Watching Walla Walla: Who’s Leaving Washington With Sights Set on the NFR

It’s rodeo time in the Evergreen State! As the Walla Walla Frontier Days Rodeo wrapped up on September 1, many competitors took home payouts that boosted their chance at an NFR qualification.

Saddle Bronc Riding action at a PRCA professional rodeo / Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

As September opens up and the regular season winds down with huge ticket events such as the Ellensburg Rodeo, the Puyallup Rodeo and Walla Walla Frontier Days, there’s no doubt that it’s rodeo time in the Evergreen State.

The Walla Walla Frontier Days Rodeo, held in conjunction with the Walla Walla Fair, took place in Walla Walla, Wash. August 30 – September 1, resulting in a major payday for multiple competitors in each event.  

The roots of the Walla Walla fair and rodeo can be traced all the way back to 1866 – 23 years before Washington even became a state – making it the oldest fair in the state, which leaves no surprise that its three rodeo performances have grown to be a highly-sought stop along the rodeo trail for so many competitors and fans alike.

Results

In the Bareback Riding at Walla Walla, the #24 ranked man in the world standings Clay Jorgenson came out on top with 86 points on Brookman Rodeo’s Lunatic Heaven – a ride that paid him $5,711. Currently, Jorgenson is just shy of $33,000 out of the top 15 in the standings, but with almost a full month left in the regular season, there’s lots of time for a standings shuffle.

Many of the timed events at Walla Walla run on an average of two head, which five-time NFR qualifier Jacob Talley used to his advantage in the Steer Wrestling, placing in the top three in both rounds for a combined 8.4 seconds on two. All winnings combined, Talley left Walla Walla $7,998 richer and ranked the #17 man in the world.

The Team Roping average championship went to round one winners Brady Tryan and Calgary Smith, who, with two runs of 4.3 and 4.1 seconds, averaged 8.4 seconds on two head for a total payout of $8,565. After their win in Washington, Tryan and Smith are ranked #21 and #25 in the heading and heeling, respectively.

Number 8 man in the world Brody Cress took the Saddle Bronc Riding, cashing in an 89.5 point ride on Brookman Rodeo’s Satisfaction for a $5,358 check. Cress has seven NFR qualifications under his belt and, as he currently sits comfortably in the top 15 in the world, looks to be aiming for qualification #8.

The average again went to the round one winner in the Tie-Down Roping: Nick Achille, who’s currently unranked in the world standings, ended with 17.2 seconds on two head, after runs of 8.0 and 9.2 in rounds one and two. Achille cashed in on a combined $7,136 for his round and average wins in Walla Walla.

Barrel Racing is an exception to the “on two head” standard in the timed events at Walla Walla; Summer Kosel took advantage of this by securing her win – and $6,057 payday – with a 17.06 second run. Lisa Lockhart followed closely behind with a 17.07 for a second place check.

Opposite of the Barrel Racing, the Steer Roping at Walla Walla runs on a three head average. In 2024, round one went to Thomas Smith, the #13 man in the world. Slade Wood, currently ranked #2, took the second round, and round three belonged to Cash Fretwell, who’s currently unranked. The average title, however, was dominated by #4 ranked man Cody Lee, who tied with Coleman Proctor for fourth in round one. Lee left Walla Walla with an average of 41.4 seconds on three head and a total payout of $2,516.

The third ranked man in the world TJ Gray sat one of only five qualified rides to take the Bull Riding with 86 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Big Salty for a check worth $6,210. With no previous NFR qualifications and a 2023 world standings final ranking of 22, Gray definitely has his sights set on the 2024 NFR.

A familiar face took the title of Walla Walla Frontier Days All Around Cowboy: three-time World Champion Junior Nogueira took home a check of $5,286 after placing in both the Team Roping and the Tie-Down Roping.