This Thing is Legendary! Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is Underway

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo kicked off on Jan. 19 with the first set of competitors in the bracket-style rodeo. With both go-rounds now complete, see who is moving on to the semi-finals.

The second major indoor Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeo has officially kicked off in Fort Worth, Texas, inside Dickies Arena. The tournament-style rodeo features seven brackets with eight competitors in each. After the first two performances, here is a look at the stars who will advance into the semi-finals held Feb. 1 and 2.

Bareback Riding

The bareback riding was the Rocker Steiner show, where the 20-year-old two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier won both go rounds. On night number one, Steiner rode Korkow Rodeo's Fly Plane for 87 points and then came back in front of the Saturday Night live crowd to tame Brookman Rodeo's Super Dave for 86 points. Winning both nights and pocketing $4,000 in prize money advances the fun-loving cowboy to the semi-finals.

Joining Steiner will be Dean Thompson, the 21-year-old star from Altamont, Utah. Coming off his first NFR qualification in 2023, Thompson kept the momentum rolling by placing second on both nights and earning $3,000 toward the world standings.

The first name in the wild card bracket for bareback riding will be Nick Peake, where he will hope to fight his way back to a spot in the semi-finals.

Steer Wrestling

In the "big man's" event, Jesse Brown threw his first steer in a quick 3.6 seconds to take first and $2,000 for his Friday night work. Moving on to Saturday, Brown just stayed consistent and got a time of 4.1 to be fourth and gather $500. Combining his winnings, Brown earned $2,500 for his efforts and the chance to move on.

Tying in total money won was Goldthwaite, Texas cowboy Ryan Nettle. His 3.9 second Friday night run combined with a 4.0 Saturday was enough to earn the semi-finals position.

The wild card placer will be Cade Staton, who won the second round of competition with a 3.7-second run and earned the Bastrop, Texas, man $2,000.

Team Roping

The team roping came down to catching two head to advance. In each round of competition for the bracket, only three of the eight teams got a qualified time. Unfortunately, it wasn't the same three teams that caught both times. Therefore, teams advanced with just one check.

It is important to note that at Fort Worth, it is not a game of averages; it is about amassing the most money in any way you can. Every day is a new day, so if you rope a leg or miss, you are not out of the game.

In round one, Coleman Proctor and Logan Medlin were a smoking 5.2 seconds to claim the win and their $2,000 paycheck. This would be their only qualified time in the bracket, and because it was slower than the second-round winners, Proctor and Merdlin will rope again in the Wildcard.

Round two went to Kreece Thompson and Rance Royal with a run of 4.9. Even though Thompson and Royal got a no time in round one, the win advanced them on to the semi-finals.

The only team to get two qualified times earned the first position back to the semi-finals. Those talented individuals were Paul David Tierney and Carson Johnson.

Saddle Bronc

If your name started with a Q, it was your time to shine in Fort Worth in the Saddle Bronc riding.

Quinten Taylor rode Korkow Rodeos' Innocent Dreams for 83 points in the first round for the win. Just two spots down, earning a $1,000 paycheck, was Quintin McWhorter, who finished third with his 82-point ride.

In round two, the letter Q remained the letter of the day when McWhorter rode for 84 points to win second behind the great Zeke Thurston, who topped Brakeman Rodeo's Flirtatious for 85.5.

Adding up the winnings, McWhorter took top honors with $2,500, followed by Thurston, who earned $2,000. These two athletes punched their ticket to the semis and will be watching Quinten Taylor compete in the Wildcard.

Tie-Down Roping

Macon Murphy rode into town from Keatchie, La., and was a man with a plan. The NFR qualifier won second on the first night and then put an exclamation point on the deal when he won round two with a 7.9-second run. Together he earned $3,500 for his time in the arena and a ticket to the semi-finals round.

Randall Carlisle took care of business round one by winning the first night with his smooth 8.0 run. The $2,000 paycheck was enough to make him number two overall and earn his spot.

The wildcard contender for the group will be Tom Crouse, who completed his tie in the second round in 8.6 seconds.

Barrel Racing

The group of eight barrel racers in the warm-up pen for bracket one was a star-studded crowd. Any time the field includes Dublin, Texas' Kassie Mowry, you can expect greatness. The four-time NFR qualifier didn't disappoint when she clocked a 17.02 for third in the first round and then came back and blazed a 16.59 in round two for the victory. Amassing $3,000 for her efforts, Mowry moves on.

Coming in second is the red-headed, leg-lifting talent from Oklahoma, Emily Miller-Beisel. She took second in round one with a 16.67 and then followed that with another second with the exact same time in round two. They say consistency wins championships, and if that holds true, Beisel is on her way to becoming the FWSS&R champion.

The wild card competitor will be Megan McLeod-Sprague, who ran the fastest time of the entire bracket, 16.43 seconds in round one.

Bull Riding

Even though eight men competed each night, the bull riding came down to just two men and two bulls to determine who would advance.

Mason Moody wowed the crowd with his 83.5-point ride on Rafter G Rodeo's Western Hauler's Hurricane on Friday night and, given he was the only qualified ride, pocketed a nice $5,000 check.

The same thing happened on Saturday night with just one qualified ride, but this time, it came on top of Rafter G Rodeo's Something Rotten. Jestyn Woodward, the 20-year-old bull tamer from Custer, South Dakota, got to deposit the $5,000 check for his 8-second effort.

The secretary will also add Ernie Courson, Jr, to the list of Wildcard contestants.