Worley To Replace Previous Winner at Cinch Timed Event Championship

Three-time National Finals Rodeo (NFR) qualifying heeler, Tyler Worley, receieved an exciting phone call prior to his first round run at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. With 2021 Cinch Timed Event Champion (CTEC), Marcus Theriot, out of the 2026 event due to injury, Worley will take his place.

The unique event will be held March 5-7, at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla. Over the three-day event, 25 athletes will compete to earn a seat in the final round. On Saturday, March 7, the top 15 competitors in the aggregate will battle for the championship. The event boasts over $200,000 in prize money, with one champion taking home the largest check for $100,000.

Although Worley has never competed at the CTEC, this was a call he had long hoped to receive.

When Worley's wife encouraged him to pursue the CTEC last year, the 32-year-old cowboy made a few phone calls. Less than a year later, he received the invitation he dreamed of and will spend the next month preparing for the "Ironman of Rodeo."

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In a press release from the Lazy E Arena, Worley shared:

“I’m super excited. (Lazy E General Manager) Dan Wall told me the door was open if I wanted to go, and I said, absolutely. I’ve been wanting to try it for so long.”

The former Arkansas cowboy who now calls Morgan Mill, Texas, home, has consistently finished inside the top 40 in the World every year for the past decade. With over $750,000 in PRORODEO earnings, Worley finished second in the Average at the NFR (2020), and has claimed wins at many of the biggest professional rodeos in the U.S. throughout his career.

Although his professional career is focused on heeling, Worley has been quietly preparing for this moment.

“Bulldogging is definitely going to be my weakest event,” Worley told the Lazy E. “Being willing to get down isn’t the problem—it’s knowing what I’m doing. I’ve practiced the other stuff for years, honestly for no reason other than if they ever called me, I wanted to be ready.”

Worley was already planning to attend the 2026 CTEC to rope with Quade Hiatt and Justin Shaffer, who are both set to compete in Guthrie. Now, he will be entering the CTEC arena for the first time, as a competitor.

Several past champions are included in the star-studded roster for this year's CTEC, along with rookie competitors like Worley. For more information on how to watch or attend the Cinch Timed Event Championship, visit their website here.

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