Saddle Bronc Rider Waitley Sharon Charging Toward Resistol Rookie Title, First NFR

The race for the Resistol Rookie of the Year title is coming down to the wire as the end of the regular rodeo season nears. Athletes in the running are proving to be the future of the sport as they compete head-to-head with veterans, sometimes coming out on top.

No. 1 Saddle Bronc Rookie

Saddle bronc rider Waitley Sharon is doing just that as he sits at No. 1 in the rookie race. With $134,073 earned so far, he’s ahead of the No. 2 cowboy by more than $44,000.

Sharon is also gunning to become the only saddle bronc rookie to take a trip to the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) as he is at No. 13 in the world standings.

It may be this cowboy's first year in ProRodeo, but he’s had a solid career before that to prepare him for the stakes. He went to school at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, and competed for the school's national championship-winning rodeo team.

Sharon came out of the gate swinging this season, as he’s pulled in six rodeo wins, including the Kit Carson County Pro Rodeo in Colorado and the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo in Kansas. He started the season off strong by winning the Prairie Circuit Finals as well.

His best ride of the year happened in Kansas as he pulled in his first-ever PRCA 90.5-point ride on Rebel Yell at the Championship Pro Rodeo. While he went home the winner here, it was actually his 86.5-point ride at the Farm-City Pro Rodeo that earned him his biggest check of the season at $5,920, despite earning the second-place finish during round one.

First Season Success

This cowboy has battled his way to the top through grit and consistency. Just his first year in the arena, and his average ride score is already at 86 points. It’s clear that Sharon wants to make his mark on this sport early in his career.

Sharon is on a late-season streak to earn some cash before time runs out. This young athlete earned his most recent win at the Horse Heaven Roundup Rodeo with 176.5 on two heads. He earned a second-place finish during round one at the Kitsap Stampede this week for $4,963, and just a week prior, he scored $3,805 thanks to his first-place finish at the Rosebud Fair Rodeo X-Broncs with an 87.5-point ride.

Just in the month of August, the 21-year-old cowboy from Ordway, Colorado, earned a whopping 14 checks, all of which helped propel him from the No. 23 to the No. 13 spot in the world standings.

As the season comes to an end, Sharon will have to continue to bring in the cash in order to secure his first trip to the NFR and the Resistol Rookie of the Year title.

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