Wacey Schalla Closes the Gap in NFR Bareback Riding Average Race

Sitting second in the average heading into round four of the National Finals Rodeo(NFR), Schalla walked into the Thomas & Mack with a chance to solidify himself closer to the leader of not only the average but the All-Around race.

PRCA Photo by Click Thompson

With an all-out fight for Wacey Schalla in both the All-Around and bareback riding average title races, tonight proved that even in commotion that hit just moments before the chute was supposed to open, Schalla stayed calm, cool, and mentally locked in during one of the worst moments a bareback rider can face. 

Schalla was initially set to be the second out in the bareback riding with his partner from Beutler & Son Rodeo, No Whiskey’s Redlicious Meats. But as the camera focused on them getting ready to nod, she reared up in the chute and smashed Schalla’s riggin.

As the round progressed, there wasn’t a clear path forward for Schalla other than knowing he had to find a way to get on his horse and make it work. 

Many didn’t know about the riggin until Tim O’Connell mentioned it on the broadcast, and by that point, Schalla was already in the chute, ready to nod his head, ride his horse, and surrounded by competitors who are also his friends, cheering him on every second he was in the arena.

Sitting second in the average heading into round four of the National Finals Rodeo(NFR), Schalla walked into the Thomas & Mack with a chance to solidify himself closer to the leader of not only the average but the All-Around race as well. The 20-year-old cowboy didn’t waste a breath. He went out, got his job done, and is writing his own history in Las Vegas. 

Schalla and No Whiskey’s Redlicious Meats teamed up for 87.25 points, a ride that not only secured Schalla his spot on the Gold Buckle Stage at the South Point tonight but placed him within just .25 points of the average, closely trailing Waylon Bourgeois. 

PRCA Photo By Click Thompson

How did the other competitors do?

Jacek Frost hasn’t had the debut in Las Vegas he hoped for. In the first round, he marked 85 points on Native Lights from Dakota Rodeo, and after an encouraging talk with O’Connell last night, something shifted. Tonight, he put up 84 points on Independence from Smith Pro Rodeo and picked up a $1,971 check. 

The 21-year-old barback rider looked more like himself and seemed like he found his groove again. It was the same groove that helped him earn his spot in the Thomas & Mack and reminded him that he deserves to be in that arena. 

The young guns are locked in, treating every round like a fresh start and using that mindset to push them closer to their gold buckle dreams.