PRCA Northwest Run Takes Off With Wacey Schalla Chasing Stetson Wright

The end of the regular season for professional rodeo is drawing near and that means the northwest run is officially on. Hermiston, Ore. is one of the biggest that contestants look forward to with a payout that nears $600,000.

The rodeo is also one of the few that are left that offer multiple runs for most of the events, giving opportunity for the contestants to win money more than once. Fans were able to see a record-breaking run in the team roping by both the famous team of Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira, plus Kellan and Carson Johnson, but that wasn't exactly the highlight of the weekend.

Wacey Schalla and the All-Around Race

It has been a long time since anybody has given a healthy Stetson Wright a run for his money in the all-around standings, but Schalla is dong his best. The main issue that was going to come up for Schalla was if he wasn't able to qualify for both of his events to the NFR.

Until recently, it wasn't looking like he was going to make it into the NFR in both the bareback and bull riding, but he has now given himself a fighting chance, because if Wright were able to qualify in both the saddle bronc and the bull riding, he would all but secure another gold buckle in the all-around.

After Hermiston, he now finds himself in the top 15 in the bareback riding. Schalla finished no worse than third in the bareback riding this weekend. His near 90-point ride in round two, accompanied by his 86-point score in round one, led to an average victory and almost 13k towards his bareback and all-around world standings.

Ty Erickson in jeans and a black shirt wrestling a steer in a black felt hat. — Ty Erickson | RION SANDERS/GREAT FALLS TRIBUNE, Great Falls Tribune via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Timed Event Standouts

Ty Erickson is a man on a mission after his first gold buckle that came just last season. Hermiston treated him well as he placed in both of the rounds to take the average victory and add an additional $15,000 to his bank account.

Only three cowgirls in the barrel racing posted runs that were sub-17 seconds: Tayla Moeykens, Hailey Kinsel, and Helen Nowosad. It was Moeykens who earned bragging rights over the four-time world champion.

Moeykens wasn't the only girl who took home a big payday, but Erin Johnson was also out for top money in her quest for another berth to the National Finals come December. She took home the average win after splitting the first round and placing in the second to go 4.5 seconds on two runs.

The northwest run will go on for the next six weeks and this will not be the only rodeo posting big payouts. The standings will keep shifting as athletes chase the NFR and the bright lights of the Thomas and Mack.