Waitley Sharon Captures First Prairie Circuit Finals Victory in Impressive Fashion

The Prairie Circuit Finals was full of close calls and big wins.

Waitley Sharon | Tierney Myers

After being postponed due to the widespread EHV-1 outbreak, the Prairie Circuit Finals took place in Pawhuska, Okla., and contestants battled it out for the circuit championships.

The 20-year-old rookie cowboy, Waitley Sharon, proved the cream rises to the top in the saddle bronc riding, as he swept both rounds, the average and the circuit championship. Sharon kicked off the weekend with 88.5 points on Rafter H Rodeo Livestock's Pony Soldier, then followed it up with an 85-point ride on Frontier Rodeo's Big Sister.

"I have a really great support group," Sharon said. "My fiancé, Brendi, my parents, my traveling partners and my sponsors. Everybody has been helping me out, and I'm really thankful for that."

This marked Sharon's first trip to the Prairie Circuit Finals, and he was matched up against plenty of heavy hitters, including NFR qualifier, Weston Patterson.

"I was dang sure nervous," Sharon said, "but I was excited to ride against a great group of guys."

The young cowboy isn't stopping any time soon. Sharon is already looking ahead to his goals for next season.

"The goal for me is Rookie of the Year and to make the NFR this year," he said.

With the title secured and the moment soaking in, Sharon capped a week that carried him to the top. But while his win stood out, plenty of others left their mark as the rest of the circuit finals unfolded.

Jhett Trenary and L.J. Yeahquo | Tierney Myers

Final Results Recap

In yet another sweep at the finals, Jhett Trenary and L.J. Yeahquo took both round wins and the aggregate with times of 4.5 and 4.9 seconds. The pair cashed in for more than $10,000, which was enough to push Yeahquo to the No. 1 spot in the year-end heeling race.

Bubba Buckaloo, roping alongside Joseph Harrison, finished as the circuit champion in the heading after a huge season with more than $30,000 in circuit winnings.

In the bareback riding, Jayco Roper took home big checks to vault him through the standings and land him as the aggregate and year-end champion. Roper split the first round with Colt Eck with an 84-point ride on McCoy Rodeo's Indigo. In the second round, he rode Frontier Rodeo's Sundance Kid for 87.5 points, which won him the round and the average.

Mason Stueve stayed solid throughout the finals to take the year-end title in the tie-down roping. Stueve placed 2nd in the first round, then won Round 2 with an 8.7-second run. 19-year-old Chizm Kuykendall edged out Stueve to win the aggregate title at the finals, with a time of 17.4 seconds on two calves.

Six-time NFR Qualifier, Emily Beisel, made it look almost too easy in the barrel racing as she cruised to checks in both rounds and the aggregate and a year-end win. Beisel, a Prairie Circuit native, put together more than $20,000 in circuit winnings in just 16 rodeos.

Texas cowgirl, Kara Kreder took the aggregate win in the barrel racing with 32.28 seconds on two runs.

Though she didn't have any luck at the finals, Taylor Munsell's massive lead kept her at the top and brought her a circuit finals title. Jenna Adams, who came into the circuit finals on the bubble, took the aggregate win and cinched her spot at the NFR Open in Colorado Springs, Colo.

It was a tight race in the steer wrestling between the top contenders, but when Emmett Edler stubbed his toe and missed a tough steer, Cody Devers capitalized with a Round 2 win to seal his year-end circuit title. Mason Couch dominated the aggregate race at the finals with 9.1 seconds on two steers to win the aggregate title.

The bulls were rank at the finals, and only one cowboy covered both of his bulls. Harrison Kalinka, who narrowly made the cut for the circuit finals, proved he can hang with the top players as he rode both his bulls for an aggregate score of 160.5 on two bulls.

NFR qualifier, JR Stratford, has battled several injuries lately, and appeared to struggle throughout the finals. However, the cowboy's impressive circuit season still left him at the top for a year-end title.

Riley O'Rourke finished as the No. 1 man in the steer roping, and Chet Herren took the aggregate title with 35.8 seconds on three steers.

As the long-awaited Prairie Circuit Finals comes to a close, several new winners triumph, and many more are already hungry for next year's finals.

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