‘Dream Win’ Providing Tie-Down Roper Momentum to Close 2026, Build for Next Season

Britt Bedke’s success in Cheyenne has him in position to finish the current season with his highest ranking ever in the PRCA World Standings.

After sneaking into the semifinals via a fifth-place finish in the qualifier, Britt Bedke rolled to the tie-down roping title at Cheyenne Frontier Days. | CFD photo by Click Thompson

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Britt Bedke is no stranger to success at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. But his finish last weekend was one the Oakley, Idaho tie-down roper struggled to comprehend. 

The fourth man to run during Sunday’s championship round, Bedke made the tie in 10.3 seconds, setting an early tone. Others came close, with two cowboys finishing in under 11 seconds, including a 10.5-second effort by Macon Murphy, but it wasn’t enough to overtake the top spot. 

“I knew I had one of the top two calves in the pen. I just didn’t want to screw it up,” Bedke joked after the victory, noting he had seen the calf during his semifinal run and hoped to match up with it. “He jumped right into my arms like I wanted. All I was praying was that he would lay and not kick, so it was good.”

Bedke’s surge at the finish line came after a squeak at the start. During his qualifying bracket, Bedke eked his way into the semifinals as the fifth-place finisher in the group, making him the last guaranteed qualifier. While it wasn’t pretty, it did ensure him a spot in the semis. 

From there, the 27-year-old got back into a groove, something he’s done several times during his appearances at the Daddy of ’Em All. This year’s trip to CFD marked the fourth time Bedke has run at Frontier Park and three of those four years he’s made Sunday’s short round, including a runner-up finish in 2023.

This time, he tied for second in the semifinal round and went on to notch the second-best time of the entire rodeo in the finale, securing $11,950 in total earnings from his time in Cheyenne. 

“(This win) is number one on my list. This is a dream win for me. So I’m excited,” Bedke said. 

The outcome was a significant confidence boost as Bedke pushes for his best ProRodeo season to date. With nearly $58,000 already in his ledger, he's well on his way to a career-defining finish. In 2023, he ended the year with $62,730 in prize money, good enough to place No. 30 in the PRCA World Standings. 

As of this week, Bedke’s back at the No. 30 spot in the rankings with a chance to earn more over the final two months, setting him up for something special this year as well as 2027. And Cheyenne was the perfect place to start his push to the finish. 

“I knew I had a big chance for big money this week and I just needed to capitalize when I got those good calves. It’s awesome,” Bedke said.