Rodeo Daily

Three-Time World Champion Cowboy's Practice Horse Goes Viral on Social Media

An unexpected social media star is garnering a lot of attention.
Teal Stoll|
Tyler Wade at the 2025 NFR
Tyler Wade at the 2025 NFR | Nathan Meyer Photography

While so much of life and social media can feel needlessly heavy, entertainment comes in the unlikeliest forms. For rodeo and Western lifestyle fans, one of the bright spots recently is a quirky 20-year-old sorrel gelding.

When three-time World Champion Team Roping Header, Tyler Wade, shared a short video of a rather... "spirited" horse in the practice pen before the 2025 National Finals Rodeo, he could have never expected what came next. Known as "Jumanji," the 20-year-old gelding rapidly developed his own fan base on social media.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Despite his lengthy career as a head horse, Jumanji snorts and eyes humans as if he has never been touched. Making his social media debut in a clip of Wade attempting to put on his bridle, Jumanji breaks away and takes off across the arena, snorting. Titled "An Ode to the Best Practice Horse Ever," the video went viral.

Not one to leave an audience hanging, Wade has kept up regular Jumanji content on social media since the initial video. From his interesting ground habits to his rock-solid efforts in the practice pen, Jumanji has won the hearts of countless social media users.

The Jumanji Story

Wade shared on social media how Jumanji joined his team. When a friend inquired about a horse Wade had for sale, a trade was struck. Wade tried two horses. After passing on the first, he took a look at the younger, sorrel gelding his friend had brought.

"Jumanji looked awful. It was real cold that day and I tried to saddle him and he wouldn't let me... He's crazy to be around, but he doesn't buck," Wade explained. After watching his friend turn a few steers on the uniquely tempered Jumanji, Wade decided to swing aboard.

Despite Jumanji's difficult nature with nearly everything else, he serves a key role as Wade's practice horse. Limiting the runs on 2024 Head Horse of the Year, Espuela Bro, who will turn 19 this year, is a big job.

Fortunately for Jumanji, he may have dialed into peak biohacking and longevity with all that extra energy. Wade shared that Jumanji celebrated his 20th birthday recently, but the gelding is still young at heart.

One of the most burning questions on social media is a variation of, "Is Jumanji safe to (fill in the blank)?" Wade has been demonstrating the answers to these questions on video.

Wade has promised another installment in the series, as fans have wondered how Jumanji and the farrier get along. Known for his signature sense of humor, "T Wade," has a knack for keeping everyone laughing. Now, the adventures he shares with Jumanji are bringing much-needed joy to the rodeo industry.

More Rodeo On SI

Published
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.

Home/News