World Champion Battles Back From Injury To Become 2024 NFR Contender

Tyler Waguespack wins under the pressure and moves to the top 15 with only a week remaining in the regular rodeo season.

Sami Jo Buum | Sep 23, 2024

Hillary Maybery for Rodeo on SI

Tyler Waguespack wins the Rough Riders Cup in Mandan, North Dakota to launch himself into the top 15 in the world standings. His 3.4 second run secured him $14,572 totaling his 2024 money won to $88,676.

Early in the summer at the Sisters rodeo, Tyler Waguespack tore his bicep, putting an immediate halt to his summer rodeos.

A detrimental time to be sidelined for sure as it looked like this injury would make the 2024 Wrangler National Finals a far fetch for the 9-time NFR qualifying cowboy who at the time was slowly dropping in the standings.

"Wags", as he is affectionately known, was expected to return to steer wrestling in September of 2024, however after rehab and great efforts, Tyler started entering rodeos for the first of August.

He came back strong with a big win in Idaho Falls and mutiple runs under 4-seconds gave him a great start to climbing back in the standings right off in August.

Though there were only two months of rodeo left in the regular season a WNFR qualification would be hard to secure. Wags was going to use the remainder of the season to work his way back into the top 40 and set himself up for next year.

Being the determined and tough cowboy that he is, he has done far more then keep his name in the top 40. After a phenomenal fall rodeo season and the win at the Rough Rider Cup, Wags is now sitting No. 13 in the world standings with just seven days left in the season.

The Gonzales, Louisiana cowboy has five more rodeos he is entered in that will count for the current season giving him more chances to win some extra dough and secure that top 15 spot.

A few of the cowboys with the opportunity to catch Wags are out of rodeo count or not entered for the remainder of the season making it an intense race to secure NFR positions.

No doubt it will be an interesting seven days to follow, but the 5-time world champion is not finished with his comeback story yet.

Published Sep 23, 2024

SAMI JO BUUM

From tiny pink cowboy boots and pigtails to pro rodeos and fast horses, Sami Jo was definitely bitten by the horse bug at a very young age. She was born and raised in Colorado on a small backyard farm in Brighton. The western industry has been a huge part of almost every aspect of her life. She was not born into a rodeo family and is a first-generation professional barrel racer. With her husband, she co-owns and operates a construction company out of Keenesburg, Colo. as well as run a small performance horse breeding and training operation, Dark Horse Equine. She is passionate about animals, rodeo, family, work and Christ. She plays many roles from business owner, professional cowgirl, rodeo wife, horse trainer and breeder, animal therapist, writer and more; however, being a mom is her favorite job title. I look forward to sharing my experiences and all things western with my audience.