EHV-1 Disruption Sends Surprise Contenders to San Antonio Rodeo

Due to the cancellation of the Uvalde qualifier, these athletes made the cut for San Antonio.

A saddle bronc rider at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo | John Gutierrez-Imagn Images

The rodeo world was thrown into chaos a few months ago due to a sudden and rampant outbreak of EHV-1. Events across the nation were cancelled or postponed, including the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Qualifier in Uvalde, Texas.

Of the 50 athletes that compete in each event in San Antonio, 40 of them come from the high-money earners in the previous year, and the remaining 10 come from the qualifier.

Since Uvalde was cancelled halfway through, only a few events were able to complete a full first round of competition. So for the steer wrestling, tie-down roping, breakaway roping and barrel racing, those 10 competitors had to come from somewhere else.

In such circumstances, the PRCA looks to the current world standings to determine who will fill the remaining spots. Athletes who got an early jump on their season will have a chance to run at San Antonio's $1.5 million purse.

This change leads to some competitors making their way into one of the prestigious building rodeos for the first time, including several PRCA rookies. Here are some of those athletes you should keep an eye on as the rodeo gets rolling.

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Dark Horses to Watch in San Antonio

Morgan Bagnell | Photo by Logan Brown

Morgan Bagnell, a rookie barrel racer from Heath, Texas, will make her San Antonio debut, thanks to the adjusted qualifications. Bagnell, a 2025 College National Finals Rodeo qualifier, had a stellar start to her first pro season in the WPRA.

"I had a way better start to the season than I was expecting," Bagnell said. "That gave me the momentum to keep chipping away and winning money."

Though it's Bagnell's first trip to San Antonio, her horses, Sir and Axel, have both run there before with other jockeys.

"All of [my horses] have been around the block,” Bagnell said. “They've been to the rodeos, and they know what to expect. They're probably more confident than I am a lot of times.”

Another rookie, Colin Fox, will be a steer wrestler worth keeping an eye on. Fox, the No. 2 man in the Resistol Rookie race, won the Fort Worth Rookie Rally just a few weeks ago, which won him a big check and a spot in the main tournament-style rodeo.

Fox, just 20 years old, finished his time on his permit strong with a win at the PRCA Permit Finals in October. Now, he's on to bigger and better things as he takes on his second stop of the Texas Swing.

In the tie-down roping, Chet Weitz started a strong 2026 season, and currently sits No. 11 in the world standings. Weitz, who also competes in the team roping, broke the tie-down roping fast time record at the Cheyene Frontier Days in 2024.

Though he struggled and didn't advance from his bracket in San Antonio last year, Weitz has all the talent to keep up with the major players in San Antonio.

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