2023 Mountain States Circuit Champions Crowned

The end of the 2023 season for the Mountain States Circuit ended Saturday night in Loveland, Colorado, at the MAC arena. The champions for the year end and the average were crowned. These titles earned the athletes the chance to compete at the NFR Open in Colorado Springs in July of 2024.

The all-around cowboy title was intense until the end. Jase Staudt ended up winning the finals all-around and Seth Peterson took home the year end championship. Both cowboys competed in two events at the circuit finals keeping it interesting right up to the last nod of their head.

The bareback riding winner is a name to remember for a long time, but for sure into the upcoming Wrangler National Finals. Keenan Hayes won both the year end and the average title. He also leads the world standings going into Las Vegas. Scoring a total of 253 points on three head, Keenan earned $7,426 toward the 2024 rodeo season.

The comeback kid is known as Gage Hesse around town these days. Hesse arrived in Loveland in the sixth-place position when the finals started. Hesse came prepared and with a goal in mind. Winning the first two rounds, second in the third round, and first in the average added $8,788 to Hesse’s standings and catapulted him into the first-place position for the year.

The year-end champions for the team roping were Clayton Van Aken and Cullen Teller. The duo has roped together off and on since 2015. This will be their third title as a team. Teller confirmed, “I am looking forward to roping with Clayton again next year.” Van Aken said, “I am extremely blessed and fortunate with the opportunities, people behind me, and my family who make all this possible.”

There was only one team who successfully got times on all three head at the finals – Zane Murphy and Dusty Taylor. The pair roped their three steers in a combined time of 24.2 seconds on all three which easily earned them a spot in Colorado Springs at the NFR Open.

Ira Dickinson continued with his winning ways in the saddle bronc riding. Dickinson won the first two rounds and finished in a tie for second and third in the final round. He was edged out of the average race by his traveling partner by just one point. Bailey Small earned the average championship with 243 points on three head.

The tie down roping was a fight to the finish. JD McCuistion held on to his lead and took home the year-end championship, but he was holding his breath through the final round. The average race came down to the last roper and the last tick of the clock. Jeremiah Peek had to tie his calf in 11.3 to win the average. When he threw his hands in the air, the clock stopped at 11.2.

The breakaway year-end championship was earned by veteran cowgirl and multiple time champion Willow Wilson. She worked her way to the gold by winning second in the first round; third in the second round; staying consistent and roping the third calf in 3.9; and winning second in the average. The fastest cowgirl on three was Devan McAdow who topped the field with her combined total of 9.7 seconds on three.