By Ted Harbin, TwisTed Rodeo
LAS VEGAS – The National Finals Rodeo can be a bit of a blur.
Saddle bronc rider Brody Wells – competing at the championship for the first time – found that out early. There’s mystique surrounding this 10-day affair, a celebration of the year’s greatness in rodeo. Most in the field have spent a lifetime just trying to make it inside the yellow chutes. This is Wells’ moment, and he’s adjusting to all the pomp and circumstance that comes with competing in the sport’s biggest event.
“I can’t even remember getting on that horse (Thursday) night,” said Wells, 23, of Powell, Wyoming. “It felt like my first horse really.”
He scored 80 points, but that wasn’t even close to placing on opening night. He more than made up for it during Friday’s second round, riding Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Pretty Woman for 90 points to win the night and collect $33,687. He’s moved up one spot to 11th in the world standings with $179,490.
Of course, it helped to have a horse like Pretty Woman, which is bucking at the finale for the eighth time and has guided cowboys to round victories before.
“That horse is electric,” he said. “He’s built and has got good shoulders, something you can get a hold of (with spurs). You get a good spur out, and you can feel him. I felt him back up underneath my feet and come back underneath me.
“We got in time with each other and a guy could show off, feel him kicking over, cracking hard, kicking behind my head, so it felt great.”
With that, he not only collected a bucketload of cash but also made a trip to the South Point Hotel and Casino for the nightly go-round buckle presentation.
“I’ve got all my family here,” said Wells, who was part of men’s national championship teams at Clarendon (Texas) College in 2021 and Tarleton State University in 2022. “My grandpa is actually here for a few days, so it’s pretty special to do that. He’s pumped the whole time he’s been here.”
It’s another aspect of competing on ProRodeo’s biggest stage, which not only features the top 15 contestants in each event from the regular season but also hosts tens of thousands of fans during a week and a half in the Nevada desert. Cowboys and cowgirls are treated like rock stars, and they’ve earned the right to compete for the most prize money throughout the year.
In the City of Entertainment, it takes talent and a little bit of luck to shine, which is exactly what Wells did Friday.
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