One of Nine Cheyenne Frontier Days Qualifiers, Colorado Stampede Winners Advance

The winners of the Colorado Stampede have punched their ticket to the Daddy of 'Em All.

Riley Pruitt | Nathan Meyer Photography

In a controversial move, the Cheyenne Frontier Days committee announced that the rodeo would no longer host the qualifying rounds to determine who advanced to the main performances. For years, hundreds of contestants would make their way to Cheyenne, Wyo., in hopes of competing at the Daddy of 'Em All.

Now, rather than compete at the slack in Cheyenne to qualify for the main rodeo, contestants must compete at newly appointed qualifying rodeos. The winners from these qualifying rodeos, along with other contestants determined by world standings and circuit qualifications, will get the chance to compete in Cheyenne.

This rule change only applies to timed-event contestants, as the roughstock events were previously limited to 72 entries.

One of the qualifying rodeos, the Colorado Stampede in Grand Junction, Colo., just concluded, meaning there are nine contestants who just punched their ticket for Cheyenne.

Qualifiers From the Colorado Stampede

In the steer wrestling, eight-time NFR qualifier Nick Guy took the win with a 4.2-second run. After qualifying for the NFR in 2023, Guy finished unranked in 2024 and barely inside the top 40 in 2025. He currently sits unranked in this year's standings, so a trip to Cheyenne, especially with the new limited format, could have a big impact on his season.

There was a three-way tie for the win in the team roping between Bodie Mattson and Arye Espenscheid, Clay Elkington and Brodi Jones, and Stefan Ramone and Treyden Gonzales, all with a time of 5.0 seconds. It is not yet clear how tie-breakers will be determined for contestants who win at qualifier rodeos.

There was another tie in the tie-down roping between Riley Pruitt and Kyle Dickens with a pair of 9.3-second runs. Pruitt has qualified three times for the NFR, where he won the average title in 2016. Dickens, a 34-year-old cowboy from Loveland, Colo., held his own among a tough set of contestants to come out on top.

Barrel racer, Brittany Fellows, was one of the last cowgirls to compete at the Colorado Stampede and she took full advantage of her opportunity. She took the win with a smoking 15.37-second run, beating out second place by 0.15 seconds.

Fellows had success early in the season as well, placing at the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo in Denver, Colo., in Logandale, Nev., and Rodeo Kileen in Kileen, Texas. Her efforts have landed her just outside of the top 40 in the WPRA Barrel Racing World Standings.

Finally, in the breakaway roping, Taya McAdow won with a 1.9-second run. McAdow is a top contender in the Mountain States Circuit, where she won the average at the Circuit Finals in 2025, qualifying her for this summer's NFR Open in Colorado Springs.