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Reigning World Champion Healing From Injuries in Preparation for 2026 NFR

Saddle Bronc Riding World Champion Statler Wright is healing from knee injuries with the NFR just around the corner.
Teal Stoll|
Statler Wright
Statler Wright | Nathan Meyer Photography

As we head into the final weeks before the 2026 National Finals Rodeo (NFR), athletes are preparing for the most grueling 10 rounds of the entire season. Professional rodeo has no off-season, and the entire year is a lengthy, difficult journey for the cowboys and cowgirls pursuing their shot at a gold buckle.

For some, the two-month span from the end of the professional rodeo season to the first round of the NFR is needed to recover from the brutal year-long road to Las Vegas.

Reigning World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider Statler Wright found himself in that category, with a torn meniscus, as well as MCL and ACL injuries, per Cowboy+.

According to their information, Wright needed rest, not surgery, to address the damage and is planning to be ready to compete by December 3, when Round 1 kicks off the 2026 event.

Those 10 rides inside the famed yellow walls of the Thomas & Mack will determine the 2026 World Champions, and with an unprecedented amount of money on the line, it will be a battle until the end.

The Reigning World Champ

The youngest of the four Wright brothers headed to the NFR, Statler is now a three-time qualifier. The 23-year-old has punched his ticket to Vegas each year since 2024, and in his second trip to the Thomas & Mack, he left with a gold buckle and an NFR Average title.

At the 2025 NFR, Wright placed in seven rounds and won three. He ultimately ousted his brother, Ryder, by $346 for the World Championship. The deciding factor was his performance in the Average, where 864.25 points on 10 head earned him the win and a nearly $100,000 payday.

After that incredible performance, Wright rode a rollercoaster throughout the 2026 season. He battled issues that had not plagued him in the past, but by the end of September, he had once again found his stride.

Coming into the final weekend of the regular season, Wright was outside the top 15 and needed to make a big splash.

At the Governor's Cup in Sioux Falls, S.D., he did just that. One of the richest rodeos of the entire year, the Cup paid nearly $34,000 to the winner of the Finals, which helped Wright secure his seat at the 2026 NFR.

The $1 million cowboy ultimately finished the year No. 13 in the World, with $159,617 in season earnings.

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Teal Stoll
TEAL STOLL

Teal Stoll is a lifelong Wyomingite from a working ranch family of several generations. Both sides of her family have deep roots in rodeo, as contestants and stock contractors. Teal grew up horseback and actively competes in rodeos and barrel races. She has degrees in both business and accounting, which she uses operating her own bookkeeping service. Teal enjoys spending time with her horses, training colts, and maintaining her string of athletes. When she isn’t at the barn, she can be found reading, doing yoga, or on her paddle board at the lake. Teal lives with her fiancee and a plethora of animals, because she can’t say no to a displaced critter with a sad story. When she isn’t on the road running barrels, she spends her time helping with day to day operations on the family ranch.

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