Advancement Battle Rages On in San Antonio

The bracket system is more than half over at San Antonio with Bracket 3 completing Wednesday evening. Athletes are battling to add dollars to the world championship standings. Here are your semifinals qualifiers from Bracket 3.

The action has been hot in San Antonio, Texas, at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. For 18 days, the Frost Bank Center thaws out with the heated action of the cowboys from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association along with the cowgirls of the Women's Professional Rodeo Association.

Three full brackets have been completed, and 12 contestants have earned their way into the semifinals so far. Money is tabulated over the three rounds of each bracket, and the four highest money winners of each bracket in their respective events advance to further competition in the semifinals.

Bracket 3 showed fans incredible action and tough competitors. Here is your recap.

Bareback Riding

In round one, 27-year-old Garrett Shadbolt from Merriman, Neb., rode Calgary Stampede's Fresh Chick for 84.5 points to take the win and the $2,500 paycheck that goes with it.  

The second round was crowded at the top, where three men stood tall at 83.5 points. Shadbolt came spurring on another of Calgary's horses, Arbitrator Joe. Bradlee Miller, who currently sits No. 2 in the world standings, rode Andrews Rodeo's Red Bone. Finally, Gavin French from College Station, Texas, proved his talents on Andrews Rodeo's Fresno. Each of the cowboys earned $2,000 on their quest to advance.

Round three brought two new cowboys to the podium with another tied win. Wacey Schalla, the 18-year-old cowboy from Arapaho, Okla., proved he was worthy of being at the big show after qualifying through Uvalde, Texas. Schalla rode Bailey Pro Rodeo's Little Bug for 84 points. Not to be outdone and trying to earn his way into the semifinals, Cole Franks rode Calgary Stampede's Bucking Knight to match the 84 points and tie for the win. The cowboys both earned $2,250 for their efforts.

The four cowboys who will advance for further opportunities in the semifinals are:

1. Garrett Shadbolt $4,500
2. Wacey Schalla $4,250
3. Bradlee Miller $3,500
4. Cole Franks $3,250

Steer Wrestling

The steers have been big, strong, and one could describe as challenging in San Antonio. Where fans are used to seeing 3- and 4-second runs, many of the placing and even winning times will be longer here due to the strength of the stock.

In round one, Stephen Culling, the NFR qualifier from Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada, strong-manned his way to the top with his 4.1-second run to deposit $2,500.

The second round brought exactly the same time, with Huntsville, Texas, cowboy Denell Henderson doing the honors. His 4.1-second run gave him a $2,500 boost in the standings, working toward the semifinals.

Round three got just a bit faster at 4.0 seconds and resulted in a tie between Billy Boldon of Oglala, S.D., and NFR cowboy Don Payne. The two cowboys enjoyed a paycheck of $2,250 for their work.  

Moving on to the semifinals will include one cowboy who qualified for the rodeo through Uvalde (Tim Kemp) and three top 40 men:

1. Stephen Culling $3,750
2. Tim Kemp $3,500
3. Denell Henderson $2,500
4. Don Payne $2,250

Team Roping

Bracket 3 just kept getting faster with each round of competition. The team roping was a bit of a mini-NFR when nearly every competitor backing the box had qualifications.

Round one was scooped up by Cody Snow and Hunter Koch, who, between the two, have 10 NFR qualifications. The pair gathered up the horns and heels in 4.5 seconds to top the field and earn the $2,500.

Round two had Coleman Proctor and Logan Medlin in the winner's circle. This duo claims 12 trips to the NFR in total. The experience paid off with their 4.0-second run, which was nearly a second faster than the second-place finishers.

Jake Clay and Trey Yates, who can boast 4 NFR qualifications in total, stopped the clock with the fastest time of the bracket at 3.8 seconds. The team was on a mission as they hadn't placed in earlier rounds and knew that in order to advance, they would need to win the round.

The teams you will see in the semifinals competitions include:

1. Cody Snow/Hunter Koch $6,250
2. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham $3,250
3. Jake Clay/Trey Yates $2,500
4. Coleman Proctor/Logan Medlin $2,500

Saddle Bronc Riding

Wildwood, Alberta, Canada's Dawson Hay won the first and third rounds of the bracket. In round one, he put on a stellar show atop Calgary Stampede's Debt So Long for 87 points. In round three, Hay really showcased his talent and scored the highest-marked ride of the entire rodeo. He and Andrews Rodeo's All or Nothing paired up for a 90-point score and the obvious win. Hay won $2,500 for each win.

Round two found Leon Fountain on Andrews Rodeo's Gypsy Rose. Fountain is currently ranked at No. 17 in the world standings, so the win was needed and appreciated. Given that Fountain didn't win any money in the other rounds, the win was a must to advance. His 85.5 score was enough to top the standings of the night.

The semifinals qualifiers from Bracket 3 will be:

1. Dawson Hay $5,000
2. Mitch Pollock $4,500
3. Leon Fountain $2,500
4. Brody Wells $2,500

Tie-Down Roping

Round one of the tie-down roping showed Reid Zapalac, the 27-year-old from Bangs, Texas, at the top with his 8.5-second run. Zapalac earned his way to the Frost Bank Center through the qualifier, so he was making the best of his opportunity.

In round two, Bryce Derrer finished his run in 8.6 seconds for the win and the $2,500 paycheck that went with it. Derrer is currently in the No. 18 position of the world standings and, at age 22, trying to find his way to the NFR for the first time.  

Tom Crouse brought the heat in round three with his smoking 7.7-second run. The Gallatin, Mo., cowboy has earned his way to No. 7 in the world standings so far in 2024 with his performances and winnings at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo and now his winnings at San Antonio.

The semifinals performances will see the likes of:

1. Tom Crouse $5,000
2. Beau Cooper $4,500
3. Reid Zapalac $2,500
4. Bryce Derrer $2,500

Barrel Racing

The competition was tough within the ranks of the barrel racers of Bracket 3. Victory also came with some heartache for Katie Jo Halbert when her horse was injured after round one.

The talented jockey, Halbert, and her horse, Melania, clocked the fastest run of the entire rodeo in the first round with a 13.77 to take the win. Halbert reported on a social media post that the mare would not see the arena again in San Antonio this year due to an accident. Competitors and fans alike showed their support of Halbert and her horse, with many offering prayers and even offers to let her finish the competition on their horses.  

The second round was won by NFR qualifier Paige Jones with a 13.88-second pattern. In Jones' interview, she gave her horse credit and talked about how she has to really ride to keep the horse moving and the barrels up. Apparently, Jones was spot on because she took the win and the $2,500.

In round three, Abby Phillips and Kelly Allen turned three in 13.86 to tie for the win. Together, they each took him $2,250 for their last-round effort.

In the semifinals, fans will get the pleasure of watching:

1. Paige Jones $4,500
2. Abby Phillips $4,250
3. Lisa Lockhart $4,000
4. Kelly Allen $3,250

Bull Riding

Legacy Rodeo's bulls took two of the three round wins, with Gritty and Flat Top both earning 85.5 points with their riders in round one and Angels Landing gathering 90 points in round two.  

The cowboys to go along with the bulls were Jeter Lawrence, who rode Gritty, and Gavin Hauck on Flat Top. With both earning 85.5 points, the win gave them each $2,250.  

Round two also went to Lawrence, who rode Angels Landing for a show topping 90 points. The 18-year-old cowboy from Council Hill, Oklahoma, is enjoying his rookie year, where he currently ranks No. 21 in the world.  

Round three was the sole survivor, so to speak, for Canadian Jake Gardner. He was the only bull rider to cover a bull, and for that effort, he earned the entire purse of $7,000. Andrews Rodeo's Twizzler paired with Gardner for 83 points. The ride ensured Gardner a place in the semifinals.

The bull riders of Bracket 3 to advance are:

1. Jake Gardner $7,000
2. Jeter Lawrence $4,750
3. Brady Portenier $3,500
4. Gavin Hauck $2,250

Breakaway Roping

The ladies of Bracket 3 were fast and furious in the breakaway roping. Round one saw Braylee Shephard rope her calf in a blazing 1.8 seconds for the win.  

Fan favorite and crowd-pleaser J.J. Hampton found the winner's circle in round two. Her 2.0-second run claimed the win. Hampton waived to the crowd and high-fived as she left, much to the crowd's pleasure.

In round three, Braylee Shepherd was back for the win that she had to share with fellow roper Shaya Biever. The two ladies wowed the crowd with their 1.7-second runs. This was the toughest round of competition of the entire rodeo so far. In order to get a check at all, the breakaway ropers had to rope their calf in under 2.0 seconds.  

The talent you will see in the semifinals will be:

1. Braylee Shepherd $6,500
2. J.J. Hampton $3,000
3. Jackie Crawford $3,000
4. Shaya Biever $2,500

The competition will resume in San Antonio on Feb. 16 at 7 pm CST.