Close Call in San Antonio Leaves 3x World Champ on the Outside Looking In

The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is underway, and the excitement just keeps on building. NFR qualifiers, rookies and everything in between are all battling it out to decide who will advance to the semi-finals.

Unlike other tournament-style rodeos, such as RODEOHOUSTON, where contestants begin each advancing round with a clean slate, advancement in San Antonio is based on total money won across all rounds. So, money won in the brackets will come into play when determining who moves on from the semi-finals to the finals.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

The tie-down came down to a close call for the last advancing spot, but 2019 World Champion, Haven Meged, cruised to the front of the pack. Meged's calf in Round 3 gave him trouble on the ground, but a pair of second-place checks in Rounds 1 and 2 will send him to the semi-finals.

Also moving on will be Bo Pickett and Cole Clemons. Clemons was a step off-pace coming into the final round of Bracket 2, but an 8.0-second run to win Round 3 moved him right back into the top four.

Three cowboys tied for the final advancing spot with total winnings of $2,752, including the three-time reigning World Champion, Riley Webb. Webb took the first round with an 8.0-second run, but he struggled in Rounds 2 and 3 and didn't place again.

Brey Yore placed in two rounds, tying him in overall money with Webb, but it will be the current No. 6 cowboy in the world, Bryce Derrer who will advance to the semi-finals. Derrer, like Webb, won only a first-place check during Bracket 2. However, in the event of a tie, the contestant with the fastest time advances to the next round.

Derrer's smoking 7.8-second run, the fastest time in San Antonio so far this year, was just what he needed to move him on to the next round. As the 24-year-old cowboy eyes his first NFR qualification, this close call could be a big step toward that goal.

More Results from Bracket 2

Mason Stuller, the No. 11 bareback rider in the world, has already racked up more than $20,000 this season and is showing no signs of slowing. The 22-year-old Oregon cowboy placed in all three rounds of Bracket 2, landing him the top position, moving on to the finals.

Joining Stuller in the semi-finals will be the recent PRCA All-Around runner-up, Wacey Schalla, who split the Round 1 win with Kade Berry, also advancing.

The final qualifier, Tilden Hooper, pulled together a buzzer-beater performance in Round 3. Hooper had only won roughly $500 coming into the third round, well short of what he needed to advance. In the final round, he climbed aboard Deputy Sue of Calgary Stampede and rode for 87 points and a first-place check.

The steer wrestling was full of ties as the top two men advancing will do so with the same total winnings. Eight-time NFR qualifier, Will Lummus, won Round 1 with a 5.2-second run, then placed 2nd in Rounds 2 and 3. Altogether, he won $6,881, tying him at the top with underdog Riley Westhaver.

Also advancing to the finals in the steer wrestling will be NFR qualifiers, Dalton Massey and Riley Duvall.

The 2025 Resistol Rookie Header of the Year, James Arviso, and partner, Rance Doyal, bagged two round wins in Bracket 2. Though they didn't place in Round 2, the team put together two fast runs in Rounds 1 and 3 to put them in the driver's seat heading to the semi-finals.

Veteran team, Derrick Begay and Colter Todd, prove once again that their consistent style is nearly impossible to beat. The NFR-qualifying pair placed in Rounds 1 and 2 and will move on to the semi-finals. Joining them will be Jaxon Hill and Jessen James and Cody Carter and Will Woodfin.

Zeke Thurston is widely regarded as one of the best saddle bronc riders in the game, and he proved why yet again in Bracket 2 of San Antonio. Thurston placed in the first two rounds, then capped off an already solid performance with an electric 87.5-point ride on Get Across Nelly of Calgary Stampede to win Round 3.

Joining Thurston in the finals will be Stetson Wright, Cash Wilson and Riggin Smith.

Plain and simple, Josie Conner is a tough roper to beat. She advanced through to the finals in Fort Worth just one week ago and is now trekking her way to the finals in San Antonio as well. She placed in all three rounds, including round wins in Rounds 1 and 3.

Jill Tanner, fresh off of a massive win at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, will join Conner in the semi-finals after placing in two rounds. Also heading to the semi-finals will be Joey Williams and Jessi Everett.

Barrel racer, LaTricia Duke, was the high-money winner across all events for Bracket 2 with more than $7,000 in total earnings. The Texas cowgirl currently sits just inside the top 40 in the world standings, so a big win in San Antonio would be a major step toward a 2026 NFR bid.

In the bull riding, Trey Benton was one of only two cowboys to cover more than one bull in Bracket 2. Benton posted an 82-point ride in Round 1, then followed it up in Round 3 with a 90-point ride on Insurrection of Stockyards Pro Rodeo.

Clayton Sellars took the Round 2 win with an 86.5-point ride aboard Stockyards ProRodeo's Party In The USA. Joining them in the finals will be Lane Vaughan and T Parker.

More Results from Bracket 2

Recommended Articles