second round: 1. Curry Kirchner/Tanner Braden, 4.1 seconds; 2. Cody Snow/Lane Mitchell, 5.0; 3. Jet Toberer/Braylon Tryan, 5.6; 4. Jr Dees/Landen Glenn, 6.4. Average: 1. Cody Snow/Lane Mitchell, 10.4 seconds on two head; 2. Jr Dees/Landen Glenn, 11.1; 3. James Arviso/Levi Lord, 13.2; 4. Curry Kirchner/Tanner Braden, 4.1 on one.

Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Jr Dees/Landen Glenn and Brenten Hall/Wyatt Cox

Saddle bronc riding: 1. Sage Newman, 88 points on Andrews Rodeo’s Am Hats Positive Times, $2,395; 2. Coleman Shallbetter, 87 on Pete Carr’s Stockyard’s Babe, $1,796; 3. (tie) Chase Brooks, on Andrews Rodeo’s, Rusty Wright on Pete Carr’s Northern Exposure and Gus Gaillard on Andrews Rodeo’s Cracker Jack, 86 points, $599.

Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Sage Newman and Coleman Shallbetter

Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Joel Harris, San Angelo, TX, 7.4 seconds; 2. Ty Harris, San Angelo, 7.6; 3. (tie) Riley Webb and Kincade Henry, 8.2. Second round: 1. Shane Hanchey, 7.3; 2. Joel Harris, 7.5; 3. Kincade Henry, 7.7; 4. Ty Harris, 8.1. Average: 1. Joel Harris, 14.9 seconds on two head; 2. Ty Harris, 15.7; 3. Kincade Henry, 15.9; 4. Stran Dunham, 21.6.

Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Joel Harris and Ty Harris

Breakaway roping: First round: 1. Josie Conner, Iowa, LA, 1.7 seconds, $899; 2. Cadee Williams, Big Timber, MT, 2.0, $674; 3. Rylee George, Oakdale, CA, 2.0, $450; 4. Martha Angelone, Stephenville, TX, 2.4, $225. Second round: 1. (tie) Cadee Williams and Rylee George, 2.1 seconds, $787 each; 3. (tie) Jenna Dallyn and Kenzie Kelton, 2.2, $337 each. Average: 1. Cadee Williams, 4.1 seconds on two head, $1,349; 2. Rylee George, 4.2, $1,011; 3. Jordi Edens Mitchell, 5.3, $674; 4. Josie Conner, 13.4, $337.

Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Cadee Williams and Rylee George

Barrel racing: 1.Carlee Otero, 17.43 seconds, $3,147; 2. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 17.58, $2,360; 3. Taylor Manning, 18.05; 4. Kassie Mowry, 18.25, $787.

Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Carlee Otero and Megan McLeod-Sprague

Bull riding: 1. Dalton Allred, 86 points on Andrews Rodeo’s Rowtag, $3,294; 2. Koby Jacobson, 84 on Diamond G Rodeo’s Frequent Flyer, $2,694; no other qualified rides

Gold Medal Round current qualifiers: Dalton Allred and Koby Jacobson