First-Time Father Gets Chance to Ride in Front of Son at Cheyenne

With his newborn child, Roweler, in the crowd for his first rodeo experience, the local product added a new memory to his hometown rodeo.

Saddle bronc rider Brody Cress got the chance to ride in front of his newborn son at his hometown rodeo, Cheyenne Frontier Days, on Thursday. / Fernando Sam-Sin/@fsamsin

Compartmentalization. It’s how Brody Cress has always approached being a rodeo competitor. 

No matter the location, the size of the crowd, the quality of the saddle bronc horse or the amount of money he’s competing for, Cress goes into every ride with an intentional focus, tuning out external factors. 

When it comes to Cheyenne Frontier Days, that approach is certainly tested. 

His family and friends are in town. The Hillsdale, Wyo., native grew up in the arena. As one of his first sponsors when he turned pro, the rodeo’s arrowhead logo is proudly displayed on his vest, chaps and shirt. This place is dripping with meaning to his journey as both a rodeo athlete and person. 

This year, a new layer has been added – his son, Roweler Rank Cress, was born almost exactly one month prior to his father’s ride at the 2024 edition of CFD. The yearly event Brody grew up attending was Roweler’s first-ever trip to a rodeo on Thursday. 

Compartmentalizing just got a little harder. 

“I’ve been telling myself everytime I crawl in the bucking chute to go out there and be the best you can because you’ve got somebody looking up to you now. I know I’ve had lots of kids looking up to me throughout the rodeo world, but it’s definitely a different thing when it’s your own flesh and blood,” Cress said. “I’m just so excited to have him here. I didn’t even know I could have feelings like that until I saw him born. It’s a huge thing, but honestly it gives me more confidence and a more calming presence whenever I get to crawl down in the bucking chute and do my job.”

Cress did his best to set aside the outside noise during his matchup with Summit Pro Rodeo bucking horse Patron at Thursday’s quarterfinal of the Frontier Days Rodeo. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as he was hit with a mark-out infraction at the start of the ride that ended his run at his hometown rodeo.

Cress will now have to impatiently wait another year to try and add to his already impressive CFD lore. He’s one of only three competitors to ever win a trio of consecutive titles at ‘The Daddy of ’Em All,’ nabbing three straight saddle bronc championships from 2017-19.

With another Frontier Days buckle, Cress would join a truly elite list as only four people have ever won four or more CFD titles in a single category since the rodeo’s creation 128 years ago. JIm Shoulders and Trevor Brazile each have four as all-around cowboy titles, while Kristie Peterson won four combined in barrel racing. The all-time leader is steer roper Fred Lowery, who left Cheyenne with six championships between 1916-1928. 

It’s company Cress would be honored to join eventually, but he doesn’t dwell on it – he only wants another CFD buckle no matter what number it is. 

“I try not to think about it. Now, I think about the fact of how long it’s been since I’ve won one of them. I’m really itching to be able to get another one,” Cress said. “It was awesome to be able to get those three in-a-row and do that, but these few years after that have been pretty rough so I’m ready to get it turned back around and get another buckle.”